Introduction
How is the Military in Cambodia and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF): Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie (Military Police); National Committee for Maritime Security (2025).
In Cambodia, the Cambodian military's primary responsibilities are border, coastal, and internal security; key security partners include China and Vietnam
the RCAF was re-established in 1993 under the first coalition government from the merger of the Cambodian Government’s military forces (Cambodian People’s Armed Forces) and the two non-communist resistance forces (Sihanoukist National Army, aka National Army for Khmer Independence, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces); thousands of communist Khmer Rouge fighters began surrendering by 1994 under a government amnesty program and the last of the Khmer Rouge forces (National Army of Democratic Kampuchea) were demobilized or absorbed into the RCAF in 1999 (2025)
the RCAF was re-established in 1993 under the first coalition government from the merger of the Cambodian Government’s military forces (Cambodian People’s Armed Forces) and the two non-communist resistance forces (Sihanoukist National Army, aka National Army for Khmer Independence, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces); thousands of communist Khmer Rouge fighters began surrendering by 1994 under a government amnesty program and the last of the Khmer Rouge forces (National Army of Democratic Kampuchea) were demobilized or absorbed into the RCAF in 1999 (2025)
Security and military information of Cambodia
| Military and security service personnel strengths | information varies; estimated 200,000 Armed Forces, including Gendarmerie (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the RCAF is armed largely with older Chinese and Russian-origin equipment; in recent years it has received limited amounts of more modern equipment from several suppliers, particularly China (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 is the legal minimum age for military service for men and women (2025). note: in 2006, Cambodia's parliament approved a law requiring all Cambodians aged 18 to 30 to serve in the military for 18 months, although the law has never been enforced (service was to be voluntary for women); in 2025, the Cambodian Government announced that the 2006 conscription law would be enforced beginning in 2026 and have a 24-month service requirement |
| Military deployments | 340 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 180 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024). |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2024 | 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 2.3% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 2.3% of GDP (2020 est.) |
All Important Facts about Cambodia
Want to know more about Cambodia? Check all different factbooks for Cambodia below.
