Republic of the Congo vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Military
Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Military branches
Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Gendarmerie (2021)
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces d'Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo, FARDC): Land Forces, National Navy (La Marine Nationale), Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC); Republican Guard (2020)
note - the Republican Guard is under the direct control of the president
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2019)
18-45 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.7% of GDP (2019)
2.5% of GDP (2018)
4.3% of GDP (2017)
6.4% of GDP (2016)
0.7% of GDP (2019 est.)
0.7% of GDP (2018)
0.7% of GDP (2017)
1.3% of GDP (2016)
1.4% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) have approximately 12,000 active duty troops (8,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2020)
limited and widely varied information; approximately 100,000 active troops (mostly Army, but includes several thousand Navy and Air Force personnel, as well as about 10,000 Republican Guard; note - Navy personnel includes naval infantry) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the FAC is armed with mostly ageing Russian/Soviet-era weapons, with some French and South African equipment; the leading supplier of arms to the FAC since 2010 is South Africa (2020)
the FARDC is equipped mostly with a mix of second-hand Russian and Soviet-era weapons acquired from former Warsaw Pact nations; most equipment was acquired between 1970 and 2000; since 2010, Ukraine is the largest supplier of arms to the FARDC (2020)
