Introduction
How is the Military in Djibouti and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Djibouti Armed Forces (Forces Armées Djiboutiennes or FAD): Djiboutian (or National) Army, Djiboutian Navy (includes Djiboutian Coast Guard), Djiboutian Air Force; Djiboutian National Gendarmerie
Ministry of Interior: National Police (Police Nationale) (2025).
Ministry of Interior: National Police (Police Nationale) (2025).
In Djibouti, Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, such as counterterrorism; as recently as February 2025, Djiboutian forces have conducted operations near its border with Ethiopia against members of the Armed Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD A), which Djibouti considers a terrorist group
China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counterterrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance; other countries, such as Germany and Spain, also maintain a smaller presence; the EU and NATO also maintain a presence to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2025)
China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counterterrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance; other countries, such as Germany and Spain, also maintain a smaller presence; the EU and NATO also maintain a presence to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2025)
Security and military information of Djibouti
| Military and security service personnel strengths | estimated 10-12,000 active Armed Forces, including Gendarmerie (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the FAD's inventory is a mix of mostly older or secondhand equipment from a wide variety of suppliers, including China, France, Italy, Japan, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, Turkey, and the US (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2023). |
| Military deployments | approximately 1,500 Somalia (AUSSOM) (2025). |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2019 | 3.5% of GDP (2019 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2018 | 3.5% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2017 | 3.3% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2016 | 2.7% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2015 | 2.5% of GDP (2015 est.) |
Terrorism
In Djibouti, the different Terrorist group(s) inlcude: al-Shabaab
All Important Facts about Djibouti
Want to know more about Djibouti? Check all different factbooks for Djibouti below.
