Armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments: the complete military file on Mauritania.
| Active personnel (est.) | 17,000 |
|---|---|
| World rank by personnel | #109 / 162 |
POWER 22.55/100 — The Magna Power score 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).
A neutral quarter in the truest sense: nothing happened that altered the country's course or standing.
The score records absence of momentum honestly — the deeper currents continue, unmoved by the calendar.
Mauritanian Armed Forces (aka Armée Nationale Mauritanienne): National Army, National Navy, Air Force; Gendarmerie Ministry of Interior and Decentralization: National Police, National Guard (2025)
estimated 17,000 active Mauritanian Armed Forces; estimated 3,000 Gendarmerie (2025)
the military's inventory is limited and made up largely of older French and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Mauritania has received some secondhand and new military equipment from several suppliers, including China, France, and the UAE (2025)
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; has a compulsory two-year military service law, but the law has reportedly never been applied (2025)
450 (plus about 325 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)
founded in 1960, the Mauritanian military is responsible for territorial defense and internal security; it also assists in economic development projects, humanitarian missions, and disaster response; border and maritime security, regional stability, and the threat of terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, particularly Mali, are key areas of focus; Mauritania has received security assistance from the EU, France, NATO, and the US (2025)
