| Military of Malawi |
|
|---|---|
Flag of Malawi |
|
| Service branches | Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit) |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Reaching military age annually |
803,777 males (2002 est.), 801,789 females (2002 est.) |
| Active personnel | 5,300 (ranked 140th) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $9.5 million (FY00/01) |
| Percent of GDP | 0.76% (FY00/01) |
The Armed forces of Malawi are the state military organisation responsible for defending Malawi. They originated from British colonial units formed before independence in 1964.
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The Malawi Rifles was a unit in the Malawi army formed on the country's gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. Its first battalion was formed from the 1st Battalion, King's African Rifles. On independence the battalion became 1st Battalion, The Malawi Rifles (King's African Rifles). They were based (and elements still may be based) at Cobbe Barracks, Zomba.
On 6 July 1966 Malawi became a Republic and His Excellency The Hon. Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda became the first President of the new Republic. After the swearing in Ceremony his first duty was to present the Battalion with his own Presidential Colour and the new Regimental Colour.[1]
The Malawi army is now made up of two rifle regiments and one parachute regiment. The military is organized under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. State Department IMET training documentation from FY 2003 indicates the United States trained army personnel from the 2nd Battalion, Malawi Rifles, 3rd Battalion, Malawi Rifles (Moyale Barracks), the Parachute Battalion, and the Combat Support Battalion (Mvera).[2]
The Malawi Air Force was established with German help in 1976 with the delivery of six single engined Dornier Do 27's and eight Do 28 light twins in 1976-1980. Also in the same era the air force received an Alouette III, an AS 350 and a AS 355 Ecureuil, as well as three SA 330 H/L Puma Helicopters from France. A single BAE 125-800 was delivered in 1986. Four Dornier Do 228 light twin turbo props were acquired between 1986 and 1989 in part to dispose of the older Dornier products. In 1990 two Douglas C-47's and PT6A turboprops were delivered from the US.
The Malawi Army Air Wing operates the following aircraft:[3]
| Manufacturer | Model | Origin | Type | Service entry | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dornier | Dornier 228 | Germany | Tactical Transport | ? | 2? | Two confirmed in service 2006, possibly two more[3] |
| Hawker Siddeley | Hawker Siddeley HS-125 | United Kingdom | VIP Transport | ? | 1 | dasault falcon jet 900 series vip confrimed in service 2009 |
| Eurocopter | SA 330 Puma | France | Multi-purpose helicopter | 1976–1980 | 2 | |
| Eurocopter | Eurocopter Dauphin | France | Multi-purpose helicopter | 1976–1980 | 1 | |
| British Aerospace | British Aerospace BAe 125 | United Kingdom | Corporate jet | 1986 | 1 | |
| Basler | Basler BT-67 | United States | Cargo aircraft | 1990 | 2 | |
| Dornier | Dornier Do 228 | Germany | Light transport aircraft | 1986–1989 | 4 | |
| Eurocopter | Eurocopter Ecureuil | France | Light utility helicopter | ? | 1 | dasault falcon jet 900 |
Personnel year 2008: 225