The Niger Armed Forces (, RTN) includes military armed force service branches (Niger Army and Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches (National Gendarmerie of Niger and National Guard of Niger) and the National Police of Niger. The Army, Air Force and the National Gendarmerie are under the Ministry of Defense whereas the National Guard and the National Police fall under the command of the Ministry of Interior. With the exception of the National Police, all military and paramilitary forces are trained in military fashion.
The President of Niger is the supreme commander of the entire armed forces. The National Assembly of Niger passed a statute for the Army of Niger in November 2020, planning for the army's size to increase from 25,000 personnel in 2020, to 50,000 in 2025 and finally 100,000 in 2030.
Military armed forces The two military service branches (Niger Army and Niger Air Force) are each headed by their respective Chiefs of Staff who serve as adjunct to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Military Armed Forces (). Military operations are headed from the Joint Staff Office (). In addition, each military branch has its own Staff Office. The Joint Chief of Staff has operational command of all the military forces and is under the command of civilian Minister of Defense, who reports to the President of Niger. This system closely resembles the French Armed forces model.
The President also appoints the Special Chief of Staff at the President Office and the head of the Presidential Guard who answer directly to the President. The Special Chief of Staff and the head of the Presidential Guard sit on the Joint Staff.Au Conseil des ministres : le gouvernement adopte plusieurs projets de lois et des mesures nominatives . Government of Niger, 2011-06-11.Passation de Commandement à la Garde Présidentielle : le Lieutenant Colonel Tiani Abdourahamane prend le Commandement. Oumarou Moussa, Le Sahel (Niamey), 2011-04-19.
Niger Army The Niger Army, which includes 33,000 personnel as of 2023, is the land component of Niger's armed forces. Niger's special forces consists of two special operations companies and 9 intervention commando battalions. Niger Army's manoeuvre forces include 14 combined arms infantry battalions and a single amphibious riverine company. The Army also has one engineer company, one logistics group and one air defence company.
Each of the combined arms battalions comprises a logistics and engineering or génie company, a fire fighter company, an infantry company, be it airborne or land, an armoured squadron and an artillery company.
In 2006, the following combined arms battalions existed in the Niger Army: 12th, 13th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 32nd, 33rd, 42nd, 43rd, 52nd, 53rd, 62nd, 63rd, 72nd and 73rd. In addition, there was the Artillery Battalion of the Niger Armed Forces.
The Army is commanded by the Chief of Staff of the Army in Niamey through appointed commandeers of each of the nine "Defense Zones", which largely overlap each of the civilian Regions of Niger.
History The Niger Army was created on 28 July 1960 by decree. At the time, the National Police was a subsection of the military. Initially, units of the army were created from three companies of the French Colonial Forces made of Nigérien soldiers officered by Frenchmen who agreed to take joint French-Nigerien citizenship. In 1960, there were only ten African officers in the Nigérien army, all of low ranks. As Nigérien officers gradually assumed command roles, President Hamani Diori signed legislation to end the employment of expatriate military officers in 1965. However, French military personnel remained in Niger both to serve in the Niger Army and in the 4e Régiment Interarmes d'Outre-Mer (Troupes de Marine) with bases at Niamey, Zinder, Bilaro and Agadez.4e Régiment Interarmes d'Outre-Mer : the 4th RIAOM was dissolved after leaving Niger. In the late 1970s, a smaller French force returned again to Niger. After the 1974 military coup, all French military personnel were evacuated although a smaller French force returned in the late 1970s.
In 1970, the army was reorganised and divided into four Infantry battalions, one paratroop company, one light armored company, a camel corps, and a number of support units. It was reorganized in 2003 to create the Niger Air Force as a distinct service branch.
Training Basic training is carried out at Niamey at the Tondibiah base and at Agadez. Other special training centers include the National Officers Training School (French: École de Formation des Forces Armées Nigériennes or EFOFAN) and The Paramedical Personnel Training School (EPPAN) both based at the Tondibiah base.Forces Armées Nigériennes (FAN) : cérémonie de sortie de 25 stagiaires de la 6ème promotion Dan Kassaoua . Laouali Souleymane, le Sahel (Niamey) 2011-08-02F.A.n°250 : dossier ENVR Niger . Seminaire ENVR 2006, Point de Situation: Quand l'Histoire Nous Parle d'ENVR Localisation des ENVRs dans le Monde. Ministère des affaires étrangères et européennes, France (2008) In addition to training in Niger, army officers also train in France at the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, in Morocco at the Royal Military Academy of Meknès, in Algeria and the US. With the growing cross-border threats of terrorism in West Africa, the Niger Army has benefited from training exercises with France and the U.S. The Niger Army has participated in the U.S. led Flintlock Exercise which it hosted in 2014.U.S. Africa Command Flintlock Exercise . Yearly Flinklock Exercise in Niger in 2014 (last retrieved on July 7/26/2014)
Equipment The army of Niger is poorly equipped with armored vehicles and tanks. With the exception of two armored vehicles purchased from China in 2009, most armoured vehicles are at least 20 years old.Army trade registry . Last accessed in July 2014 The army is however well-stocked with 4 × 4 Toyota Land Cruisers mounted with various caliber machine guns. Logistically, fuel and water transportation tanks, and ambulances have been recently improved to help in long-distance patrol missions as well as with general increased logistic capacity of the army.Cooperation militaire Niger-US . Last accessed on July 15, 2014.
Armor NameOriginTypeIn serviceNotes Armored fighting vehicle ZFB-05 Armoured personnel carrier 8 WZ-523 Armoured personnel carrier 2 UR-416 Armoured personnel carrier 8Niger Land Forces military equipment and vehicles of Nigerien army . Last accessed July 19, 2014. Mamba Mk7 Armoured personnel carrier 35 PUMA M26-15 Armoured personnel carrier 11 Panhard VBL Armored car 7 AML 60/90 Armored car 125 Defense Web - Africa leading defense portal . Last accessed in July 2014. Panhard M3 Armoured personnel carrier 32 BRDM-2 Amphibious armoured car 30Nurol EjderMine-resistant ambush protected24 (1 captured)On order.
Air Force
Aircraft ModelImageOriginQuantityDetailsATKSu-25 Frogfoot2ISRCessna 208 Caravan~2DA42 MPP Twin Star~1TPT • Medium C-130H Hercules3TPT • LightAn-26 Curl1Cessna 208 Caravan2Do-28 Skyservant1 Do228-2011PAXB-737-7001(VIP).TRGHurkus-C~2
History
The predecessor of the Niger Air Force, the Niger National Escadrille (Escadrille Nationale du Niger) was first formed in 1961. It was later restructured into the National Air Wing (Groupement Aérien National) in 1989. Prior to 2003, the armed forces of Niger ( or FAN) were grouped in one branch with one Chief of Staff overseeing both the ground forces and the National Air Wing. Following an organizational restructuring in 2003, the armed forces of Niger were structured into two main service branches: Niger Army (French: armée de terre) for all ground forces and Niger Air Force (Armée de l'air). Each branch was headed by a Chief of Staff answerable to the Joint Chief of Staff of military armed forces. As part of this new structure, the National Air Wing was renamed as Niger Air Force (Force Aérienne du Niger) on December 17, 2003. The Niger Air Force is led by the Air Force Chief of staff, answerable to the Joint Chief and the Defense Minister.
Structure
Organizationally, the air force is composed a Chief of Staff Office, operation units (French: escadrons), technical units, an infantry company (compagnie de fusilliers) and generalized staff.Dossier Niger:La nouvelle armée de l'air, France_Diplomatique, 2003. The Chief of Staff of the Niger Air Force is the colonel Abdoul Kader Amirou (chef d'état major).
Training
At the moment, there is no air force special training facilities in Niger. Basic training of Air Force recruits is conducted at the Tondibiah base along with recruits of other military service branches. Air force officers, pilots and mechanics are additionally trained in France, the United States and other North African countries like Morocco at the Royal Air Force School of Marrakech and Algeria. In addition, local training activities are undertaken with foreign partners (United States, France etc.) to update skills. In 2014, a logistic company was trained and equipped by the United States with fuel and water trucks, ambulances and 4 × 4 unarmed vehicles.Edition du Journal Televise de Tele Sahel ; 12 Septembre 2014. Accessed on 8 September 2014
The United States Air Force has a presence both at Nigerien Air Base 101 near Niamey and Nigerien Air Base 201 at Agadez.
Aircraft inventory The aircraft inventory of the Niger Air Force is modest though it has increased with new acquisitions beginning in 2008, and further assistance from France and the United States. This expansion in capacity is guided by the need for better border patrol following the crisis in Libya and Mali.
AircraftOriginTypeVariantIn serviceNotes Combat aircraft Sukhoi Su-25 Soviet Union Attack 2 Transport Dornier 228 Germany Transport 1 Cessna 208 United States Utility 4 2 units are used for reconnaissance Beechcraft Super King Air United States Transport 350 1 Lockheed C-130 Hercules United States Transport C-130H 3 Helicopters Bell 412 Italy Transport / SAR AB-412 4 Mil Mi-17 Russia Transport 4 2 Mi-171 donated by Algeria in 2026 Mil Mi-24 Russia AttackMi-35 1 2 on order as of 2024 South Africa SuperHind Mk.III 2 Donated by Algeria in 2026Aérospatiale Gazelle FranceScout / Anti-armorSA342 5 Trainer aircraftTAI HürkuşTurkeyBasic trainer B2Unmanned aerial vehicleVestel KarayelTurkeyUCAV.5 on orderBayraktar TB2TurkeyUCAV6-
Paramilitary forces There are two paramilitary services branches: (National Gendarmerie of Niger under the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard of Niger) under the Ministry of Interior. Each of these branches are headed by Chief of Staff answerable to the overseeing ministry.
National Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie is commanded by the Superior Commander of the National Gendarmerie. Unlike the National Police and the National Guard, the National Gendarmerie is under the control of the Ministry of Defense of Niger. It is divided between territorial brigades and mobile brigades. In addition to territorial defense and maintaining public order, it provides military and paramilitary justice to other corps of the armed forces and participates to the judicial and the surveillance police activities. It is regarded as an elite force due to its stringent recruitment criteria of all armed forces. Due to increasing cross-border traffic of weapons and drugs, its activities have increased border areas. The national gendarmerie, unlike the Army or the National Guard, has never been directly involved in an attempt to seize or control power by force. Gouvernance du secteur de la sécurité en Afrique de l’Ouest: les défis à relever – Le Niger
National Guard