Lesotho Military Profile 2013

Military branches

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2012)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 472,456
females age 16-49: 508,953 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 270,184
females age 16-49: 275,734 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 19,110
female: 20,037 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2006)

Military - note

Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF (2008)