| Togolese Armed Forces | |
| Native Name: | French: Forces Armées Togolaises |
| Branches: | Togolese National Gendarmerie |
| Commander-In-Chief: | President Faure Gnassingbé |
| Commander-In-Chief Title: | Commander-in-chief |
| Minister: | Essozimna Marguerite Gnakade |
| Minister Title: | Minister of Defense |
| Commander: | Brigadier General Dimini Allaharé |
| Commander Title: | Chief of Defence Staff |
| Age: | 18[1] |
| Available: | 1,577,572 |
| Fit: | 1,104,536 |
| Reaching: | 74,036 |
| Percent Gdp: | 1.6% |
| Foreign Suppliers: | France Russia |
| Ranks: | Military ranks of Togo |
The Togolese Armed Forces (French: Forces Armées Togolaises, FAT) is the national military of the Republic of Togo which consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The total military expenditure during the fiscal year of 2005 was 1.6% of the country's GDP.[2] Military bases exist in Lomé, Temedja, Kara, Niamtougou, and Dapaong.[3] The current Chief of the General Staff is Brigadier General Dimini Allaharé, who took office on May 28, 2024.[4]
The current chief of staff of the army is Colonel Blakimwé Wiyao Balli.[5] The elite presidential bodyguards of the Republic of Togo Armed Forces are reportedly trained by Benjamin Yeaten, an internationally wanted Liberian military commander and war criminal.[6] [7]
| Name | Origin | Type | In service | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armored fighting vehicle | ||||||
| T-54 | Soviet Union | Main battle tank | 4[8] | |||
| T-34-85 | Soviet Union | Medium Tank | 7 | |||
| FV101 Scorpion | United Kingdom | light tank | 20[9] | |||
| BMP-2 | Russia | Infantry fighting vehicle | 20 | |||
| UR-416 | Germany | APC | 30 | |||
| Panhard M3 | France | APC | 5 | Reconnaissance vehicle | ||
| Véhicule Blindé Léger | France | Armored car | 2 | |||
| EE-9 Cascavel | Brazil | Armored car | 36 | |||
| M8 Greyhound | United States | Armored car | 9 | of which 3 are the M20 variant | ||
| Véhicule d'Action dans la Profondeur | France | Armored car | 6 | |||
| TC-54 | France | 110 | ||||
| Panhard AML | France | Armored car | 10 | |||
| Artillery | ||||||
| M2A1 | United States | Howitzer | 4 | 105mm towed howitzer | ||
| 2S1 Gvozdika | Soviet Union | Self-propelled howitzer | 6 | |||
The Republic of Togo Air Force (French: Armée de l'Air Republic of Togo) was established in 1964, and French influence remains in the choice of aircraft used. Since 2020, the air force's chief of staff is Colonel Tassounti Djato.[10] The C-47 Skytrain was the first aircraft used; it was part of the force from 1960 to 1976. Replacing the C-47s were two DHC-5D Buffalo STOL transports in 1976. Also in the same year, Togo acquired five ex-German Air Force Fouga Magister armed jet trainers and seven EMB.326GBs from Brazil to form the Escadrille de Chasse. Togo's armed jet trainer fleet was upgraded in 1981 by the deliveries of five Alpha jets and by three piston engine Aerospatiale TB-30 Epsilons in 1986. The Fouga Magisters were returned to France in 1985.
During its existence the official name changed from Section Air der Forces armées in 1964 to Escadrille Nationale D Togolaise (ENT) in 1973, to Groupement Aerienne Togolais (GAT) in 1980, and finally to Armée de l'Air Togolaise in 1997.[11] At present its operations are concentrated in the Lomé Transport Base at Lomé Tokoin Airport, where the transport aircraft are based, and the Niamtougou Fighter Base at Niamtougou International Airport, where the combat units are located.[12] [13]
It acquired the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV from Turkish company Baykar in August 2022.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | ||||||
| Super King Air | United States | utility / transport | 200 | 2[14] | ||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | France | scout / anti-armor | SA341 | 4 | ||
| Trainer aircraft | ||||||
| Alpha Jet | France | trainer / light attack | 5 | |||
| Socata TB 30 | France | basic trainer | 2 | |||
| Unmanned aerial vehicle | ||||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | N/A | [15] | ||
The National Navy (French: Marine togolaise) was created on May 1, 1976, to guard the roughly 34miles of Republic of Togo coast and the seaport of Lomé. It currently has 2 wooden-hulled patrol boats, the Kara (P 761), and the Mono (P 762), which have both been in service since 1976.[16] [17] On 7 July 2014, the Republic of Togo navy received a RPB 33 patrol boat that was named Agou (P 763).[18] Currently, the navy's chief of staff is ship captain Atiogbé Ametsipe.[19]
| Vessel | Origin | Type | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kara (P 761) | France | Patrol boat | 1 | Kara Patrol class | |
| Mono (P 762) | France | Patrol boat | 1 | Kara Patrol class | |
| Agou (P 763) | France | Patrol boat | 1 | RPB 33 class[20] | |
| unknown name | France | Patrol boat | 1 | RPB 33 class | |
| unknown names | United States | Patrol boat | 3 | Defender-class boat[21] |