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Niger Armed Forces
The Niger Armed Forces (French: Forces armées nigériennes, FAN) 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.
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 (French: Chef d'État Major des Armées). Military operations are headed from the Joint Staff Office (French: État Major Général des Armées). 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.
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.
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. 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.
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Niger Armed Forces AI simulator
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Niger Armed Forces
The Niger Armed Forces (French: Forces armées nigériennes, FAN) 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.
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 (French: Chef d'État Major des Armées). Military operations are headed from the Joint Staff Office (French: État Major Général des Armées). 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.
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.
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. 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.