Armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments: the complete military file on Somalia.
| Active personnel (est.) | 20,000 |
|---|---|
| World rank by personnel | #105 / 162 |
MCD · 27/100 — 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).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
Somali Armed Forces (SAF; aka Somali Defense Force): Somali National Army (SNA; aka Land Forces), Somali Navy, Somali Air Force Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard, commando unit) (2025)
estimated 20,000 active Somali Armed Forces (2025)
the SNA's inventory is a mix of older and donated (typically secondhand) equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Italy, Russia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)
18-22 for voluntary military service for men and women in the Somali Armed Forces; compulsory service is reportedly authorized, but not currently utilized (2025)
the primary responsibility of the Somali National Army (SNA) is combating the al-Shabaab terrorist group, which controls large portions of central and southern Somalia and continues to conduct attacks targeting both military and civilian sites, including military bases, government institutions, and civilian gatherings; the SNA is supported by the National Police, regional/state security forces, and allied militias, as well as international forces; some African Union (AU) countries have provided military assistance to the SNA since 2007 under the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM, 2007-2022), the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS, 2022-2024), and the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM, January 2025-present); Turkey and the US have also provided military support to SNA operations Turkey and the US have formed and trained SNA units, including the US-backed Danab ("Lightning") Brigade and the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") brigades; SNA soldiers have also received training from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the EU, Uganda, UAE, and the UK (2025)
