Angolan Army
| Angolan Armed Forces Forças Armadas Angolanas |
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|---|---|
Flag of Angola
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| Service branches |
Angolan Army Angolan Navy National Air Force of Angola |
| Headquarters | Ministry of Defence, Rua 17 de Setembro, Luanada, Angola |
| Leadership | |
| President of Angola, Commander-in-Chief | José Eduardo dos Santos |
| Minister of Defence | João Lourenço |
| Chief of General Staff | General Geraldo Sachipengo Nunda |
| Manpower | |
| Conscription | Universal compulsory service for 24 months plus training |
| Active personnel | 90,000 |
| Reserve personnel | 30,000 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $6.8 billion (2014) |
| Percent of GDP | 5.25% (2014) |
| Related articles | |
| History |
South African Border War Angolan War of Independence Angolan Civil War First Congo War Republic of the Congo Civil War Second Congo War 2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état |
The Angolan Armed Forces (Portuguese: Forças Armadas Angolanas) or FAA are the military of Angola.
The FAA include the General Staff of the Armed Forces and three components: the Army (Exército), the Navy (Marinha de Guerra) and the National Air Force (National Air Force). Reported total manpower in 2013 was about 107,000.
The FAA is headed by Chief of the General Staff Geraldo Sachipengo Nunda since 2010, who reports to the Minister of National Defense, currently João Lourenço.
The FAA succeeded to the previous People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) following the abortive Bicesse Accord with the Armed Forces of the Liberation of Angola (FALA), armed wing of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). As part of the peace agreement, troops from both armies were to be demilitarized and then integrated. Integration was never completed as UNITA and FALA went back to war in 1992. Later, consequences for FALA personnel in Luanda were harsh with FAPLA veterans persecuting their erstwhile opponents in certain areas and reports of vigilantism.
The Army (Exército) is the land component of the FAA. It is organized in six military regions (Cabinda, Luanda, North, Center, East and South), with an infantry division being based in each one. Distributed by the six military regions / infantry divisions, there are 25 motorized infantry brigades, one tank brigade and one engineering brigade. The Army also includes an artillery regiment, the Military Artillery School, the Army Military Academy, an anti-aircraft defense group, a composite land artillery group, a military police regiment, a logistical transportation regiment and a field artillery brigade. The Army further includes the Special Forces Brigade (including Commandos and Special Operations units), but this unit is under the direct command of the General Staff of the FAA.
On August 1, 1974 a few months after a military coup d'état had overthrown the Lisbon regime and proclaimed its intention of granting independence to Angola, the MPLA announced the formation of FAPLA, which replaced the EPLA. By 1976 FAPLA had been transformed from lightly armed guerrilla units into a national army capable of sustained field operations.
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