Eritrean Defence Forces
| Eritrean Defence Forces | |
|---|---|
| ሓይልታት ምክልኻል ኤርትራ (Tigrinya) | |
Eritrean Defence Force badge | |
| Founded | 24 May 1991 |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Asmara |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Isaias Afewerki |
| Minister of Defence | General Filipos Woldeyohannes |
| Chief of Staff | General Filipos Woldeyohannes |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18 years old |
| Conscription | Open-ended |
| Active personnel | 350,000 |
| Reserve personnel | 680,000 |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | US$ 280 million |
| Percent of GDP | 10.9% (2019 est.) |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers | China Russia Egypt Japan India Israel United States |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Eritrea Hanish Islands Crisis Second Sudanese Civil War First Congo War Eritrean–Ethiopian War Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict 2013 Eritrean Army mutiny Battle of Tsorona Tigray War |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Eritrea |
The Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) (Tigrinya: ሓይልታት ምክልኻል ኤርትራ) are the combined military forces of Eritrea composed of three branches: Eritrean Army, Eritrean Air Force and Eritrean Navy. The Army is by far the largest, followed by the Air Force and Navy. The Commander-in-Chief of the EDF is the President of Eritrea. Their military role stems from Eritrea's strategic geographical location, located on the Red Sea with a foothold on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.