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)
Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) (2021)
Military service age and obligation
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)
18-22 years of age for voluntary military service (18-24 for officer cadets; 18-30 for technical/specialist personnel); no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2021)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
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)
0.7% of GDP (2019)
1.2% of GDP (2018)
1.5% of GDP (2017)
1.8% of GDP (2016)
1.9% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Zambia Defense Force (ZDF) has approximately 16,500 active troops (15,000 Army; 1,500 Air) (2020)
information varies; approximately 30,000 active duty troops, including about 4,000 serving in the Air Force (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
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)
the ZDF inventory is comprised mostly of older Chinese- and Russian-origin equipment; since 2000, China is the leading arms supplier to the ZDF, although there are no recorded deliveries of weapons since 2006; since the early 2000s, Zimbabwe has been under an arms embargo from the European Union, as well as targeted sanctions from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US (2020)
