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Algeria's armed forces, known collectively as the Popular National Army (ANP), total 138,000 active members, with some 100,000 reservists. The president serves as Minister of National Defense. Military forces are supplemented by a 60,000-member national gendarmerie, a rural police force, under the control of the president and a 30,000-member SuretÈ Nationale or Metropolitan Police force under the Ministry of the Interior. Eighteen months of national military service is compulsory for men. Algeria is a leading military power in the region and has demonstrated remarkable success in its struggle against terrorism. The Algerian military, having fought a decade-long insurgency, intends to increase expenditures in an effort to modernize and return to a more traditional defense role. Projected defense expenditures accounted for some $2.5 billion or 3.9% of GDP (FY 2004). Due to historical difficulties in acquiring U.S. military equipment, Algeriaís primary military supplier has traditionally been Russia, and to a lesser extent China. Algeria has, however, in recent years, begun to diversify its supplies of military equipment to include U.S.-made airborne surveillance aircraft and ground radars. Retired General Abdelmalek Guenaizia was appointed Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Defense in a May 1, 2005 cabinet reshuffle. |
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