Burkina Faso Military Power Ranking 2025

MPR Rank: 110th
MPR SCORE: 257
MPR Index: 0.0733 (1.0000 is perfect)
Reverse MPR Index: 0.8782 (0.0000 is perfect)
Z Score: -0.508 (standard deviations above the mean)

Overview

Burkina Faso ranks 110th globally in the 2025 Military Power Rankings. Its armed forces, the Burkinabe Armed Forces (Forces Armées Burkinabè), are heavily engaged in counterterrorism, internal stabilization, and anti-insurgency operations, particularly in the northern, eastern, and central Sahel regions. With the spread of jihadist groups across the tri-border area with Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has become one of the frontline states in the fight against extremism in West Africa.

Despite being modest in size and resources, the Burkinabe military plays an outsized role in regional security. The country has received support from France, the United States, and EU training missions, although recent political instability and repeated military coups have strained international partnerships. Burkina Faso is no longer formally part of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, but continues to conduct bilateral counterterror operations and participates in ad hoc regional security coalitions.

Strengths

1. Extensive Combat Experience Against Insurgents

Burkina Faso’s armed forces are engaged in daily combat with Islamist militant groups, particularly JNIM, ISGS, and other regional jihadist factions, giving units real-world experience in asymmetric warfare, ambush response, and rural clearance operations.

2. Rapid Expansion of Volunteer Auxiliary Forces

To support overstretched regular forces, Burkina Faso has created the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), a civilian militia structure that augments national operations with local intelligence, terrain knowledge, and community defense capacity.

3. Geostrategic Relevance in Sahel Stability

As a central Sahel state, Burkina Faso plays a critical role in blocking jihadist expansion into the Gulf of Guinea corridor, reinforcing its strategic importance despite limited resources. It also provides staging grounds for multinational joint operations.

Why Burkina Faso Is Still Ranked 110th

1. Limited Conventional Military Capability

The military operates with light vehicles, basic firearms, and minimal air support, lacking modern armor, drones, or airstrike capability, making it vulnerable in prolonged engagements and dependent on foreign aid for critical assets.

2. Political Instability and Command Disruption

Frequent military coups (including two in 2022) have fragmented command structures, delayed reform efforts, and weakened strategic planning. This undermines cohesive doctrine, professionalization, and institutional continuity.

3. Attrition, Low Morale, and Resource Depletion

Constant frontline deployment has resulted in heavy casualties, logistics strain, and unit fatigue, particularly in rural garrisons and isolated forward outposts, with growing pressure on recruitment and morale amid expanding insurgent zones.

Conclusion

Burkina Faso’s military is one of Africa’s most embattled forces, actively engaged in a high-casualty insurgency with strategic regional consequences. While lacking in modern equipment or conventional power, the armed forces play a frontline role in the fight against extremism in the Sahel, with a focus on terrain defense, civil-military collaboration, and local militia integration. Its ranking reflects the contrast between operational necessity and structural vulnerability, as the country remains highly relevant but militarily overstretched.

Military Strength and Force Projection

Active Military Personnel: 12,000 (IISS 2023)
Reserve Personnel: 5,000 (CIA World Factbook)
Paramilitary Forces: 10,000 (Gendarmerie and National Police)
Army Personnel: 9,000
Navy Personnel: None (landlocked)
Air Force Personnel: 3,000

Ground Forces

Main Battle Tanks (MBTs): None
Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): 100+
Artillery (Towed and Self-Propelled): 30+

Air Force

Combat Aircraft: 8+
Helicopters: 10+
Transport Aircraft: 5+

Aircraft Breakdown:

Su-25 Frogfoot (Light Attack Aircraft): 4
Mi-17 Helicopters: 6 (utility)

Naval Forces

As a landlocked country, Burkina Faso does not maintain a navy.

Missile Capabilities

Burkina Faso does not possess advanced missile systems or nuclear capabilities. Its military is focused on counterterrorism and maintaining internal security rather than external force projection.

Strategic Partnerships

Burkina Faso receives defense support from France, the United States, and the European Union in its fight against terrorism and insurgency. The country is part of the G5 Sahel, a regional security partnership that coordinates counterterrorism efforts across five Sahel countries. Burkina Faso also works closely with regional and international partners on intelligence-sharing and joint military operations.

Military History & Combat Experience

Burkina Faso’s military history is rooted in post-colonial regime change, counterinsurgency adaptation, and the rapid evolution of irregular warfare doctrine following the rise of jihadist activity in the Sahel.

Political Coups and Military Governance (1960s–1980s):
Since independence from France in 1960, Burkina Faso experienced a series of military coups, including the iconic rise and 1987 assassination of Thomas Sankara, a military officer turned revolutionary leader. These decades embedded the military in national politics, with a focus on internal control rather than external defense.
Peacekeeping Participation (1990s–2010s):
Burkina Faso contributed to African Union and UN peacekeeping missions, especially in Darfur, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali, gaining experience in logistics, infantry deployment, and multinational operations, though often at a small scale.
Jihadist Insurgency in the Sahel (2016–present):
Following the rise of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Islamic State–affiliated groups, Burkina Faso became a frontline target. Attacks on Ouagadougou, military bases, and civilian convoys became routine. The army has responded with counteroffensive operations, area clearing, and the mobilization of civil defense auxiliaries (VDP). Key regions affected include Soum, Gnagna, and Tapoa provinces.
Collapse of G5 Sahel Participation and Domestic Refocusing (2022–present):
Following political upheaval, Burkina Faso withdrew from the G5 Sahel Joint Force in 2022, shifting toward bilateral security partnerships and internally focused strategies. Russian-linked training assistance and non-Western advisory relationships have begun to replace previous reliance on French and U.S. support.

Burkina Faso’s military experience reflects a force in active conflict, facing one of the most intense insurgencies in Africa, with limited resources but strategic determination. Its future capacity will depend on stabilizing national command, rebuilding external partnerships, and sustaining its civil defense infrastructure.

General Information

Demographics and Geography

Population: ~24.6 million (2024 est.)
Population Available for Military Service: ~8.7 million
Geographic Area: 272,967 km²
Land Boundaries: 3,611 km
Bordering Countries: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Climate: Tropical; warm, dry winters and hot, wet summers
Terrain: Mostly flat with undulating plains and hills
Natural Resources: Gold, manganese, limestone, marble, arable land
Proven Oil Reserves: None
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: None

Economic Indicators

Defense Budget (2025): ~$700 million USD
Defense Budget as % of GDP: ~3.5%
GDP (PPP): ~$55 billion USD
GDP per Capita (PPP): ~$2,200
External Debt: ~$4.8 billion USD
Military Expenditure Trend (last 5 years): Rapid increase due to anti-terrorism and insurgency operations

Military Infrastructure and Readiness

Military Service Obligation: Voluntary
Primary Defense Focus: Counterterrorism, internal security, border control
Military Industry Base: Very limited; imports dominate
Cyber/Electronic Warfare Capability: Minimal
Nuclear Warhead Inventory: None (non-nuclear state)
Major Military Districts / Commands: Divided by regions under Armed Forces High Command
Missile Inventory Highlights: Mortars, light artillery, MANPADS
Reservist Call-up Readiness / Timeline: High; auxiliary volunteer forces
Reservist Force Size: ~60,000 (including Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland – VDP)

Space, Intelligence, and Strategic Infrastructure

Space or Satellite Programs: None
Military Satellite Inventory: None
Intelligence Infrastructure: Directorate of Military Intelligence, civilian security services
Intelligence Sharing Partnerships: G5 Sahel, France, AU
Airports (Total): ~23
Major Military Airports: Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso

Naval Power and Maritime Logistics

Merchant Marine Fleet: None
Major Ports: None (landlocked)
Naval Infrastructure: Not applicable
Naval Replenishment Capability: Not applicable

Domestic Mobility and Infrastructure

Railway Network: ~622 km
Roadways: ~15,000 km

Energy and Fuel Logistics

Oil Production: None
Energy Imports: High dependency
Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Maintains limited emergency stockpiles

Defense Production and Strategic Forces

Domestic Defense Production: Very limited; light maintenance
Military Installations (Domestic): Ouagadougou, Kaya, Fada N’Gourma
Military Installations (Overseas): None
Foreign Military Personnel Presence: French forces (withdrawn 2023), Russian instructors (2024)
Defense Alliances: G5 Sahel, Russia (recent)
Strategic Airlift Capability: Small fixed-wing fleet and rotary support
Wartime Industrial Surge Capacity: Extremely low

Research and Industry Support