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Togo — Military File
Rankings · Power · Military

Togo — Military File

Armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments: the complete military file on Togo.

Active personnel (est.)20,000
World rank by personnel#106 / 162

Magna assessment

POWER 25.7/100 — 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).

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.

Armed forces

Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army, Togolese Navy, Togolese Air Force, National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale Togolaise or GNT) Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: Togolese Police (2025)

Personnel strength

estimated 20,000 active Armed Forces, including Gendarmerie (2025)

Equipment

the FAT has a small inventory of mostly obsolescent or older armaments originating from several countries, including Brazil, France, Russia/former Soviet Union, Türkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)

Service age & obligation

18-24 years of age for military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation; no conscription (2025)

Note

the Togolese Armed Forces (FAT) are responsible for both external defense and internal security; the FAT’s primary concerns are border security, terrorism, and maritime security; in recent years, it has boosted operations in the northern border region of the country to secure the frontier and prevent banditry, illicit smuggling, and infiltrations from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida-affiliated militant groups based in Mali that also operates in neighboring Burkina Faso; in 2022, the Togolese Government declared a state of emergency in the north following an attack by JNIM fighters on a Togolese military post that killed several soldiers; the Navy and Air Force have increased focus on combating piracy and smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea since its creation in 1963, the Togolese military has had a history of involvement in the country’s politics, including assassinations, coups, and a crackdown in 2005 that killed hundreds of civilians; over the past decade, it has made efforts to reform and professionalize, which have included increasing its role in UN peacekeeping activities, participating in multinational exercises, and receiving training from foreign partners, particularly France and the US; in addition, Togo has established a regional peacekeeping training center for military and police in Lome (2025)

Related

Power indexMilitary indexLargest armiesTogo — FactbookTogo — RankingsLeader: Togo

Across the Bureau

Togo — Country ProfileDid Togo acquire Bayraktar TB2 consignment?What are the main airports of Togo?Does Togo have oil and gas pipelines?History of Togo — TimelineFaure Gnassingbé — Leader of TogoTogo Ranking — Magna Country RankingsWhat is the population of Togo?