Gabon Military Power Ranking 2025

MPR Rank: 127th
MPR SCORE: 242
MPR Index: 0.0658 (1.0000 is perfect)
Reverse MPR Index: 0.8854 (0.0000 is perfect)
Z Score: -0.548 (standard deviations above the mean)

Overview

Gabon ranks 127th globally in the 2025 Military Power Rankings. The Gabonese Armed Forces (Forces Armées Gabonaises) are primarily tasked with internal security, political stability, and the protection of strategic economic assets, particularly oil infrastructure along the Atlantic coast. As one of Central Africa’s more stable nations, Gabon’s military plays an active role in regional security cooperation, contributing to African Union (AU) and UN peacekeeping missions, while maintaining a reputation for professionalism and discipline.

The Gabonese military includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Republican Guard, the latter of which plays a central role in regime protection and crisis response. Though limited in size and conventional firepower, the armed forces benefit from French military support, long-standing defense partnerships, and domestic focus on security sector professionalism. Gabon’s doctrine is built around urban and perimeter defense, presidential protection, and peacekeeping readiness rather than external combat capability.

Strengths

1. Strong Focus on Political and Territorial Stability

Gabon’s military is structured to ensure internal control, rapid suppression of unrest, and the security of critical infrastructure, including port cities and oil installations such as Port-Gentil.

2. Regional Peacekeeping Experience and AU Engagement

Gabon has contributed troops to peacekeeping missions in Central Africa, Congo (Brazzaville), and Ivory Coast, earning a reputation for operational discipline in logistics, patrol security, and military police functions.

3. French Defense Cooperation and Training Support

Gabon maintains close ties with France, hosting joint exercises and receiving training, advisory support, and limited logistics cooperation, which enhances operational readiness despite equipment constraints.

Why Gabon Is Still Ranked 127th

1. Minimal Power Projection and Force Depth

Gabon has no combat air wing, no heavy armor, and only a small navy, making it incapable of external projection or high-intensity combat beyond basic coastal and urban defense roles.

2. Small Active Force and Dependence on Elite Guard Units

The bulk of the military’s operational readiness lies in its Republican Guard, while regular army units are smaller and under-resourced, resulting in an imbalance between ceremonial forces and deployable combat strength.

3. Procurement and Maintenance Limitations

Most of Gabon’s equipment is outdated, consisting of French-supplied legacy systems, with limited maintenance capacity, supply chain shortfalls, and low operational availability for many land and air platforms.

Conclusion

Gabon maintains a small but professional military, optimized for internal defense, government continuity, and regional peacekeeping, not full-scale warfare. Its role as a stabilizing actor in Central Africa, combined with foreign training partnerships and civil-military integration, ensures institutional reliability even with modest capabilities. Gabon’s low ranking reflects its limited firepower and size, though it continues to punch above its weight in diplomatic and peacekeeping functions.

Military Strength and Force Projection

• Active Military Personnel: 6,000 (IISS 2023)

• Reserve Personnel: 1,000 (CIA World Factbook)

• Paramilitary Forces: 4,500 (Gendarmerie)

• Army Personnel: 4,000

• Navy Personnel: 1,000

• Air Force Personnel: 1,000

Ground Forces

• Main Battle Tanks (MBTs): None

• Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): 100+

• Artillery (Towed and Self-Propelled): 20+

Air Force

• Combat Aircraft: None

• Helicopters: 10+

• Transport Aircraft: 5+

Aircraft Breakdown:

• Mi-17 Helicopters: 5 (transport and utility)

• C-130 Hercules: 2 (transport)

Naval Forces

Gabon’s naval forces are relatively small, focused primarily on protecting the country's coastline and safeguarding its economic interests, particularly in oil-rich waters.

• Patrol Vessels: 10+

• Fast Attack Craft: 4+

Missile Capabilities

Gabon does not possess advanced missile systems, nuclear capabilities, or significant air defense systems. Its military focuses on territorial defense and internal security rather than external projection or advanced missile technology.

Strategic Partnerships

Gabon enjoys strong defense cooperation with France, which has military personnel stationed in the country under defense agreements. The country also contributes to regional peacekeeping efforts and benefits from international military assistance in training and logistics.

Military History & Combat Experience

Gabon’s military history is relatively limited in terms of external combat but includes internal suppression, coup prevention, and multilateral peacekeeping deployments, shaping a doctrine focused on stability and deterrence.

• Crisis Response and Coup Prevention (1960s–present):
  Since independence, Gabon has experienced multiple attempted coups, most notably in 1964 and 2019, both of which were quickly suppressed. The Republican Guard has evolved as a central elite unit for regime protection, trained for urban counter-coup operations and infrastructure control.

• Support to Central African Republic and Congo Missions (1990s–2010s):
  Gabon deployed small contingents as part of AU and UN peacekeeping operations in Central African Republic and Republic of Congo, focusing on urban patrols, logistics, and disarmament programs. These deployments reinforced its role as a regional stabilizer.

• French Military Presence and Security Umbrella (1960s–present):
  Gabon maintains a bilateral defense agreement with France, which has stationed forces at Libreville’s Camp de Gaulle until 2009. Though the French base has since closed, cooperation continues through joint exercises and equipment donations, providing a security fallback during crises.

• Oil Infrastructure Defense and Coastal Monitoring:
  The Gabonese Navy, while limited, plays an active role in protecting offshore oil platforms, patrolling maritime zones, and countering illegal fishing, especially around Port-Gentil and Mayumba.

While Gabon lacks large-scale warfighting experience, its military has effectively fulfilled internal defense, elite unit deployment, and peacekeeping commitments, building a reputation as a disciplined force in Central Africa with a primary focus on political stability and strategic infrastructure defense.

General Information

Demographics and Geography

• Population: ~2.4 million (2024 est.)

• Population Available for Military Service: ~900,000

• Geographic Area: 267,668 km²

• Land Boundaries: 3,261 km

• Bordering Countries: Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea

• Coastline: 885 km

• Climate: Tropical; always hot, humid

• Terrain: Narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

• Natural Resources: Oil, manganese, uranium, gold, timber

• Proven Oil Reserves: ~2 billion barrels

• Proven Natural Gas Reserves: ~1.1 trillion cubic feet

Economic Indicators

• Defense Budget (2025): ~$670 million USD

• Defense Budget as % of GDP: ~2.6%

• GDP (PPP): ~$43 billion USD

• GDP per Capita (PPP): ~$17,500

• External Debt: ~$9 billion USD

• Military Expenditure Trend (last 5 years): Stable with recent modernization initiatives

Military Infrastructure and Readiness

• Military Service Obligation: Voluntary

• Primary Defense Focus: Presidential security, oil infrastructure, border control

• Military Industry Base: Minimal; relies heavily on imports

• Cyber/Electronic Warfare Capability: Limited

• Nuclear Warhead Inventory: None (non-nuclear state)

• Major Military Districts / Commands: Divided into zones under Gabonese Republican Guard and Armed Forces

• Missile Inventory Highlights: Short-range artillery, MANPADS

• Reservist Call-up Readiness / Timeline: Moderate; 30–45 days

• Reservist Force Size: ~20,000

Space, Intelligence, and Strategic Infrastructure

• Space or Satellite Programs: GabSat-1 (2012); telecom satellite

• Military Satellite Inventory: None

• Intelligence Infrastructure: Directorate General of Documentation and Immigration (DGDI)

• Intelligence Sharing Partnerships: France, CEMAC, AU

• Airports (Total): ~50

• Major Military Airports: Libreville, Port-Gentil

Naval Power and Maritime Logistics

• Merchant Marine Fleet: ~10 vessels

• Major Ports: Libreville, Port-Gentil

• Naval Infrastructure: Coastal patrol vessels, amphibious units

• Naval Replenishment Capability: Limited regional capacity

Domestic Mobility and Infrastructure

• Railway Network: ~670 km

• Roadways: ~9,200 km

Energy and Fuel Logistics

• Oil Production: ~190,000 barrels/day

• Energy Imports: Limited due to domestic output

• Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Maintains strategic oil facilities

Defense Production and Strategic Forces

• Domestic Defense Production: Limited to logistics and uniforms

• Military Installations (Domestic): Libreville, Mouila, Oyem

• Military Installations (Overseas): None

• Foreign Military Personnel Presence: French base in Libreville

• Defense Alliances: France, AU, ECCAS

• Strategic Airlift Capability: C-130, tactical rotary support

• Wartime Industrial Surge Capacity: Low

Research and Industry Support

• Defense R&D Investment: Minimal

• Key Wartime Industries Beyond Defense: Oil export infrastructure, port logistics, national construction corps

Political and Administrative Structure

• Capital: Libreville

• Founding Date: August 17, 1960 (independence from France)

• System of Government: Transitional military-led government (2023–)