Togolese Armed Forces

Togolese Armed Forces
Forces Armées Togolaises
Togolese Coat of Arms
Service branches Togolese Army
Togolese Air Force
Togolese Navy
Togolese National Gendarmerie
Leadership
Commander-in-chief Faure Gnassingbé
Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Titikpina Atcha Mohamed
Manpower
Military age 18[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]
Expenditures
Percent of GDP 1.6%[1]
Industry
Foreign suppliers France
United States
Related articles
Ranks Military ranks of Togo

The Togolese Armed Forces, in French FAT (Forces armées togolaises, "Togolese armed forces"), consists of the army, navy, air force, and gendarmerie. 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 Titikpina Atcha Mohamed, who took office on May 19, 2009.[4]

Army

The current chief of staff of the army is Colonel Blakimwé Wiyao Balli.[5] The elite presidential bodyguards of the Togolese 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 Togolese Air Force (French: Armée de l'Air Togolaise) was established in 1964, and a French influence remains on the choice of aircraft used. Since 2005, the air force's chief of staff is Colonel Bouraïma Bonfoh.[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 Togolais in 1964 to Escadrille Nationale Togolaise in 1973, to Groupement Aerienne Togolaise (GAT) in 1980, and finally to Armée de l'Air Togolaise in 1997.[11]

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

Aircraft

Current inventory

An Alouette III with the national flag beneath
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Super King Air  United States Utility/transport 200 2[14]
Trainer aircraft
Alpha Jet  France
 Germany		 Trainer/light attack 4[14]
MB-326  Italy Trainer/light attack 4[14]
Socata TB 30  France Basic trainer 3[14]

The National Navy was created on May 1, 1976 to guard the roughly 34 miles (55 km) of Togolese 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.[15][16] On 7 July 2014, the Togolese navy got a RPB 33 patrol boat that was named Agou (P 763).[17] Currently, the navy's chief of staff is ship captain Atiogbé Ametsipe.[18]

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)  United States Patrol boat 1 Defender-class boat[19]

References

  • Aircraft information files Brightstar publishing File 338 sheet 4
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Togolese Military". cia.gov. 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "CIA World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  3. ↑ "Organisation des Forces Armées". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  4. ↑ "Un Nouveau Chef à la Tête des FAT". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  5. ↑ "Le Chef d'Etat Major de l'armée de terre". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  6. ↑ Thomas T. Johnson (9 January 2017). "Yeaten Helping Jammeh?". Liberian Observer. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Liberia: FBI Dragnet Closes On Yeaten". AllAfrica. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Togolese Army". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Arms Trade Register". SIPRI. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  10. ↑ "Le Chef d'Etat Major de l'Armée de l'Air". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  11. ↑ "Historique de l'Armée de l'Air". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Les bases de l'Armée de l'Air". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  13. ↑ "Organisation de l'Armée de l'Air". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "World Air Forces 2015 pg. 31". Flightglobal Insight. 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Marine". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  16. ↑ 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. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  17. ↑ "Togo gets third defender patrol boat". IHS Jane's 360. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "Le Chef d'Etat Major de l'armée de la Marine". www.forcesarmees.tg. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  19. ↑ Martin, Guy. "Togo receives Defender patrol boat from United States - defenceWeb". www.defenceweb.co.za.
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