Cameroon Armed Forces


The Cameroon Armed Forces is the official national military of the Republic of Cameroon. The armed forces number 14,200 personal in ground, air, and naval forces. There are approximately 12,500 troops in the army across three military regions. Approximately 1,300 troops are part of the Cameroonian Navy, which is headquartered at Douala. Under 400 troops are part of the Air Force. There is an additional 9,000 paramilitary troops that serve as a gendarmerie or reconnaissance role.
The Cameroonian armed forces have bases spread all over Cameroon, including in Ngaoundéré. Air Force bases are located in Garoua, Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda.
It generally has been an apolitical force where civilian control of the military predominates. Traditional dependence on the French defense capability, although reduced, continues to be the case as French military advisers remain closely involved in preparing the Cameroonian forces for deployment to the contested Bakassi Peninsula.
"China has an ongoing military-military relationship with Cameroon, which includes training for Cameroonian military students each year in China, technical advisors to assist in repairing Cameroonian military vehicles and naval vessels, and Chinese military sales."

Army

With 12,500 troops the Army remains the most important component in terms of numbers. The Army is under the responsibility of the Chief of Staff, Major-General Nkoa Atenga, whose staff is in Yaoundé.
Currently the organization dates from 2001 with a distribution in several types of units: combat units, response units, unités de soutien et d'appui, and finally special reserve units as part of 3 joint military régions and the 10 military land sectors.
Army units have been trained and equipped to fight in the swampy coastal terrain facing the Bakassi peninsula. Although prepared for an armed conflict with Nigeria in recent years, the Cameroon Army does not have operational experience against other forces, therefore, it is not possible to assess its ability to respond to changing threats and opposing tactics.
Combat units of the army include:
The territory is divided into 5 combined arms military regions :
Note that this list shows acquired Equipment and not the equipment that are currently in service. some of listed equipment are out of service.
OriginTypeAcquiredNotes
WMA301 AssaulterTank destroyer12
Type 07PInfantry Fighting Vehicle20
Ratel IFVInfantry Fighting Vehicle12
Panhard AML-90Armoured Car3131 AML-90 Delivered via Bosnian Army in 2002
M8 GreyhoundArmoured car10Delivered from France
M5 Half-trackArmoured personnel carrier5
M3 Half-trackArmoured personnel carrier3
Véhicule Blindé LégerArmoured Scout Car5
ACMAT BastionArmoured personnel carrier3823 arrived 2015-2016 and 15 in 2017
Gaia Automotive Industries Thunder Mk-1 APCArmoured personnel carrier18
RAM-2000Armoured personnel carrier5
Ferret armoured carArmoured Car8Probably out of service
Panthera T6UAEArmoured CarAt least 2Used by Rapid Intervention Battalion
Cadillac Gage CommandoArmoured Car51Including 20mm Autocannon and 81mm Mortar Carrier versions
Cougar Infantry mobility vehicle6
General Dynamics Land Systems PKSVMRAP27
ACMAT VLRA TPK-BLTruck30
130 mm towed field gun M1954
Field gun22
M101 howitzerHowitzer16
M116 howitzerHowitzer5
Soltam M-71Howitzer18
BM-21 GradMultiple rocket launcher20+?20 Delivered from Romania in 1995. Some more from an unknown source in the 2010s.
Mortier 120mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1Mortar16
CardomSelf-propelled mortar8 to 18
BGM-71 TOWAnti-tank missile24250 Missiles and 24 launchers delivered in 1990
MILANAnti-tank missile66 launchers and 60 missiles delivered in 1982
HOT Anti-tank missile4040 missiles delivered for SA-342L Helicopters
M40 recoilless rifleRecoilless rifle40M40A2 Version in service
M20 recoilless rifleRecoilless rifle13Type 56 Version in use
ExocetAnti-ship missile15
Plessey Radar Limited/BAE Systems WatchmanAir search radar11 radar delivered from UK in 1984
ZPU-2Anti-aircraft gun16
Type 63 anti-aircraft gunAnti-aircraft gun18Used on ground mount
37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 Anti-aircraft gun18
Oerlikon GDFAnti-aircraft gun21

Cameroonian Air Force

The air force has bases in Garoua, Koutaba, Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda. The Cameroonian Air Force was founded in 1960, the year of independence from France. There are under 400 troops in the air force. Cameroon's Air Force has 9 combat-capable aircraft.

Cameroon Navy

There are about 1,300 troops in the navy including naval infantry.

History

Around May 1999, Philip Njaru wrote a newspaper article where he alleged ill-treatment of civilians conducted by the 21st Navy Battalion based in Ekondo-Titi. In late May Njaru was approached by the local captain who asked Njaru "to stop writing such articles and to disclose his sources". Refusing to do this, Njaru five days later found his house encircled by armed soldiers, and escaped to Kumba. Here, he was assaulted by police in June 2001, with no particular reason stated. Njaru complained to the local authorities, but later learned that "his complaint had not been received".
Cameroon's Marine Nationale République modernised and increased its capabilities during 2000 with the acquisition of a number of small Rodman patrol craft and the retirement of some small older craft. A number of small patrol boats have been acquired or ordered from France. Latest estimates indicate naval strength consists of two combat patrol vessels, three coastal patrol vessels and approximately 30 smaller inshore and river patrol craft allocated to both the navy and the local gendarmerie. These include two 135 tonne Yunnan-class landing craft, which are able to carry and launch smaller craft for troop insertions. Some effort has been made to assess equipment needs to bring L'Audacieux P103 and Bakassi P104 to an effective combat status. This has resulted in weapons capabilities being reduced in favour of an increase in serviceability and the service is now effectively without missile attack capabilities. Bakassi completed a major refit at Lorient, France in August 1999. This included removing the Exocet missile system and EW equipment, and fitting a funnel aft of the mainmast to replace the waterline exhausts. New radars were also installed. Bakassi is now armed only with 40 mm cannon. Although the Bizerte class L'Audacieux is fitted for SS-12M missiles these are not embarked and its operational status is in some doubt, having not been reported at sea since 1995. The Quartier-Maître Alfred Moto patrol boat was listed as out of service in 1991 but has since been reactivated.

Ships

List of active ships.
Two 32-metre patrol boats are expected to be delivered in February 2014.

Gendarmerie

The Gendarmerie is a paramilitary force composed of about 9,000 soldiers as of 2016. It performs both law enforcement and national security responsibilities across the country.

Military education

After an initial period of development, training requirements were formalized in an April 1967 per government decree. There was a shortage of Cameroonian instructors at that time. The two educational institutions of the nation are the following:
Both commissioned and noncommissioned officers were sent to various military schools in France, Greece, and the Soviet Union. The total number of Cameroonian military cadets with a Russian educational background were few.