Defense forces and of safety

The Defense forces and of safety (FDS), ex- national Armed forces of Ivory Coast (FANCI) are the military forces of Ivory Coast.

Manpower

Demography

legal military Age: 18 years
Effective of military age: 3.743.353 (old men from 15 to 49 years) ( estimate 2000 )
Suited to the service: 1.952.882 (among the old men from 15 to 49 years) ( estimate 2000 )
Reaching the legal military age: 182.936 ( estimate 2000 )

Real manpower

The FDS count to in August 2007 50.000 men, including 11.000 gendarmes. The Presidential guard counts 2500 men, the reservists are 12.000. In December 2002, 3000 volunteers were recruited. Lastly, about fifty mercenaries were recruited for the offensive of November, but their withdrawal was announced.

The air force includes/understands 1200 men.

The navy includes/understands 2800 men on the whole.

The Army counts 30.000 men.

Troops mercenaries

Contrary to what is said, the Armed forces Of the Ivory Coast are not made up of troops mercenaries

these mercenaries were available only during the engagements but under the pressure of France they returned, there remain only some which are rather technicians for electronic listening or of the advisers for the drive of the special forces

Organization

The FDS are directed by a general three stars, Mathias Doué until November 2004, then by the general Philippe Mangou in the past ordering of the theater of the operation centers in particular including the zone of yamoussoukro and principal strategist of the operation dignity of November 2004

Military regions

The Ivory Coast is divided into five military regions, each one under the responsibility of a colonel.

Anger military region concentrates the main part of manpower, around Abidjan. The units which are based there are:

a fast battalion of reaction, the 1st battalion of commandos parachutists;
a battalion of infantry;
an armor-plated battalion;
a battalion of artillery and anti-aircraft defense.

IIe military region, district-general with Daloa, has a battalion of infantry.

IIIe military region, district-general with Bouaké, has a battalion of infantry delocalized with Anyama, an artillery battalion and a battalion of the delocalized genius with Adjamé.

IVe military region, district-general with Korhogo, has only one company of territorial.

Ve military region, is created temporarily in the west, because of the civil war of the Liberia.

Gendarmerie

The gendarmerie is equivalent French gendarmerie: it is in charge of the maintenance of law and order, especially in rural environment. It is directed by a major general. It is divided into four legions, which correspond to the four permanent military regions. It can be called in reinforcement of the army in the event of national crisis.

Navy

It is in charge of the monitoring of more than 600 km of coasts. It was equipped with two fast patrol boats and two high-speed motorboats of patrol, as well as Chaland of unloading.

Aviation

Following the events of November 2004, the Ivory Coast does not have any more air forces (the planes were destroyed by the French Army). There remain to him however 5 Alpha Jet S (planes of drive) and 12 apparatus of transport.

special forces

the crisis militaro - political has supports the development of the special forces of the Ivory Coast

same if their existence and their manpower are classified secrecy defense, one can note those of them there:

the FUSCOA (Fusiliers Commandos of the Air)

copied on the model of the commandos of the Air of the army francçaise, they are based bouaké and the rumors say them pulled by a African south. six of them died in the clashes with the French Army in November 2004

they have the role the seizure of the key infrastructures (airport etc) the information in the depth of the enemy, captures VIP etc

the DMIR (Mobile Detachment of Rapid intervention)

formed of the best elements of the army, they act of anti force terrorist and fast force of reaction for the state major of the Ivory Coast

the Commandos Navy (FUMACO: Marine fusilier commando)

they are the special forces of the navy. they have the roles the seizure and the security of the harbor infrastructures and the destruction of enemy buildings. they aligent in their center a certain number of naval frogmen

the UIGN (Unit of Intervention of the National police

copied on the model of the French GIGN, it is used as terrorist anti force

Rearmament of 2003

The FANCI profited from a programme of rearmament of 44,15 billion francs CFA entered with the budget over the period September 2002 - January 2004. Studies announce circuits not-transparencies which could have increased this financing. The Army profits from the purchase from:

armor-plated:

13 VAB (vehicles of before armoured tanks);
of the armored vehicles Caspires ;
of armored vehicles SAMIL 4x4;
of tens of BMP 1 and BMP 2
of tens of BTR 60,80 and 90
of ten BRDM 1 and BRDM 2
armored vehicles RG-31 says MAMBA;
10 tank S T-55,

of heavy artillery:

of the ground-to-air missiles;
of tens of missiles anti-tank type konkur
ten BM 21 (LRM)
motorized howitzers 122mm;
approximately 5000 of the same shells gauges;
of the mortars of 81/82 mm;
about thirty guns of 20 and 23 mm;
several tens of guns of 90 mm;

of increased means of transport:

200 trucks of transport of troop;
thousands of hand grenades;
of the grenades with fragmentation and anti-vehicles for bazookas;
more than 3000 rocket launchers type RPG 7 and RPG 28 in source for the majority of China;
100 heavy machine guns;
a hundred light machine-gun Negev
several tens of rifles of Dragunow precision;
several thousands of rifles of attack (of which Kalachnikovs and of the 56-1);
of the significant amounts of ammunition (in particular for machine pistol, Rifle of attack and machine-guns).

Aviation was equipped with:

two light bombers Strikemaster;
of the Israeli drones type hunter
of the helicopters for the transport of the troops;
of the helicopters Puma 300 and Gazelle;
1 0 combat helicopters Semi-24 and Mid 35;
two helicopters MI-8;
4 Sukhoï SU-25. (destroyed by the French Army; Moreover any Pilot Man from the Ivory Coast is not able to control them, they are used by Ukrainian mercenaries)
two mig 23 but who were not delivered

The army of the Ivory Coast moreover received the support of 46 Israeli military advisers, who in particular implemented the Drone S sold by Israel at the Ivory Coast. These military advisers left the Ivory Coast the November 9th 2004.

the equipment of the FANCI is subject to deposit. indeed increasingly persistent rumors give a report on aircraft of the Ivory Coast stationed in countries supports of Laurent Gbagbo (ex Guinea, South Africa etc). moreover, since the events of November 2004, the armor-plated forces of the FANCI seem to have been the subject of an attention which several experts describe as " serious "

History

Manpower of this army had voluntarily been limited by Felix Houphouët-Boigny, which wanted to be secured against a coup d'etat. However, the instability caused by the economic crisis and the crisis of the ivoirity put it on the front of the scene, with in particular the coup d'etat of Robert Guéï, former chief of staff, in 1999, and attacks it air forces (made up after 2002) on the quartering of the French forces of interposition to Bouaké in November 2004.

See too

History of the Political Ivory Coast
of the Ivory Coast
Civil war of Ivory Coast

Random links:

Georges Grente | Geneva Hound Dogs | Lillian Hellman | Water of rabel | Edimbourg,_Indiana