Madagascar Armed Forces
French:Forces armées de Madagascar Malagasy:Tafika Malagasy
Founded	16th century
Current form	1960
Service branches	Malagasy Army Malagasy Air Force Malagasy Navy National Gendarmerie
Headquarters	Antananarivo
Leadership
Commander-in-chief	ColonelMichael Randrianirina
Minister	Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo
Chief of Staff	General Demosthene Pikulas
Personnel
Conscription	18 months (military and non-military service)
Active personnel	13,500 (military) 8,100 (National Gendarmerie)[1]
Related articles
Ranks	Military ranks of Madagascar

TheMadagascar Armed Forces (French:Forces armées de Madagascar,Malagasy:Tafika Malagasy) is the nationalmilitary ofMadagascar. TheIISS detailed the armed forces in 2012 as including an Army of 12,500+, a Navy of 500, and a 500-strong Air Force.^[1]

The armed forces were involved in the2009 Malagasy political crisis and the2025 Malagasy protests, playing a central role in the subsequent2025 Malagasy mutiny. DuringWorld War II, Malagasy troops fought inFrance,Morocco, andSyria.

The rise of centralized kingdoms among theSakalava,Merina and otherethnic groups produced the island's first standing armies, first equipped with spears, but later with muskets, cannons and other firearms. KingRalambo (1575–1612) raised the first standing army in thehighlandKingdom of Imerina with a handful of guns, although for at least two centuries the armies of the Sakalava were much larger and better equipped, possessing thousands of muskets obtained principally through trade with European partners.^[2] By the early 19th century, however, the army of the Kingdom of Imerina was able to bring much of the island under Merina control.

Merina Queen Ranavalona, like her predecessors, utilized the tradition offanampoana (service due to the sovereign in lieu of taxes) to conscript a large portion of the population of Imerina into military service, enabling the queen to raise a standing army that was estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers.^[3]

By the late 19th century French plans to colonize Madagascar were gaining momentum, leading British mercenaries to provide training to the queen's army in an unsuccessful bid to repel the French troops.Madagascar was colonized in 1896, and during World War II over 46,000 Malagasy soldiers were drafted to fight with the Allies, over 2,000 of whom died fighting for France.^[4]

Madagascar gained political independence and sovereignty over its military in 1960. Since this time Madagascar has never engaged in an armed conflict, whether against another state or within its own borders. As such the armed forces of Madagascar have primarily served a peacekeeping role. However, the military has occasionally intervened to restore order during periods of political unrest. When PresidentPhilibert Tsiranana was forced to step down in 1972, a military directorate ensured an interim government before appointing one of its own, AdmiralDidier Ratsiraka, to lead the country into its socialistSecond Republic. He launched a strategy of obligatory national armed or civil service for all young citizens regardless of gender. The majority were channeled into civil service, including agriculture and education programs for rural development based on the socialist Soviet model.^[5] Ratsiraka would also mobilize elements of the military to pacify unarmed protesters, occasionally using violent means. His order to fire upon unarmed protesters in 1989 was the catalyst for transition to the democraticThird Republic in 1992. The military remained largely neutral during the protracted standoff between incumbent Ratsiraka and challengerMarc Ravalomanana in the disputed2001 presidential elections. By contrast, in 2009 a segment of the army defected to the side ofAndry Rajoelina, then-mayor ofAntananarivo, in support of his attempt to force President Ravalomanana from power. It is widely believed that payoffs were involved in persuading these military personnel to change camps in support of thecoup d'état.^[4]

As of 2010, the military of Madagascar is composed of the 8,100 paramilitary of the NationalGendarmerie and the 13,500 members of the Armed Forces. According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies' Military Balance 2010, the latter includes an Army of 12,500, a Navy of 500 and a 500-strong Air Force,^[6] while the CIA Factbook describes the Armed Forces as consisting of the Intervention Force, Aeronaval Force (navy and air) and the Development Force. Military service is voluntary and limited to males aged 18 to 25; every citizen of either gender is required to perform either military or civil service for a minimum of 18 months. However, because of a lack of up-to-date census data, this requirement is not currently enforced. The Gendarmerie recruits Malagasy citizens between the ages of 20 and 30 (or 35 if the recruit has prior military service). Military expenses constituted just over one percent of GDP.^[7] Under Ravalomanana, military expenditure doubled from 54 million USD in 2006 to 103 million USD in 2008.^[8]

Name	Image	Caliber	Type	Origin	Notes
Pistols
TT-33[9]		7.62×25mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Soviet Union
MAC 50[9]		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol	French Fourth Republic /France
M1911[9]		.45 ACP	Semi-automatic pistol	United States
Rifles
SKS[9]		7.62×39mm	Semi-automatic rifle	Soviet Union
AKM[9]		7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Soviet Union
AK-74[9]		5.45×39mm	Assault rifle	Soviet Union
Type 63[9]		7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	China
Type 56[9]		7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	China
Machine guns
DShK[9]		12.7×108mm	Heavy machine gun	Soviet Union
AA-52[9]		7.5×54mm	General-purpose machine gun	French Fourth Republic /France
Browning M2[9]		.50 BMG	Heavy machine gun	United States
Rocket propelled grenade launchers
RPG-7[9]		40mm	Rocket-propelled grenade	Soviet Union
LRAC F1[10]		89mm	Shoulder-launched missile weapon	France

Model	Image	Origin	Quantity	Details
Light tanks
PT-76		Soviet Union	12	[11]
Reconnaissance
BRDM-2		Soviet Union	~35	[11]
FV701 Ferret		United Kingdom	10	[11]
M3A1		United States	~20	[11]
M8			8	[11]
Armoured personnel carriers
Panthera T4		United Arab Emirates	6	[11][12][13]

Model	Image	Origin	Caliber	Quantity	Details
Recoilless rifles
M40A1		United States	106mm	Not stated	[11]

Model	Image	Origin	Caliber	Quantity	Details
Towed
M101		United States	105mm	5	[11]
D-30		Soviet Union	122mm	12	[11]
Mortars
M-37		Soviet Union	82mm	Not stated	[11]
M-43			120mm	8	[11]

Model	Image	Origin	Caliber	Quantity	Details
Towed
ZPU-4		Soviet Union	14.5mm	50	[11]
PG-55			37mm	20	[11]

• Coastal patrol boat:
  • Trozona^[11]
• Patrol boats:
  • 2Tselatra andMalaky^[11]
  • 7 patrol launch^[11]

Model	Origin	Quantity	Details
Transport
Cessna 172	United States	4	[14]
Let L-410 Turbolet		1	[15]
Cessna 206		6	[14]
Cessna 310		1	[14]
Cessna 337		2	[14]
PA-23		1	[14]
B-737		2	[14]
CN235M	Spain	1	[14]
J.300	France	2	[14]
Tetras		1	[11]
Yak-40	Soviet Union	4	[14]
Helicopters
SA318C	France	3	[14]
AS350		3	[14]
BK117	Japan	1	[14]

• Ministry of National Defense (Madagascar)
• List of wars involving Madagascar

• Bradt, Hilary (2011).Madagascar, 10th Ed.: The Bradt Travel Guide. London: Bradt Travel Guides.ISBN 978-1-84162-341-2. RetrievedMarch 18, 2011.
• "The Military Balance 2010"(PDF).International Institute of Strategic Studies. pp. 314–315, 467. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on May 11, 2011. RetrievedApril 1, 2011.
• "The Military Balance 2012".The Military Balance: Annual Estimates of the Nature and Size of the Military Forces of the Principal Powers. London: IISS. 2012.ISSN 0459-7222.
• "Madagascar".Jane's World Armies (online edition). IHS Jane's. 19 May 2011.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
• World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 339 Sheet 01

 This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2006 ed.).CIA.

• Ministry of Madagascar National Defense(in French)

• Military of Madagascar

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing French-language text
• Articles containing Malagasy-language text
• CS1 errors: requires URL
• Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the World Factbook
• Articles with French-language sources (fr)