The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) is the

armed force A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

s of

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...

. The ABDF has responsibility for several different roles: internal security, prevention of drug smuggling, the protection and support of fishing rights, prevention of

marine pollution Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial waste, industrial, agricultural pollution, agricultural and municipal solid waste, residential waste, particle (ecology), particles, noise, excess carbon dioxid ...

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

, ceremonial duties, assistance to government programs, provision of relief during natural disasters, assistance in the maintenance of essential services, and support of the police in maintaining law and order. The ABDF is one of the world's smallest militaries, consisting of 245 personnel. It is much better equipped for fulfilling its civil roles, as opposed to providing a deterrence against would-be aggressors or in defending the nation during a war.

Organisation

The ABDF consists of five major units: *

Antigua and Barbuda Regiment The Antigua and Barbuda Regiment is the infantry unit and main fighting arm of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. Previously known as the Rifle Company, it was formed in 1995 and consists of a single light infantry battalion, commanded by a Lie ...

— comprises four line companies and is the infantry unit and fighting arm of the defence force. *Service and Support Unit — provides administrative, logistic and engineer support to the rest of the defence force. *Coast Guard — the maritime element of the defence force, and is divided into four units: **Commanding Officer's Office **Engineer Unit **Administration Unit **Flotilla — the flotilla is the operational part of the Coast Guard, and consists of the following water-craft: ***1

Swiftships Shipbuilders Swiftships is a shipbuilding and marine engineering company headquartered in South Louisiana, USA. Company operates globally and specialized in the construction of small to medium sized vessels made of steel, aluminum or fiberglass. Swiftships is ...

19.81-metre Commercial Cruiser-class patrol boat (P-01 ''Liberta''), in service since 1984 ***1 SeaArk Boats Dauntless-class patrol boat (P-02 ''Palmetto''), in service since 1995 ***1

Point-class cutter The Point-class cutter was a class of 82-foot patrol vessels designed to replace the United States Coast Guard's aging 83-foot wooden hull patrol boat being used at the time. The design utilized a mild steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. ...

( P-03 ''Hermitage''), transferred from the

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi ...

in 1998 ***1 Defender 380X-class all-weather interceptor (D-8), date of acquisition unknown ***2 Boston Whaler 8.23-metre launches (071 and 072), in service since 1988 ***1

Zodiac Marine & Pool Zodiac Nautic is a French company best known for their widely used inflatable boats. Zodiac Nautic finds its origins in the “Zodiac airships and aviation French company”, specialized in the production of airships. In the 1930s Pierre Debroutel ...

8.23-metre Hurricane-type rigid-hulled inflatable boat in service since 1998 *

Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Air Wing The Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force Air Wing was founded on 12 April 2022, and currently has a fleet of 1 aircraft, a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner des ...

* Antigua and Barbuda Cadet Corps

Former deployments

* In 1983, fourteen men of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force were deployed to Grenada during the

Operation Urgent Fury The United States invasion of Grenada began at dawn on 25 October 1983. The United States and a coalition of six Caribbean nations invaded the island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, ...

. * In 1990, twelve soldiers were sent to

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

after a failed coup attempt by a radical group against the constitutionally elected government headed by Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson. * In 1995, members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force were deployed in Haiti as a part of Operation Uphold Democracy.

Alliances

* –

Mercian Regiment The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, which is recruited from five of the counties that formed the ancient kingdom of Mercia. Known as 'The Heart of England's Infant ...

References

External links

Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force official page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antigua And Barbuda Defence Force Military units and formations established in 1981

Organisation

Former deployments

Alliances

See also

References

External links