Namibia marked its 35th anniversary in June with a parade at Grootfontein that reflected a modern military, a contrast with its bigger, wealthier southern neighbour.
Like South Africa’s, the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) has contributed to UN and AU peacekeeping missions. Among the countries where its soldiers served are Cambodia, Angola, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Liberia, Kosovo and Ivory Coast. At the regional level, the NDF played a critical role in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from 1998 to 2001, alongside Angola and Zimbabwe.
Namibia also participates in Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional exercises, such as the upcoming Exercise Tswaragano II with the Botswana Defence Force. Namibia provided staff officers to the SADC mission in Mozambique and provided financial support to the SADC mission in the DRC, without deploying ground troops directly.
Namibia is part of UN missions in South Sudan and Abyei, a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan.
The NDF’s inventory consists of a mix of Soviet-era and modern systems from a variety of countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, India and South Africa. Most of the navy’s vessels and air force aircraft were acquired from China. Namibia has a small defence industry that produces items such as armoured personnel carriers (APCs).
Namibia’s military strength, while improving, remains modest when compared with some of its larger regional counterparts. With an estimated 12,000 active soldiers, Namibia consistently spends about 2.8%-3% of its GDP on the military. Military expenditure reached N$7.49bn for 2025/2026, representing an increase of 8.9% from the previous year. This compares with the 0.87% of GDP spent by South Africa on its defence force, at R55.94bn.
The NDF highlights continual training and modernisation to stay competitive with regional forces. New acquisitions at its anniversary parade included South African Milkor BushCat APCs and Chinese ASN-209 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The BushCat APCs carry two crew plus eight infantry, improving troop mobility across Namibia’s 824,000 km² territory.
The Aisheng (ASN-209) tactical UAV is a truck-launched surveillance drone with 10-hour endurance. It marks Namibia’s first dedicated unmanned surveillance effort, crucial for monitoring poaching and illicit trafficking in the northern frontier and coastal areas. A smaller UAV was also on display.
The new Chinese FB-6A air defence missile system provides a point-defence umbrella against low-altitude threats.
Complementing the new acquisitions on display were older South African Casspir mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, Brazilian Agrale Marruá 4x4s, RG‑32 light APCs and Chinese WZ‑523 infantry fighting vehicles. Rocket artillery consisted of BM‑21 “Grad” launchers and towed howitzers.
The Namibian air force is relatively small, but the fly-past featured Russian Mi-24 helicopter gunships and Chinese K-8 trainers, F-7 fighters and the newly delivered Y-9 medium transports.
The air force recently received two Chinese-made Shaanxi Y-9E transport aircraft, which will enhance military readiness and humanitarian response capabilities through improved troop and equipment transport. Meanwhile, South Africa is facing a critical shortage of transport aircraft.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, speaking at the anniversary celebration, said the military had “transformed into a formidable and professional force ready to withstand the challenges of the 21st century”.
Several strategic factors have influenced the recent modernisation of Namibia’s military, as the nation is confronted with an array of threats, both domestic and international.
Domestically, challenges include transnational organised crime and porous borders. Illegal border crossings into Namibia are a concern, together with cross-border smuggling of animals and animal products such as ivory and rhino horn. Illegal fishing is concentrated in the Angola-Namibia border region, where foreign vessels operate illegally.
Externally, Namibia does not face direct conventional military threats. However, it must manage complex geopolitical competition, notably the increasing rivalry between the US and China, which affects its strategic independence. Maritime border disputes with neighbouring countries regarding resource rights and regional instability within SADC also influence the security environment.
Furthermore, the modernisation drive supports Namibia’s commitment to regional peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance missions.
The trend towards Chinese military equipment suggests a strategic pivot in Namibia’s procurement strategy. While South Africa’s Milkor supplied the BushCat APCs, and historically Brazil has provided naval vessels and training, alongside Germany offering defence support, the trajectory points to a deepening defence relationship with Beijing.
Namibia, while adhering to a policy of nonalignment, has increased its military co-operation with China, encompassing training, equipment and defence infrastructure. This growing Chinese influence, especially with investments in the Walvis Bay port, raises questions about potential dual-use capabilities and Namibia’s strategic placement within the broader US-China relationship.
Despite recent acquisitions, Namibia’s military force remains modest compared with regional powers such as Angola and South Africa. This suggests that Namibia is primarily focused on a defensive strategic posture, emphasising border security, protection of its exclusive economic zone and contributing to regional stability, rather than projecting conventional power beyond its immediate surroundings.
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