GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

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Page last updated on February 5, 2013

Military branches:
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2012)

Military service age and obligation:
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2012)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 472,456
[see also: Manpower available for military service - male country ranks ]
females age 16-49: 508,953 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 270,184
[see also: Manpower fit for military service - male country ranks ]
females age 16-49: 275,734 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 19,110
[see also: Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually - male country ranks ]
female: 20,037 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 55
[see also: Military expenditures country ranks ]

Military - note:
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)

NOTE: The information regarding Lesotho on this page is re-published from the 2013 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Lesotho Military 2013 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Lesotho Military 2013 should be addressed to the CIA.