Armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments: the complete military file on CT.
| Active personnel (est.) | 15,000 |
|---|---|
| World rank by personnel | #112 / 162 |
MCD · 34/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Little moved in Jul–Sep 2026: no crisis, no windfall. The quarter simply confirmed the country's standing course.
Deeper forces — trade patterns, regional stability, institutional strength — will decide the trajectory; three months rarely do.
Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Army (includes an air squadron, Escadrille Centrafricaine) Ministry of Interior: National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale), National Police (2025)
estimated 10-15,000 active FACA (2025)
most of the military's heavy weapons and equipment were lost during the 2012–2014 civil war; prior to the war, most of its inventory was of French, Russian, or Soviet origin; in recent years, it has received some donated equipment from China and Russia, including armored vehicles, drones, helicopters, jet trainer aircraft, and some light weapons (2025)
18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription although the constitution provides for the possibility of conscription in the event of an imminent threat to the country (2025)
the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) are focused on internal security; since the 2013 coup, multiple armed groups have been active in the country, carrying out attacks, controlling territory, and undermining security; the coup resulted in the institutional collapse of the FACA; its forces were overwhelmed and forced to flee to neighboring countries; it has been estimated that only 10% of the FACA returned afterwards; over the past decade, the FACA has sought to rebuild with considerable foreign assistance, including from France, the EU, Russia, Rwanda, Uganda, and the UN; Russian private military contractors and Rwandan military forces have assisted the FACA in its operations against rebel groups the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has operated in the country since 2014; its mission includes providing security, protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance, disarming and demobilizing armed groups, and supporting the country’s transitional government (2025)
