Military of Zambia
| Military of Zambia | |
|---|---|
| Service branches | Army, Air Force |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Edgar Lungu |
| Minister of Defence | Davies Chama |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | n/a |
| Available for military service |
2,477,494, age 15–49 (2004 est.) |
| Fit for military service |
1,310,814, age 15–49 (2004 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually |
NA (2004 est.) |
| Active personnel | 15,100 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $42.6 million (2003) |
| Percent of GDP | 0.9% (2003) |
The Zambian Defence Force consists of the Zambia Army, the Zambia Air Force and Zambia National Service, a training and public works organisation. The Zambian Defence Force is established for the defence of Zambia. Being a landlocked country Zambia has no navy, although a small Marine Unit was formed in Zambia Army during 2015 to patrol inland waterbodies.
During 1976 Zambia adopted a unified command system, in which the three Service Chiefs reported to a Commander of the 'Zambian National Defence Force' (ZNDF). The Commander of Zambia Air Force at the time, Air Commodore Peter Zuze, was promoted to Lieutenant-General and appointed as Deputy Commander of the ZNDF. However, the Zambia Air Force and Zambia National Service resented this system because Army officers filled most senior appointments in the ZNDF and the system was ended in 1980. The country then reverted to the command system inherited at independence where Service Chiefs report through the Minister of Defence to the Head of State.
The current (2017) Command is:
- President and Commander-in-Chief: Edgar Lungu (from January 2015)
- Defence Minister: Davies Chama (from September 2016)
- Permanent Secretary for Defence: Stardy Mwale
- Commander Zambia Army: Lieutenant-General Paul Mihova (from October 2011)
- Deputy Commander Zambia Army: Major-General Jackson Miti (from September 2016)
- Commander Zambia Air Force: Lieutenant-General Eric M. Chimese
- Deputy Commander Zambia Air Force: Major-General David Muma (from January 2015; a predecessor, Major-General Muliokela Muliokela, was killed in an aircraft accident during May 2014).
- Commandant Zambia National Service: Lieutenant-General Nathan Mulenga
The current Army organisation is:
Three infantry brigades -
1 Brigade, Lusaka
2 Brigade, Kabwe (during July 2016 the Brigade Commander was Brigadier Martin Banda)
3 Brigade, Ndola (during March 2017 the Brigade Commander was Brigadier Laston Chabinga)
With the following units:
Zambia Air Force is a small air force that developed from the rump of the former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Air Force. In recent years the aircraft inventory has largely been updated with Chinese aircraft reflecting the increasing closeness between the Zambian Defence Force and China. During 1999 eight Karakorum-8 jet trainers were delivered and in 2006 Zambia Air Force received two Xian MA60 and five Yakovlev Yak-12 transport aircraft from China. During March 2012 a further eight K-8 were received. Four Harbin Z-9 helicopters were delivered during June 2012, with a further four delivered by March 2013 (when one of the new aircraft was lost in an accident, see below).
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Wikipedia