Botswana Defence Force The Botswana Defence Force ( BDF ) is the military of Botswana . It was formed in 1977 . The commander in chief is the President of Botswana . Being a landlocked country , Botswana has no navy . The army is known to be very ambitious and it is well trained . History . At independence in 1966 , Botswana made a conscious decision to not establish any military forces and focus instead on development and poverty alleviation . However , cross border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces in the mid - 1970s led the government to conclude that the country needed a military to protect its sovereignty . The BDF was established in 1977 . Following political changes in South Africa and the region , the BDF ' s missions have increasingly focused on anti - poaching activities , disaster - preparedness and response ( including search and rescue ) , support to civil authorities and foreign peacekeeping . The United States has been the largest single contributor to the development of the BDF , and a large segment of its officer corps has received U . S . training . A well respected and trusted institution by the political leadership , the BDF has seen its role increase over time to include non - traditional missions such as disaster response and reinforcement of the police during the holiday season and high crime periods . The BDF ' s professionalism and ability to successfully accomplish any task the government gives it has , at times , resulted in over tasking in support to civil authorities . The BDF consists of six armoured brigades , six infantry brigades , eight infantry battalions , six armoured artillery , six engineer regiments and one commando regiment . Organization . Botswana Defence Force consists of three separate service components : Ground Forces Command ( HQ at Glenn Valley near Gaborone ) , Air Arm ( HQ at Thebephatswe Air Base ) and Defence Logistics Command ( HQ at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks ( SSKB ) in Gaborone ) . Each component is commanded by a major general , one of whom traditionally is also the Deputy Force Commander for the BDF . Equipment . The Botswana land forces are equipped with a variety of sophisticated US - made arms . The standard infantry rifle is the Kalashnikov AKM / AK - 47 . Some units are equipped with 5 . 56mm selective - fire rifles including the 5 . 56mm US M - 4 , M16A2 and M16A4 , the British Sterling Armament AR - 18 and Sterling L - 82A - 2 / SA - 80 , and the Israeli IMI Galil ARM . Some reserve and police units utilize the Belgian FN FAL 7 . 62mm rifle . Machine guns include the Bren 0 . 303 MK - II \ MK - III 0 . 303 L - 4A4 LMG , the 5 . 56mm FN Minimi and 7 . 62mm FN MAG LMG , the ex - Soviet PKT HMG ( for GAZ BTR - 60PB APCs ) , the SG - 43 MMG , the MG - 74 ( ex . MG - 42 \ 59 ) MMG for the SK - 105A - 1 Kurassier LT , the US 7 . 62mm M1919 A4 MMG ( for Eland - 90 ARVs ) , and the . 50BMG M2 Browning HMG . The Botswana LDF are equipped with a variety of armoured cars , of which the Israeli - built AIL M325 Command Car served from the mid - 1970s to present . They are currently being phased out in favour of the French ACMAT . Military education and training . IMET ( International Military Education and Training ) funds from the USA remain important to Botswana ' s officer training programme . Over 50 Botswana officers receive military training in the US each year ; by 1999 approximately 85 % of the BDF officers are said to have been trained under this system . $ 207 . 3 million ( FY02 ) , $ 61 million ( FY99 / 00 ) 3 . 5 % ( FY02 ) , 1 . 2 % ( FY99 / 00 )