| Zimbabwe Defence Forces |
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Flag of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces |
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| Current form | 1980 |
| Service branches | Zimbabwe National Army Air Force of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Republic Police |
| Headquarters | Harare |
| Leadership | |
| President | Robert Mugabe |
| Chief of staff | General Constantine Chiwenga |
| Manpower | |
| Conscription | 18-24 years of age |
| Active personnel | 29,000 military, 21,800 paramilitary[1] (ranked 83rd) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | US$60 million (2006) |
| Percent of GDP | 3.8% (2006) |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Zimbabwe |
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) are composed of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ). As a landlocked country, Zimbabwe has no navy. The most senior commander of the ZDF is currently General Constantine Chiwenga.
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In July 1994 the combined Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters was created.
The Zimbabwe armed forces had an estimated strength of 29,000 in 2007. The ZNA had an estimated 25,000 personnel. The air force had about 4,000 men assigned.[1]
Zimbabwe maintains a strong paramilitary force. In 2007 the IISS estimated that the Zimbabwe Republic Police had 19,500 personnel, including an Air Wing, and that there was an additional 2,300 personnel in the Police Support Unit.[1] Separately Paramilitary Police have been reported.
At the time of independence, the then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe declared that integrating Zimbabwe's three armed forces would be one of Zimbabwe's top priorities. The existing Rhodesian Army was combined with the two guerilla armies; the 20,000-strong ZANLA forces of ZANU-PF and the 15,000-strong ZIPRA forces of PF-ZAPU. A British Military Assistance and Training Team played a pivotal role in assisting the creation of the new army, and was still in place in 2000.[2] The Rhodesian Air Force was eventually reorganised as the Air Force of Zimbabwe.
It has been alleged by opposition leaders that the military has gained control of political life in Zimbabwe following the 2008 elections that saw the MDC become the majority party in the Parliament.
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