| Armed Forces of Haiti | |
|---|---|
| |
| Motto | Servir et Défendre 'Serve and Defend' |
| Founded | 18 November 1803; 222 years ago (1803-11-18)[1] (asIndigenous Army) |
| Current form | 18 November 2017 |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Grand Quartier Général Port-au-Prince,Haiti |
| Website | md |
| Leadership | |
| Nominal head | Transitional Presidential Council |
| Minister of Defense | Jean Michel Moïse |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces | Lt.Gen.Derby Guerrier (acting) |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18–25 |
| Active personnel | 987 (819 men and 168 women)[2] |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | HTG 8.441 billion (2025)[3] (US$63−64 million) |
| Percent of GDP | 0.2 |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |  Ecuador Taiwan[4] Brazil[5] Mexico[6][7] United Arab Emirates[8] Argentina[9] Colombia[10] France Canada[11]Other suppliers:  Israel United States |
| Related articles | |
| History | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Haiti |
TheArmed Forces of Haiti (French:Forces Armées d'Haïti,Haitian Creole:Fòs Ame d'Ayiti) are the military forces of theRepublic of Haiti, is composed of the Haitian Army, the Haitian Navy, and the Haitian Aviation Corps. The Force has about 1300 active personnel as of July 2025.[12]
The Haitian military originated during theHaitian Revolution as theIndigenous Army (Armée Indigène) that fought for independence, which was formally declared on 1 January 1804.[1] Haiti became a militarized country over the next several decades to protect its independence from a possible return of French troops, and as a result the military dominated the government and administration,[13] with the emergence of a military elite that held the political and economic power in the country.[14] The military was reorganized in the 1880s, being divided between a small active army that underwent the reform, and a much larger reserve army consisting of the old forces. There was also a small navy.[15] Between 1804 and 1915, all except one of Haiti's 26 heads of state were military officers.[16]
The Indigenous Army was disbanded during theUnited States occupation of Haiti in 1915 and replaced by the American-trained and -ledGendarmerie (Gendarmerie d'Haïti). In 1934, it was renamed theGarde d'Haiti and returned to Haitian command, before being renamed the Army of Haiti in 1947.[17] Finally, it was changed to the Armed Forces of Haiti in 1958 during the rule ofFrançois Duvalier.[18] After years of military interference in politics, including dozens of militarycoups andattempted coups, Haiti disbanded its military in 1995.[19] The Haitian National Police was established that same year to take over security.[20]
On 17 November 2017, the armed forces were restored by PresidentJovenel Moise. The Army was reestablished in 2018. The President suspended the previous executive orders by then PresidentJean-Bertrand Aristide who suspended and disbanded the armed forces on 6 December 1995.
The origins of Haiti's military lie in theHaitian Revolution. A decade of warfare produced a military cadre from which Haiti's early leaders emerged. Defeat of theFrench demonstrated Haiti's considerable strategic stamina and tactical capabilities, but Haiti's victory did not translate into a successful national government or a strong economy. Lacking a strong constitution, Haiti was usually ruled by force. The armed forces, who had been united against the French, fragmented into warring regional factions. The military very soon took control of almost every aspect of Haitian life. Officers assumed responsibility for the administration of justice and for municipal management. According to a Haitian diplomat, the country was in its earlier days "an immense military camp". Without viable civilian institutions, Haiti was vulnerable to military personalities, who permanently shaped the nation's authoritarian, personalist, and coercive style of governance.
Haiti's defense fell victim to political vagaries. A readiness for battle and the initiation of defense-related engineering projects in the early 19th century turned out to be costly preparation for conflict against phantom armies. The engineering projects included construction of the citadel ofLa Ferrière in northern Haiti. Soon afterward, Haiti turned its attention toward the rest of the island ofHispaniola (La Isla Española), which Haiticontrolled between 1822 and 1844. Controlling the whole island, however, drained the national treasury and induced torpor in the battle-hardened veterans of the wars of independence.
During the mid-19th century, prolonged instability weakened the military. By the end of the 19th century, Haiti's military had become little more than an undisciplined, ill-fed, and poorly paid militia that shifted its allegiances as battles were won or lost and as new leaders came to power. Between 1806 and 1879, an estimated 69 revolts against existing governments took place; another twenty uprisings, or attempted insurrections, broke out between 1908 and 1915.
During the second half of the 19th century, the army either failed to protect the central government or directly caused the government's collapse. Rural insurgent movements led bypiquets andcacos limited the central government's authority in outlying areas. These groups carried on war into the 20th century; they were finally put down by theUnited States Marine Corps in 1919.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Haiti's political instability provoked interference of the great powers (France,Germany, and theUnited States). The increasing American interest in Haiti prompted theUnited States Navy to deploy to the country's ports fifteen times between 1876 and 1913 in order to protect American lives and property, and the United States Marines to occupy the whole country from 1915 to 1934.
The Haitian Navy was created in 1860 with the commissioning of a single gunboat. Two additional gunboats entered service in 1875 followed by a corvette ten years later. By 1900 three British and French-built gunboats had been launched. In 1902 the Haitian gunboatCrête-à-Pierrot had a brief engagement with a German warship. The Admiral of the Haitian fleet,Hammerton Killick, scuttled his ship rather than surrender.
The United States Marines disbanded Haiti's army, which consisted of an estimated 9,000 men, including 308 generals. In February 1916, the Haitian Constabulary (Gendarmerie d'Haïti) was formed. United States Marines andUnited States Navy officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) commanded the group. The Gendarmerie attempted to secure public safety, initially by subduing thecacos; to promote development, particularly road construction; and to modernize the military through the introduction of a training structure, a health service, and other improvements.
The United States occupation of Haiti brought order and resulted in some economic and social development. At the same time, the United States overhauled Haiti's disintegrated military infrastructure. The Gendarmerie became the Garde d'Haïti in 1928; the Garde formed the core of Haiti's armed forces after the United States administration ended. The United States sought to establish a modern, apolitical military force in Haiti. On the surface, it succeeded; the organization, the training, and the equipment of the Garde all represented improvements over the military conditions existing before the occupation.
After the United States occupation ended, the Haitian military was given the responsibility to ensure domestic law and order. This concern with internal, rather than with external security, endured throughout the 20th century.
The Haitian Coast Guard was created in the late 1930s. The Haitian Air Force was created in 1943.
Haiti became a party to a number of international agreements, including theInter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (the Rio Treaty), theCharter of the Organization of American States, and the earlierAct of Chapultepec (1945). The nation's security concerns regarding neighboring theDominican Republic andCuba have been viewed sinceWorld War II within the broader framework of the United States strategic interests in the Caribbean. The fact that the FAd'H deployed relatively few of its units along the Dominican border, despite a history of conflicts with its neighbor is reflective of Haiti's limited national security concerns, within this scheme.
After the establishment of the Duvalier regime in 1957, various external threats have had little impact on Haiti's security. The Duvaliers' tight control eliminated all Marxist influences in the country, thus minimizing the effects of theCuban Revolution. It was not until 1986 that a communist party, theUnified Party of Haitian Communists (Parti Unifié Communiste Haïtien, PUCH), openly operated in the country. Cuba helped some Haitian refugees travel to Florida in the 1980s, but its overall interest in Haitian affairs has been unclear. The severity of Haiti's political and economic crises, along with the high profile of the United States in the region, has limited involvement by other countries in Haitian affairs.
Threats to Haiti's internal security, however, have been numerous during the past four decades. Between 1968 and 1970, the government repulsed three invasions supported by exiled Haitians. In 1970 the Coast Guardmutinied. The Coast Guard's five ships, low on fuel and ammunition, went into exile at the United States military base at Guantánamo, Cuba. In the early 1980s, Haitian military forces and members of theVolontaires de la Sécurité Nationale (VSN) defeated a small exile force on theIle de la Tortue (Tortuga Island). An airplane dropped a bomb on the National Palace in 1982, and a car bomb exploded nearby in 1983. Exile groups, however, never posed a significant military challenge to the army and the VSN. The real challenge to these forces came in the popular domestic disturbances that developed after 1984.
After the collapse of the Duvalier regime in 1986, theFAd'H developed an agenda to exert national political leadership, to restore public order, and to gain control over theVSN and other paramilitary groups, but carrying out this program proved difficult, given Haiti's political, economic, and foreign policy situations.
The main mission of Haiti's armed forces in the late 1980s continued to be internal security. After 1986, however, this mission regularly conflicted with the national leadership role of theFAd'H. Generational and political differences among officers and a scarcity of resources for the military led to chronic instability that culminated in military coups. These coups caused the government to change hands four times in 1988. A fifth coup in early 1989, however, failed to topple the government. The two most important problems that theFAd'H had to face were, first, a divided senior military command and, second, suspicious junior officers and NCO personnel. These problems became apparent in 1988 when Avril ousted Namphy and subsequently dismissed a number of senior officers. The degree to which NCOs may have been manipulated in this process and the extent to which lower army echelons had begun to shape their own political attitudes caused some observers to doubt the military's future as an institution.
The challenges facing the FAd'H in the late 1980s were more political than military. The largest and most immediate questions revolved around the institution's ability to govern Haiti during a period of political transition and modernization. It remained unclear, in mid-1989, how and when the military planned to transfer power to a legitimate civilian government. Another important problem concerned the personal political ambitions of some army commanders. It was also unclear how the FAd'H would respond to these challenges because the institution had not demonstrated viable national political capabilities. The FAd'H was ill-prepared for this broad new role in national life because François Duvalier had severely limited its role in government affairs.
Other security-related problems included narcotics trafficking. United States officials have expressed concern over Haiti's role as a major transshipment area for narcotics, mainly Colombian cocaine bound for the United States. This role apparently expanded after Jean-Claude Duvalier's fall. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration opened an office in Port-au-Prince in October 1987 to help Haitian authorities control drug trafficking; however, the lack of a professional police force in Haiti hindered these efforts. The FAd'H appeared ambivalent toward the narcotics issue because drug-related corruption reportedly involved hundreds of members of the officer corps and because some officers resented pressure from Washington. Avril, however, attempted to placate United States concerns by dismissing some officers linked to drug trafficking. The most prominent among the dismissed officers was Col. Jean-Claude Paul, a former commander of the Dessalines Battalion, who was indicted in March 1988 by a Florida grand jury on charges of cocaine distribution.[21] Haiti had signed an extradition treaty with the United States, but the agreement did not cover narcotics-related offenses, so Paul never faced trial on the charges.
Paul's continued service in the army posed a political problem, and Avril asked him to retire. In November 1988, however, Paul died mysteriously, possibly a victim of poisoning. Paul's death removed a major narcotics figure and a potential threat to Avril's political power.
Unstable and unstructured civilian politics and institutions also undermined Haiti's stability. Some Duvalierists sought to use the armed forces completely or partially to restore the ancien régime. At the same time, more democracy-oriented civilian groups, all of which lacked strong institutional bases, continued to be suspicious of the army's political leadership. The weak economy and the international media's criticism of Haitian affairs resulted in financial and public-relations problems for the army; and, because Haiti's political environment remained volatile and because the army did not always appear to be in control of the country, Haiti faced more unrest and the possible development of insurgency movements. On the one hand, Haiti's armed forces was still one of the few institutions of national magnitude, but, on the other hand, the armed forces suffered from serious institutional deterioration and diminished cohesion. In 1989 the military was struggling to provide political leadership at a time when it faced its own disintegration.
After years of military interference in politics, including dozens of military coups (from two Duvalier-period attempts in1958 and1963 to the last one staged in1991), Haiti disbanded its military in 1995. Haiti's National Assembly created new civilian law enforcement, with the heavily armedHaitian National Police, and theHaitian Coast Guard, with the help of the United States and the United Nations. However, no official constitutional amendment to abolish the military was introduced. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has been authorized to complete the disarmament and demobilization of any remaining militias.[22]
Without its own military, Haiti relies heavily on United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces. The multinational force has been responsible for quelling riots and preparing for democratic elections. Before UN forces arrived, a multilateral force made up of troops from Canada, Chile, France, and the United States helped stabilize the country under the interim leadership of President Boniface Alexandre.[22]
Haiti has no obvious external threats. Tensions have long existed between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but the current border has been fixed since 1936.[22]
In July 2017 the BBC announced that Haiti's government had launched a campaign to re-establish the army[23] afterMINUSTAH termination. According to the announcement, the government wanted to recruit about 500 men and women, between the ages of 18 and 25, who have passed their secondary education exams. The role of the army would be to help deal with natural disasters and to patrol Haitian borders.[23]
Members of the Haitian military are being trained through military cooperation withEcuador (up until 2017),[24]Mexico (since 2018),[25]Argentina (since 2019),[26][27]France (since 2024),[28] andColombia (starting 2025).[29] Since the formation of the TPC in 2024, meetings have been held with the United States, France, Argentina, Mexico, Taiwan, Brazil, Colombia[30] and Canada on the matters of defense partnership, military cooperation, training, and military acquisitions.[citation needed]
The Haitian Armed Forces have been deployed to areas hit with natural disasters like the 2021 earthquake, performed sanitation, medical and vaccination campaigns, and more recently have been deployed to support theHaitian National Police in the fight against gang violence and terrorism. Servicemembers currently protect the Airport perimeter, and have been operating a patrolling in areas like the Champ-de-Mars, Delmas, Solino, Bicentenaire, and Kenscoff. The government intends to deploy military members to protect the bay of Port-au-Prince and the port, as well as fight increasing piracy. A new military base was opened in the metropolitan area in late November 2024 to increase the capacities of the armed forces.
Starting 2025, Mexico will train 700 recruits, and Colombia 1000.
The army and air force were the better equipped branches of the armed forces, with the navy the least equipped over the years and up to 1994.
The Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Haiti (Grand Quartier Général des Forces Armées d'Haiti) seats at its historical site[31] on theChamp de Mars, across from the ground of theNational Palace (Palais National).
The Corps of Engineers are based on an installation on theBicentenaire, adjacent to the old locales of the Venezuelan embassy. The National Guard Unit and Medical Unit are based in the Military Aviation Base.
The Aviation Corps (Corps d'Aviation des Forces Armées d'Haiti) has its garrison at the Military Aviation Base (Base de l'Aviation Militaire), located at the former base of theChilean Air Force battalion of theMINUSTAH (attached toToussaint Louverture International Airport).
There is currently only one recruit depot used for basic training, the "Centre de Formation Militaire Anacaona de Léogâne" (Anacaona Military Training Center of Léogâne), located on a former MINUSTAHSouth Korean Army battalion base inLéogâne.
On 3 October, The Defense Ministry and Transitional Presidential Council announced plans to install an additional military base[32] inTabarre, on the grounds of a former MINUSTAH camp that housed theBrazilian Army infantry battalion, theParaguayan Army Corps of Engineers battalion, and theArgentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital from 2004 to 2017. Across the road from the site is the locale of theUnited States embassy inPort-au-Prince. The base, named "Base Vertières" would be inaugurated on November 18, 2024, for the occasion of the 221st anniversary of theBattle of Vertières. The installation is over 2.5 acres in area, will have a basic training camp, and is adequate to host military equipment including helicopters.[33]
The government also has plans of building training camps in the north and south of the country to rapidly fill up the ranks, and reach the critical numbers required to serve and defend the country.
According to Article 143 of theConstitution of Haiti, the president of the Republic is the nominal head of the armed forces, but does not command them in person. The title of commander-in-chief is held by a general officer who commands the Armed Forces of Haiti, per Article 264–2.
In accordance to Article 266 of theConstitution of Haiti,[34] the duties of the Armed Forces of Haiti are:
The official anniversary date of the Armed Forces of Haiti is November 18, coinciding with the celebrations of the victory of theBattle of Vertières.
The Armed Forces is composed of the Land, Air, and Maritime forces, per Article 264 of the Haitian Constitution.
The service branches are:
On 2 October 2024, PM Conille posted an infographic on hisTwitter account, demonstrating that, in the 2024–25 budget, the defense budget would increase 252%, and the military budget by 463% compared to the previous year.[35] The General Direction of the Budget (and the Ministry of Economy and Finances) released the budget report in the official newspaper of the Republic of Haiti,Le Moniteur; It reported the total budget of the Armed Forces of Haiti atHTG 6.976 billion[36] (USD $52.9 million), a significant increase from HTG 1.272 billion (US$9.6 million) in the 2023–2024 budget: that would place themilitary spending at 0.2% the annualGDP, using the IMF estimate of US$26.27 billion for Haiti, as of October 2024.[37] This increase comes as the TPC and Conille government reiterate their support for modernization in the Armed Forces of Haiti, so it can increase its operational capabilities, and take its rightful place in defense and service of the nation. "Security cannot wait" said Prime MinisterGarry Conille. Investment in the working and living conditions on military installations, and in healthcare, lodging for the troops and their families are also part of the promises made by the Conille government.[38]
Presidential Council member,Fritz Alphonse Jean, brought up plans to establish an emergency "war budget" to better fund and equip the armed forces and police to fight rampant gang violence and terrorism.[39] The revised budget was announced on April 14, 2025, which would increase the armed forces' budget to HTG 8.376 billion ($64 million), which includes a HTG 1.6 billion investment.[40][41]
The plans of modernization of the Armed Forces of Haiti included making it a professional military, a force that was more than just a fighting force. In 2015, Haiti would complete the workshop for the White Book of Defense and Durable Development in collaboration with theInter-American Defense Board,[42] making it the firstCaribbean nation to obtain the document, and 19th in the hemisphere. The document is aimed at reinforcing the rule of law and stabilization by modernizing the state institutions. The first elements of the reinstated armed forces was trained by Ecuador. Cadets and NCO candidates trained at theEcuadorian Army schools.
After the formation of theGary Conille Government, and the appointment of Jean Marc Berthier Antoine as Minister of Defense in June 2024, meeting have been had with theambassadors andchargé d'affaires of the United States (as well as representatives from theUnited States Southern Command),[43][44] Taiwan,[45] France,[46] Argentina,[47] Mexico,[48] and Canada[49] These meeting entailed discussions over defense cooperation, security partnership, and the formation and training (basic training and continuing formation) of members of the armed forces. On 28 August 2024, a recruitment drive for the 3rd enlisted that resulted in 8,000 young people turning up to join up. Haitian Prime MinisterGarry Conille had planned to expand, modernize and improve military quality of life.[50][51]
On 25 August, outgoing French ambassador Fabrice Mauriès stated that France has always supported the Haitian Armed Forces and confirmed that starting September 2024, members of the armed forces would start travelling toMartinique for training with the French Forces to the Antilles.[52] On 29 August 2024, Taiwan donated personal protection kits to theFAd'H includingballistic helmets, eye protection, vest/plate carrier with pouches, gloves, and knee pads.[53][54]
Human rights protection is a key component of the modernization of the Armed Forces; in August 2024, service members would complete a course onHuman Rights, International Humanitarian Rights, as well as Gender Equity. This training was used to update the basic training manual for the future recruit classes.
Negotiations are being had with theUnited Arab Emirates[55] for technical assistance and formation on the matters of defense, operational expertise using military technology, and logistical self-reliance concerning equipment and vehicle maintenance.
While on official visit to Washington, HaitianMinister of Defense Jean Marc Berthier Antoine, held meetings with theOrganization of American States (OAS), theInter-American Defense Board and theInter-American Defense College in the efforts of mustering international support for Haiti in the fight against insecurity,[56] specifically through international support for efforts in modernizing the armed forces.[57] A proposed commission composed of representatives of Ministries of Defense from the region, the IADB and the Department of Hemispheric Security of the OAS, will be tasked of coordinating international efforts to reinforce the Armed Forces of Haiti, with accents on training, technical assistance, and equipment.[58] On 22 October 2024, a 5-year plan to recruit 20,000 officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted troops (or 4000 per year) was unveiled,[59][60] with the support of theSecretary General of the Organization of American States,Luis Almagro[61] and 15 member states (Argentina,Bolivia,Brazil,Chile,Canada,Colombia,Ecuador,El Salvador,United States,Guatemala,Honduras,Mexico,Paraguay, andPeru), via technical cooperation. The minister emphasized the need for training in crisis management, counter-terrorism, law enforcement, and security in conflict zones; modernizing training infrastructure, equipping the troops with the necessary tools like APCs, battle vehicles, drones; digitizing management systems, as well improving the working conditions. Minister Berthier Antoine reiterated that the government's priorities were to build a modern, professional armed forces, with hundreds of professions, all crucial to long term security and development.[62]
Mexico will be supporting the modernization and strengthening efforts of the FAD'H by welcoming 700 army recruits who will be trained by theMexican Army. On July 24, 2025, the first group of 150 recruits departed to Mexico[63] for 3-months long training course aboardMexican Air ForceEADS CASA C-295 planes, who brought 1000 personal protection kits to the Haitian military, courtesy of theAMEXCID.[64] Since 2018, Mexico has provided training for 912 Haitian troops.
Colombia announced that theMilitary Forces of Colombia would be training a total of 1000 recruit, in Colombia;[29] 500 of the recruits will be trained by theNational Army of Colombia, 250 by theColombian Navy, and 250 by theColombian Aerospace Force. The commander-in-chief of the Haitian Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Derby Guerrier, is expected to travel to Colombia with thebranch commanders on July 28, 2025 to assess the training grounds and set a timeline for the arrival of the first 200 recruits.[65]
On November 8, 7Roshel Senator RAMMRAPs were handed over to the Haitian armed forces by the Haitian government. This was the first time since its remobilization in 2017 that it was able to acquire military vehicles for itself, by itself indicates PM Fils-Aimé and Defense minister Moïse.[66]“The Haitian Armed Forces have spent years without any of our international partners agreeing to allow the FAd'H to use these types of equipment. We made a tremendous effort to ensure that, on the eve of November 18th, the date of the Battle of Vertières, this equipment would be handed over to the army.” the Prime Minister declared during the handover ceremony. These APCs are part of an initial order of 17 armored vehicles that will reinforce the FAd'H, which will also includeInfantry fighting vehicles said minister Moïse. President-Counsellor Voltaire promised that negotiations were on the way to acquire aerial and maritime vehicles.
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Haitian Army |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
| Lieutenant général | Major général | Général de brigade | Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Major | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sous-lieutenant | Adjutant | |||||||||||||||
| Lyetnan jeneral | Majò jeneral | Jeneral brigad | Kolonèl | Lyetnan kolonèl | Majò | Kapitèn | Lyetnan | Soulyetnan | Adjitan | |||||||||||||||
| Haitian Aviation Corps |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| Lieutenant général | Major général | Général de brigade | Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Major | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sous-lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||
| Lyetnan jeneral | Majò jeneral | Jeneral brigad | Kolonèl | Lyetnan kolonèl | Majò | Kapitèn | Lyetnan | Soulyetnan | ||||||||||||||||
| Haitian Navy |  | | | | | | | | | |||||||||||||||
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haitian Army |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sergent major | Premier sergent | Sergent-fourrier | Sergent | Caporal | Soldat de première classe | Soldat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sèjan majò | Premye sèjan | Sèjan-fourye | Sèjan | Kaporal | Sòlda premye klas | Sòlda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Haitian Navy | | | | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Haitian Aviation Corps | | | | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In March 2023, then Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry signaled that he wanted to mobilize the Haitian military to deal with rising gang related violence that has swept much of the country in the wake of the crisis.[67]After the terrorist attacks on the several prisons, including the Port-au-Prince prison (Pénitencier National), and several police stations the weekend of 2 March 2024, the Haitian military was deployed to the Toussaint Louverture International Airport to repel the gang assaults of 4 March 2024, defend and secure the airport.[68] They were also task to protect theBank of the Republic of Haiti and the port of Port-au-Prince. As of 27 August 2024, Prime Minister Conille confirmed that the Armed Forces were operating alongside theHaitian National Police and the Kenyan contingent of theMultinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, in the neighborhoods of Bel-Air and Solino.[69]
The government intends to deploy elements to theBay of Port-au-Prince to counter the gangs' attacks on port facilities and defend the water againstpiracy. On 4 October, it was confirmed that troops had deployed to theArtibonite department, in response to thePont-Sondé massacre committed by the "Gran Grif" gang that resulted in over 70 deaths.[70]
As of 2024, the military uses rifles donated by Taiwan[71] and purchased from Brazil, such as assault rifles like theTaurus T4, fromBrazil. The Haitian Armed Forces received it latest batch from the government on 4 September 2024, which arrived with Haitian foreign ministerDominique Dupuy after official visit to Brazil. In order to buy larger weapons and combat vehicles, discussions have been had to "move the lines" said an official source. Procurement has been a challenge for the Armed Forces since its reestablishment. The military is still subject to restrictions by theUnited States Department of State,[72] with theLeahy Law still being in effect. This prohibits the United States from selling or giving any lethal equipment to the Haitian Military. This policy has put off many countries from selling lethal equipment to Haiti. Other miscellaneous small arms can be seen in the hands of soldiers.
The equipment of the National Equipment Center (CNE) were transferred to the Corps of Engineers,[73] in the objective of reinforcing the military's capacities. On 4 September 2024, Prime Minister Conille supervised the delivery of material purchased by the government, including weapons, to the armed forces.[74] The details and what the purchase included is not yet known.
The Haitian government plans on acquiring ships fromMiami, including three110-foot Island classpatrol boat, to reinforce its maritime capacities in the defense of the bay and port of Port-au-Prince, and fight piracy activities along the metropolitan coastline.[75]
Prime MinisterGarry Conille traveled to theUAE with a delegation including FAd'H Brigadier General Emmanuel Azémar,[55] at the invitation of his Emirati homologue, to negotiate the purchase ofarmoured personnel carriers, drones, weapons, and other military technologies from theUnited Arab Emirates,[76] as well as technical assistance.[77] The objective of these discussions are to establish a continuous flow of supply for the military, to increase its operational and logistical capabilities.
The Haitian government has been invited by Argentina[78] and Colombia[79] to pursue commercial defense contracts with their defense manufacturing firms.
A delegation of Haitian Army officers and staffers of the Ministry of Defense traveled to Brazil, specificallyRio de Janeiro, to attendLAAD Defence & Security 2025. They were seen talking to a representative at theTaurus Armas booth. ColombianShipyardCOTECMAR also confirmed they were in talks to provide for Haiti's naval needs.[80]
The Haitian government is in talks with Colombian weapons manufacturerINDUMIL, confirmed by Colombian Defense MinisterPedro Arnulfo Sánchez.[29] 1000 personal protection kits were given as military assistance to the Haitian military by Mexico, via the Mexican Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AMEXCID).[64]
SevenRoshel Senator RAM MRAPs were delivered to the FAd'H in November 2025. These are the first part of an order of 17 armored vehicles that will also include fighting vehicles according to the Defense Minister.[81]
The initial troops were formed inEcuador between 2012 and 2017, during theMichel Martelly administration, as part of a cooperation accord between the two countries dating back to 2010, and revised in 2015.[82] The soldiers of the Corps of Engineers (Corps du Génie, CORGE), were formed at the "Escuela Superior Militar Eloy Alfaro" inQuito, including 4commissioned officers. Additionally, in 2015, 40 Commissioned Officers were formed at the "Escuela de Formación de Soldados Vencedores del Cenepa" inAmbato and 27enlisted would obtain an 8 months formation at the "Escuela de Formación Militar de Santo Domingo de Los Colorados" inSanto Domingo, Ecuador.[83]
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In 2019,Taiwan donated 100 sets of protection equipment and 100T-91 rifles to the armed forces.[84] In August 2024, another 100 personal protection kits were donated to the FAd'H via the Taiwan Embassy.[85][86]
Mexico is considered Haiti's biggest defense partner. A defense bilateral accord was signed on October 5, 2018 and renewed on September 23rd 2023.[87] The accord guarantees exchange of experience, training and cooperation in military education, disaster support activities and logistics. To this date, a total of 912 troops have been trained by Mexico.[64] 2 Haitian cadets are currently receiving training.
In 2019,[88] The MexicanSecretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) provided a seminar on "Civil Protection, Human Rights and Gender Equality". 30 Mexican instructors led by Colonel Léon Borja, were deployed to Haiti to train 250 enlisted recruits, 50 NCO candidates, and 15 officer candidates at theAnacaona Military Training Center, inLéogâne.[89][90][91] That was the first locally trained class of servicemen. Thenon-commissioned officers continued training at the "Escuela Militar de Sargentos"[92] inPuebla[93][94] and the officers were sent to theTemamatla military mase.[95]
In 2022, NCOs were trained at the "Centro de Adiestramiento de Fuerzas Especiales" inTemamatla, Mexico to becomeinstructors.[96][97] Later, a company of 150 soldiers trained with the Mexican Army andMexican National Guard ondrone warfare,guerilla warfare,sniper training, anddemolition. That company would become the National Guard Unit (Unité de Garde Nationale).[98][99][100][101][102] Between 2022 and 2023, 130 servicemen receivedspecial operations training from theCuerpo de Fuerzas Especiales, becoming the firstSpecial forces unit of the newFAd'H.[103][104][105]
Mexico will assist the FAD'H in the construction of training facilities. In the meantime, they would be welcoming and providing training for 700 recruits, in groups of 150.[106] On July 24, 2025, the first group of 150 recruits departed to Mexico[63] for 2-months long training course and 1000 personal protection kits were donated to the Haitian military, courtesy of theAMEXCID.[64] That group graduated and returned to Haiti on September 20, with additional military aid.
Argentina has been providing scholarship to Haitian cadets to attend their military academies.[107] As of now, only theEscuela Naval Militar[108] and theEscuela de Aviación Militar[109] have hosted cadets, at both officer and non-commissioned officer level. On 16 March 2023, Ambassador Vilbert Bélizaire andBrigadier General Xavier Isaac signed a cooperation protocol between theArmed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the Armed Force of Haiti, formalizing a program of training and technical assistance from the Escuela de Aviacion to the FAD'H.[110]
There have been discussions to establish a formal military cooperation accord between the two countries.[111][112][113] On 22 August 2024, the chargé d'affaires of Haiti to Argentina, Mrs. Olga Ducasse, met withBrigadier generalXavier Isaac,Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of theArmed Forces of the Argentine Republic, to discuss the advancements of military cooperation between Haiti and Argentina.
Defense minister Berthier Antoine met with his Argentine homologue,Luis Petri, at the XVI Conference of Defense Minister in the Americas (CDMA), on 16 October 2024, where talks were had over existing military cooperation and defense partnership, and over new ways to expand them.[114] He let know that an increasing number of Haitian servicemembers would benefit from training from Argentine Forces and military academies. He also toldLe Nouvelliste that Argentina would be providing non-lethal equipment to the Haitian military, and are open to commercial partnerships in order to provide lethal equipment.[78]
As of 2025,Brazil is the largest supplier of small arms to the Armed Forces of Haiti. The standard issue rifle of the army in theTaurus T4rifle and the main servicepistol, theTaurusTH9 both byTaurus Armas.[115] Other equipment likegrenade launcher andgrenades are acquired fromCondor Tecnologias Não-Letais.
The armed forces frequently attendLAAD Defence & Security Expo inRio de Janeiro. Talks are ongoing over prospects for military cooperation.[116]
The Armed Forces of Haiti have an operational military partnership program withFrench Armed Forces to theAntilles (FAA), called the"SABRE Haiti" partnership.[117][118]The partnership includes training for theHaitian Army, and is facilitated by the French Forces in the Antilles (Forces Armées aux Antilles) through the personnel of the 33rd Marine Infantry Regiment of theFrench Army (33e RIMa).[119][120] The training coveredurban warfare, open area combat, combat rescue & first aid, weapon handling, familiarization of theFAMAS, and other techniques.[121] Two contingents of 25 soldiers made the trip, one in November 2024,[122][123][124] the other in February 2025.[125] The accord was renewed and expanded, an announcement made by French Minister of Foreign AffairsJean-Noël Barrot in front of the French Senate.[126][127] As a result, a third group, this time of 30 Haitian Army soldiers, travelled to Martinique on July 21, 2025 to receive training.[128] A fourth group departed in September, bringing the total to 105 soldier to undergo training exercises with French Forces.
On January 11, 2025, a defensememorandum of understanding was signed by both parties that included military training,Intelligence sharing, jointmilitary exercises, and military assistance in the event of threats in or to either nations.[129]
A defense cooperation accord was signed on January 22, 2025 by Haitian and Colombian Defense Ministries.[130][131] The terms of the accord were finalized on July 18, 2025. Colombia and theMilitary Forces of Colombia will take charge of training 1000 Haitian recruits,[29] similar to the arrangement between Haiti and Mexico.[106] 500 will be trained by theNational Army of Colombia, 250 by theColombian Navy, and 250 by theColombian Aerospace Force. The training will take place in Colombia due to lack of adequate training facilities in Haiti at the moment. 200 are expected to travel to Colombia in the second half of 2025, to be ready for deployment once completing their 3 months of training.
The Haitian government is in talks with Colombian weapons manufacturerINDUMIL, confirmed by Colombian Defense ministerPedro Arnulfo Sánchez.[29] On December 16, 2024, Minister Moise and Lt. Gen. Guerrier visited theCOTECMAR shipyard inCartagena to observe theshipbuilding operations. COTECMAR confirmed they were in talks to provide for Haiti's naval needs[80] after a meeting atLAAD Defence & Security 2025 with a delegation of military officers and members of the ministry of defense, inRio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Defense Minister Berthier Antoine, would meet with the Ambassador ofCanada, André François Giroux, on 9 September 2024, over cooperation and partnership on the matters of defense.[49] Later on, at the CDMA in Argentina, he had an exchange with Canadian Defence MinisterBill Blair over the same subject.
In November 2025, the Armed Forces received 7Roshel Senator RAM MRAP ordered by the Haitian government.[66] The Senator MRAP is manufactured byRoshel, a Canadian defense manufacturer. This purchase was a major step for the Haitian military, marking its first major military equipment acquisition since in remobilization in 2017.
In 2021, talks were held between Dr. Louis Marie Montfort Saintil, the Ambassador of Haiti inSpain, andColonel Carlos Sanchez Bas of theSpanish Air and Space Force in the objectives of exploring avenues of cooperation, more precisely in the field of reorganization and modernization of theAeronautical Corpsof theArmed Forces of Haiti.[132]
After the Haitian military successfully repelled terrorist attacks onToussaint Louverture International Airport on the afternoon of the 4th of March 2024 and helped secure it, theUnited States Department of State stated, although it had not changed its general policy on the Haitian military, it provided non-lethal aid to the Armed Forces of Haiti.[72]
Haitian Defense Minister Jean-Michel Moïse welcomed Ambassador Hankins andMajor Tripp Callaway this his offices on December 30, 2024, for discussions rooted in the modernization & reinforcing of theFAD'H. They discussed the integration of the Haitian military into theState Partnership Program with theLouisiana National Guard (initiated in 2011[133]) to reinforce operational capacities, promote technical and strategic subject matter exchange.[134][135] Lieutenant (ret.) Emmanuel Paul, then chief of staff of the Defense Minister's cabinet, told Le Nouvelliste that the United States were willing to strengthen partnership with the Haitian military, particularly with training, as well as military aid (lethal and nonlethal), to respond to the security woes of the country.[136] As of July 2025, there have been no changes to the United States' policies toward the Haitian military, although there is a bipartisan bill introduced to assess the importance of providing American support.[137]
In UNSC Resolution 2793(2025), co-penned by the United States, the FAd'H were mentioned by name. As opposed to theMultinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) permits it to collaborate, operate with, and support the Haitian Armed Forces.[138]
EmiratiVice PresidentMansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan invited Haitian Prime Minister Conille to visit theUnited Arab Emirates, where he and his delegation including Chief of the High StaffBrigadier general Emmanuel Azémar, inspected potential material and equipment required by the armed forces. He was also introduced to security and defense experts, who could provide training and technical assistance on the matters ofsurveillance andintelligence. The PM stated that an accord of cooperation was almost done, to streamline the procurement of drones, armored vehicles, weapons, munitions, and spare parts for the security forces.[139][55] There have been no mentions of this deal after Conille was fired in November 2024.
A meeting between the Haitian ministry of defense and 15 member states of theOrganization of American States was initiated by the permanent mission of Haiti to the OAS to call for the support of the international community to improve the security situation in the country. After the meeting, the defense minister Berthier Antoine announced a 5-year plan to recruit 20,000 troops.[140] The OAS intend to support this plan via technical cooperation; a commission will coordinate and supervise the process of training officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers.[141][142][62][60][59] A delegation led by Presidential council memberSmith Augustin met with OAS secretary generalLuis Almagro, and the Executive council of theInter-American Defense Board to call for support to the capacities and modernization efforts of the Armed Forces.[143][144]
The FAd'H currently has an officer studying at theInter-American Defense College as part of Class 65.
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