| Military | Lesotho |
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Military branches:
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Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2010) |
Military service age and obligation:
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18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2009) |
Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 472,456
females age 16-49: 508,953 (2010 est.) |
Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 270,184
females age 16-49: 275,734 (2010 est.) |
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males: 19,110
females: 20,037 (2010 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.6% of GDP (2006) |
Military - note:
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Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF (2008) |
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