Armed Forces of São Tomé and Príncipe
The Armed Forces of São Tomé and Príncipe (Portuguese: Forças Armadas de São Tomé e Príncipe, FASTP) are the armed forces of the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, off the coast of West Africa. The islands' military consists of a small land and naval contingent, with a limited budget. Sitting adjacent to strategically important sea lane of communication in the Gulf of Guinea, due to recent concerns about regional security issues including security for oil tankers transiting the area, the US military and other foreign navies have increased their engagement with the FASTP, providing the country with assistance in the form of construction projects and training missions, as well as integration into international information and intelligence sharing programs.
| Armed Forces of São Tomé and Príncipe | |
|---|---|
| Forças Armadas de São Tomé e Príncipe | |
| Service branches |
|
| Headquarters | São Tomé |
| Leadership | |
| President | Carlos Vila Nova |
| Prime Minister | Patrice Trovoada |
| Minister of Defence and Internal Order | Lieutenant colonel Óscar Sousa |
| Chief of Staff | Brigadier Idalécio Pachire |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 15–49 |
| Conscription | No |
| Fit for military service | 20,188, age 15–49 |
| Reaching military age annually | 38,347 |
| Active personnel | 300 (2009) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $561,771 (2020) |
| Percent of GDP | 0.1% (2020) |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers | Portugal United States |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of São Tomé and Príncipe |