Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Army (includes marine unit), Air Force (established as a separate service August 2019; previously was an air wing under the Army) (2021)
Zambia Defense Force (ZDF): Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service (support organization that also does public work projects); Defense Force Medical Service; the Zambia Police includes a paramilitary battalion (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2021)
18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (16 with parental consent); no conscription; 12-year enlistment period (7 years active, 5 in the Reserves) (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.9% of GDP (2019)
0.9% of GDP (2018)
0.7% of GDP (2017)
0.6% of GDP (2016)
0.6% of GDP (2015)
1.2% of GDP (2019)
1.3% of GDP (2018)
1.3% of GDP (2017)
1.5% of GDP (2016)
1.7% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; approximately 8,000 total personnel (including about 200 air and 200 marine forces) (2021)
the Zambia Defense Force (ZDF) has approximately 16,500 active troops (15,000 Army; 1,500 Air) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Malawi Defense Force inventory is comprised of mostly obsolescent or second-hand equipment from Europe and South Africa; since 2010, it has taken deliveries of limited amounts of mostly second-hand equipment from China, South Africa, and the UK, as well as non-lethal equipment donated by the US (2020)
the ZDF's inventory is largely comprised of Chinese, Russian, and Soviet-era armaments, with a small mix of Israeli, South African, and US equipment; since 2010, China is the leading supplier of arms to Zambia (2020)
Military deployments
700 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (Jan 2021)
