Togolese Armed Forces

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Togolese Armed Forces
Forces Armées Togolaises
Togolese Coat of Arms
Service branchesTogolese Army [fr]
Togolese Air Force [fr]
Togolese Navy [fr]
Togolese National Gendarmerie
Websitedefense.gouv.tg
Leadership
Commander-in-chiefPresident Faure Gnassingbé
Minister of DefenseEssozimna Marguerite Gnakade
Chief of Defence StaffBrigadier General Dimini Allaharé
Personnel
Military age18[1]
Available for
military service		1,577,572[1], age 15–49
Fit for
military service		1,104,536[1], age 15–49
Reaching military
age annually		74,036[1]
Expenditure
Percent of GDP1.6%[1]
Industry
Foreign suppliersFrance
Russia
Related articles
RanksMilitary ranks of Togo

The Togolese Armed Forces (French: Forces Armées Togolaises, FAT) is the national military of the Republic of Togo which consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The total military expenditure during the fiscal year of 2005 was 1.6% of the country's GDP.[2] Military bases exist in Lomé, Temedja, Kara, Niamtougou, and Dapaong.[3] The current Chief of the General Staff is Brigadier General Dimini Allaharé, who took office on May 28, 2024.[4]

Army

The current chief of staff of the army is Colonel Blakimwé Wiyao Balli.[5] The elite presidential bodyguards of the Republic of Togo Armed Forces are reportedly trained by Benjamin Yeaten, an internationally wanted Liberian military commander and war criminal.[6][7]

Equipment

Armor

Name Origin Type In service Notes
Armored fighting vehicle
T-54 Soviet Union Main battle tank 4[8]
T-34-85 Soviet Union Medium Tank 7[8]
FV101 Scorpion United Kingdom light tank 20[9]
BMP-2 Russia Infantry fighting vehicle 20[8]
UR-416 Germany APC 30[8]
Panhard M3 France APC 5[9] Reconnaissance vehicle
Véhicule Blindé Léger France Armored car 2[9]
EE-9 Cascavel Brazil Armored car 36[9]
M8 Greyhound United States Armored car 9[8] of which 3 are the M20 variant
Véhicule d'Action dans la Profondeur France Armored car 6[9]
TC-54 France Heavy truck 110[8]
Panhard AML France Armored car 10[8]
Artillery
M2A1 United States Howitzer 4[8] 105mm towed howitzer
2S1 Gvozdika Soviet Union Self-propelled howitzer 6[8]

Air Force

Air Force roundel

The Republic of Togo Air Force (French: Armée de l'Air Republic of Togo) was established in 1964, and French influence remains in the choice of aircraft used. Since 2020, the air force's chief of staff is Colonel Tassounti Djato.[10] The C-47 Skytrain was the first aircraft used; it was part of the force from 1960 to 1976. Replacing the C-47s were two DHC-5D Buffalo STOL transports in 1976. Also in the same year, Togo acquired five ex-German Air Force Fouga Magister armed jet trainers and seven EMB.326GBs from Brazil to form the Escadrille de Chasse. Togo's armed jet trainer fleet was upgraded in 1981 by the deliveries of five Alpha jets and by three piston engine Aerospatiale TB-30 Epsilons in 1986. The Fouga Magisters were returned to France in 1985.


During its existence the official name changed from Section Air der Forces armées in 1964 to Escadrille Nationale D Togolaise (ENT) in 1973, to Groupement Aerienne Togolais (GAT) in 1980, and finally to Armée de l'Air Togolaise in 1997.[11]

At present its operations are concentrated in the Lomé Transport Base at Lomé Tokoin Airport, where the transport aircraft are based, and the Niamtougou Fighter Base at Niamtougou International Airport, where the combat units are located.[12][13]

It acquired the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV from Turkish company Baykar in August 2022.

Aircraft

Current inventory

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Beechcraft Super King Air United States utility King Air 200 2[14][15]
Douglas DC-8 United States VIP transport 1[14]
Fokker F.28 Netherlands VIP transport F-28-1000 2[14]
Helicopter
Aérospatiale Gazelle France utility SA342L1 2[14]
Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama France utility 2[14]
Aérospatiale Puma France transport 1[14] in storage
Alouette III France utility SA319 / SA316 2[14]
Mil Mi-8 Russia transport Mi-8T 2[14]
Mil Mi-17 Russia utility Hip-H 2 (unconfirmed)[14]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack Mi-35M 3 (unconfirmed)[14]
Trainer
Aermacchi MB-326 Italy trainer / light attack EMB-326G 4[14] in storage
Alpha Jet France trainer / light attack 3[14] in storage
Socata TB 30 Epsilon France basic trainer 3[14]
UAV
Bayraktar TB2 Turkey UACV unknown[14]
An Alouette III with the national flag beneath

The National Navy (French: Marine togolaise) was created on May 1, 1976, to guard the roughly 34 miles (55 km) of Republic of Togo coast and the seaport of Lomé. It currently has 2 wooden-hulled patrol boats, the Kara (P 761), and the Mono (P 762), which have both been in service since 1976.[16][17] On 7 July 2014, the Republic of Togo navy received a RPB 33 patrol boat that was named Agou (P 763).[18] Currently, the navy's chief of staff is ship captain Atiogbé Ametsipe.[19]

Equipment

Vessel Origin Type In service Notes
Kara (P 761) France Patrol boat 1 Kara Patrol class
Mono (P 762) France Patrol boat 1 Kara Patrol class
Agou (P 763) France Patrol boat 1 RPB 33 class[20]
unknown name France Patrol boat 1 RPB 33 class[20]
unknown names United States Patrol boat 3 Defender-class boat[21]

References

  • Aircraft information files Brightstar publishing File 338 sheet 4
  1. ^ a b c d e "Togolese Military". cia.gov. 2010. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. ^ "CIA World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  3. ^ "Organisation des Forces Armées". www.forcesarmees.tg. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  4. ^ "Au Togo, un nouveau patron pour l'armée". Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  5. ^ "Le Chef d'Etat Major de l'armée de terre". www.forcesarmees.tg. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  6. ^ Thomas T. Johnson (9 January 2017). "Yeaten Helping Jammeh?". Liberian Observer. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Liberia: FBI Dragnet Closes On Yeaten". AllAfrica. 22 June 2015. Archived from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Togolese Army". www.armyrecognition.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Arms Trade Register". SIPRI. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  10. ^ "Armee de l'Air". Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  11. ^ "Historique de l'Armée de l'Air". www.forcesarmees.tg. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Les bases de l'Armée de l'Air". www.forcesarmees.tg. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  13. ^ "Organisation de l'Armée de l'Air". www.forcesarmees.tg. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n The Military Balance 2024. International Institute for Strategic Studies. 2024. p. 525. ISBN 9781032780047.
  15. ^ Hoyle, Craig (2023). "World Air Forces 2024". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Marine". www.forcesarmees.tg. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  17. ^ Wertheim, Eric (2007). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. p. 787. ISBN 9781591149552. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  18. ^ "Togo gets third defender patrol boat". IHS Jane's 360. 7 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  19. ^ "Le Chef d'Etat Major de l'armée de la Marine". www.forcesarmees.tg. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  20. ^ a b Martin, Guy (10 July 2014). "Togo receives Defender patrol boat from United States - defenceWeb". www.defenceweb.co.za. Archived from the original on 2018-01-15. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  21. ^ "Togo receives Defender patrol boat from United States". 10 July 2014. Archived from the original on 2018-01-15. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
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