Russian Training Ship Perekop Calls at Walvis Bay as Namibian Cadets Join Four-Ocean Voyage
Naval Systems
DefenceMENA: Africa defence industry, procurement and security news
The Most Common Military Helicopters in African Armed Forces, Ranked by Number of Operators
African Armed Forces
Which African Countries Operate the TUSAS Anka and Aksungur Drones?
African Armed Forces
Measuring Kenya and Uganda’s Military Strength in 2026
Analysis & Geopolitics
Nigerian Air Force Technicians Complete M-346FA Maintenance Training in Italy as First Jets Await Delivery
Air Platforms
Kenya Receives Eight Refurbished MD500 Helicopters in US-South Korea-Kenya Trilateral Deal
Air Platforms
Naval Systems
Russian Training Ship Perekop Calls at Walvis Bay as Namibian Cadets Join Four-Ocean Voyage
The Baltic Fleet training ship Perekop docked at Walvis Bay in October, taking on Namibian naval cadets for the next leg of a four-ocean voyage...
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Nigus Hercules and India’s ADSL to Build Nigerian Defence MRO Centre of Excellence
Mali Air Force Aircraft: How Many Helicopters, Fighter Jets and Drones Does Mali Have?
Indian Navy Commandos Airdropped by C-17 Free Hijacked Fishing Vessel Azini Off Somalia
ASELSAN Unveils Containerised GÖKDENİZ CIWS to Shield Merchant Ships and Tankers From Drones
Ethiopia Reportedly Expels Sudan’s Assosa Consulate Staff as Sudan’s Army Says It Downed Another Drone From Ethiopia
Turkish Flag Burned in Somalia’s Diinsoor as Anger at Ankara’s Role in the South West Crisis Spreads
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Which African Country Has the Biggest Army?
Ethiopia (~503,000) and Egypt (438,500) report Africa's largest active-duty forces. DefenceMENA ranks the 15 largest reported forces and flags which...
How Strong Is Lebanon’s Military, and Where Does Hezbollah Fit In?
The Lebanese Armed Forces are small, aid-dependent and still deploying south of the Litani under a contested 2024 ceasefire, while...
Russia Sharply Increases Recruitment in Burundi and Zimbabwe, Ukrainian Intelligence Figures Show
Ukrainian intelligence figures reported by Bloomberg say Russia recruited 699 Burundians and 530 Zimbabweans in January–September 2026, up from 30...
Why Egypt’s Long-Delayed Somalia Deployment Is About the Red Sea, Not Just Peacekeeping
Egypt is preparing to send about 1,091 troops to Somalia under AUSSOM, a deployment delayed more than a year. Cairo...
Africa’s 10 Largest Warships by Full-Load Displacement
A ranking of the 10 largest warships in African naval service by full-load displacement, from Egypt's 21,300-tonne Mistral-class LHDs to...
Kenya and Tanzania Are Building Very Different Militaries
Kenya and Tanzania share a border and an Indian Ocean coastline but have built very different armed forces. Kenya has...
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How Strong Is Ethiopia’s Military in 2026?
Ethiopia fields Africa's fifth-strongest military by Global Firepower's ranking, built on a wartime-peak personnel figure now being demobilised, a Russian-led...
Ateş Serbest-2026: Türkiye Shows a Full Counter-Drone Kill Chain
Lasers, microwaves, guns, radars and networks: Ateş Serbest-2026 showed how ASELSAN links counter-drone layers, with lessons for African and MENA...
Türkiye Begins Building Rocket and Satellite Launch Site in Somalia
Erdoğan confirms construction of a Turkish spaceport in Somalia that officials say will also be used to test missiles, expanding...
Why Did Niger Buy the Bayraktar TB2?
Niger had no armed drone of its own until six Bayraktar TB2s landed at Niamey in May 2022. This explainer...
ASELSAN Cements African Push After AAD 2026 Showcase
ASELSAN hosted more than 30 delegations at AAD 2026 in Pretoria, showcasing counter-drone systems and guided munitions while naming Nigeria...
BMC Kirpi in Africa: What Is Publicly Known About Its Mine and IED Protection Record
Tunisia, Libya's Tripoli forces and Somalia all field the Turkish BMC Kirpi MRAP. Deliveries are well documented; blast-survivability outcomes are...
Russian Training Ship Perekop Calls at Walvis Bay as Namibian Cadets Join Four-Ocean Voyage
The Baltic Fleet training ship Perekop docked at Walvis Bay in October, taking on Namibian naval cadets for the next leg of a four-ocean voyage that has already touched Mozambique,...
The Most Common Military Helicopters in African Armed Forces, Ranked by Number of Operators
Ranked by the number of African air forces flying each type, from the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 Hind down to the retiring Alouette III, using operator counts from Military Africa and...
Which African Countries Operate the TUSAS Anka and Aksungur Drones?
Chad and Niger are the confirmed African operators of the TUSAS Anka and Aksungur drones. Tunisia has deliveries but no confirmed operational use
Measuring Kenya and Uganda’s Military Strength in 2026
Kenya and Uganda sit on opposite sides of Lake Victoria but have modernised in very different directions. This comparison sets out their defence budgets, air, land and naval forces, drones,...
Nigerian Air Force Technicians Complete M-346FA Maintenance Training in Italy as First Jets Await Delivery
Thirteen Nigerian Air Force technicians have completed a Leonardo M-346FA maintenance course in Italy, building a domestic workforce ahead of the delivery of Nigeria first three jets.
Kenya Receives Eight Refurbished MD500 Helicopters in US-South Korea-Kenya Trilateral Deal
Kenya has taken delivery of eight refurbished MD500 helicopters under a trilateral deal in which South Korea donated retired airframes and the United States funded and managed their overhaul.
Nigeria's Nigus Hercules and India's Airbornics Defence & Space (ADSL) have signed a cooperation agreement...
Mali's air force has been rebuilt since 2017 around Russian helicopters and jets and Turkish...
Defence Mena cover image. Indian Navy marine commandos, parachuted into the sea from an Indian...
A model merchant ship carrying the deployable GÖKDENİZ configuration on ASELSAN's EURONAVAL 2026 stand. Photo:...
Defence Mena cover image. Ethiopia has closed Sudan's consulate in Assosa, declared its staff persona...
Turkish Flag Burned in Somalia’s Diinsoor as Anger at Ankara’s Role in the South West Crisis Spreads
A video showing protesters burning a Turkish flag in Diinsoor, in the Bay region of...
Defence Mena cover image. Uganda's army says it has arrested retired Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu,...
Defence Mena cover image. Egypt says it is ready to take "all necessary measures and...