Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force
| Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | 1 November 1981 |
| Current form | 1995 |
| Service branches | Antigua and Barbuda Regiment Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard Antigua and Barbuda Cadet Corps |
| Headquarters | Camp Blizard |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Minister of Defense | Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer |
| Chief of staff | Colonel Sir Trevor Thomas |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Available for military service |
18,952 males, age 15–49, 18,360 females, age 15–49 |
| Fit for military service |
14,859 males, age 15–49, 14,947 females, age 15–49 |
| Reaching military age annually |
507 males, 494 females |
| Active personnel | 170 (1998) |
| Reserve personnel | 75 (1998) |
| Expenditures | |
| Percent of GDP | 0.7% |
The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force is the armed force of Antigua and Barbuda. The ABDF has responsibility for several different roles: internal security, prevention of drug smuggling, the protection and support of fishing rights, prevention of marine pollution, search and rescue, ceremonial duties, assistance to government programs, provision of relief during natural disasters, assistance in the maintenance of essential services and support of the police in maintaining law and order.
The ABDF is the world's smallest military, consisting of 245 people. It is much better equipped for fulfilling its civil roles as opposed to providing a deterrence against would-be aggressors or in defending the nation during a war.
Organization
The ABDF consists of four major units:
- Antigua and Barbuda Regiment - comprises four line companies and is the infantry unit and fighting arm of the defence force.
- Service and Support Unit - provides administrative, logistic and engineer support to the rest of the defence force.
- Coast Guard - the maritime element of the defence force, and is divided into four units:
- Commanding Officer's office
- Engineer Unit
- Administration Unit
- Flotilla - the flotilla is the operational part of the Coast Guard, and consists of the following vessels and watercraft:
- 1 Swiftships Shipbuilders 65-foot Commercial Cruiser-class patrol boat (P-01 Liberta), in service since 1984[1]
- 1 SeaArk Boats Dauntless-class patrol boat (P-02 Palmetto), in service since 1995[1]
- 1 Point-class cutter (P-03 Hermitage), transferred from the US Coast Guard in 1998[1]
- 1 Defender 380X-class all-weather interceptor (D-8), date of acquisition unknown[2]
- 2 Boston Whaler 27-foot-class launches (071 and 072), in service since 1988[1]
- 1 Zodiac Marine & Pool 8.23-meter Hurricane-type rigid-hulled inflatable boat, in service since 1998[1]
- Antigua and Barbuda Cadet Corps
Former deployments
- In 1982 14 men of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force were deployed to Grenada during the Operation Urgent Fury.
- In 1990 12 soldiers were sent to Trinidad after a failed coup attempt by radical Black Muslims against the constitutionally elected government headed by Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson.
- In 1995 members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force were deployed in Haiti as a part of Operation Uphold Democracy.[3]
Alliances
References
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