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Military branches: Belize Defence Force is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of the former British colony of Belize.

Contents 1 History 2 Organization 3 Facilities 4 Strength 5 Data 6 References

The BDF was founded in 1978 following the disbanding of the Belize Volunteer Guard and the Police Special Force. The military of Belize dates back to 1814, then under the Belize Volunteer Guard of the British Territorial Army. After Belize achieved independence in 1981 the United Kingdom maintained a deterrent force in the country to protect it from a possible invasion by Guatemala (see Foreign relations of Belize). The main British force left in 1994, three years after Guatemala recognised Belizean independence, but the United Kingdom still maintains a training presence via the British Army Training and Support Unit Belize and 25 Flight Army Air Corps.

The Chief of Staff the BDF Lieutenant-Colonel Reuel Magdiel Black reports to the Honourable Cordel Hyde, Minister of Defence of Belize. The Commander

The BDF consists of:

• Ground Forces
  • First Infantry Battalion
  • Second Infantry Battalion

• Maritime Wing

• Air Wing
  • Troop Transport
  • Freight Transport
  • Search and Rescue (Casualty/Medical Evacuation)
  • Reconnaissance
  • Exclusive Economic Zone Patrol
  • Parachute Resupply
  • Light Ground Attack
  • Showing of the Belizean Flag
  • Air Wing Cadet Corps

• Volunteer Guard
  • Volunteer Battalion

The Belize National Police is a quasi-military unit in Belize.

• Mountain Pine Ridge Training Area
• Price Barracks
• Fairweather Camp
• Orange Walk
• Belizario Camp
• Corozal Training Centre
• Dangriga Training Centre
• Phillip SW Goldson International Airport

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[1]	Notes
Cessna 182	United States	Utility	182J	1	May no longer be in service.
Britten-Norman Islander	United Kingdom	Transport Patrol	BN-2A BN-2B-21	1 1
Slingsby T-67 Firefly	United Kingdom	Trainer	T67M-260	1

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 800 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 35 874 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 3 213 (2005)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.2 million (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: .7% (2005)

• BDF
• BDF Air Wing info

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• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. 2000, 2006