Ghana Armed Forces Ghana Armed Forces are the Army , Navy , and Air Force of Ghana . The forces are supervised by the Ghanaian Ministry of Defence . Ghana ' s supreme military commander is the President of the Republic of Ghana . The supervision of the Ghana armed forces is managed by the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff . In 2013 , Ghana agreed closer military cooperation with China . The chronicles of GAF . Ghana ' s modern military , Ghana Armed Forces ( GAF ) was formed in 1957 . Major General Stephen Otu was appointed GAF Chief of Defence Staff , being appointed in September 1961 . From 1966 the military was extensively involved in politics , mounting several coups . Kwame Nkrumah had become Ghana ' s first Prime Minister when the country became independent in 1957 . Nkrumah ' s rule wore on , he began to take actions which disquieted the leadership of the armed forces , including the creation and expansion of the President ' s Own Guard Regiment . As a result , on February 24 , 1966 , a small number of army officers and senior police officials , led by Colonel Emmanuel Kotoka , commander of the Second Army Brigade at Kumasi , Major Akwasi Afrifa , staff officer in charge of army training and operations , Lieutenant General ( retired ) Joseph Ankrah , and J . W . K . Harlley , the police inspector general , successfully launched a coup d ' état against the Nkrumah regime . The group formed the National Liberation Council , which was to rule Ghana from 1966 to 1969 . The second coup took place in 1972 , after the reinstated civilian government had cut military privileges and began to start changing the leadership of the army ' s combat units . Lieutenant Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong , temporarily commanding the First Brigade around Accra , led a bloodless coup that ended the Second Republic in January 1972 . Thus the National Redemption Council was formed . Acheampong became head of state , and the NRC ruled from 1972 to 1975 . On October 9 , 1975 , the NRC was replaced by the Supreme Military Council . Its composition consisted of Colonel Acheampong , the chairman , who was also promoted straight from Colonel to General . The others included the military hierarchy consisting of Lt . Gen . Fred Akuffo , the Chief of Defence Staff , and the army , navy , air force and Border Guards commanders respectively . In July 1978 , in a sudden move , the other SMC officers forced Acheampong to resign , replacing him with Lieutenant General Akuffo . The SMC apparently acted in response to continuing pressure to find a solution to the country ' s economic dilemma . Inflation was estimated to be as high as 300 percent that year . The council was also motivated by Acheampong ' s failure to dampen rising political pressure for changes . Akuffo , the new SMC chairman , promised publicly to hand over political power to a new government to be elected by 1 July 1979 . The decree lifting the ban on party politics went into effect on 1 January 1979 , as planned . However in June , just before the scheduled resumption of civilian rule , a group of young armed forces officers , led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings , mounted yet another coup . They put in place the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council , which governed until September 1979 . However , in 1981 , Rawlings deposed the new civilian government again , this time establishing the Provisional National Defence Council . The PNDC remained in government until January 7 , 1993 . In the last years of the PNDC , Jerry Rawlings assumed civilian status ; he was elected as a civilian President in 1993 and continued as President until 2001 . Army . The Ghana Army is structured as follows : The Ghanaian Army relies on a mix of modern military technology . Modern M16 s , AK - 47 s , Type 56 assault rifle s and Armour equipment are standard issue , much of the secondary equipment , weaponry and military technology used by the Ghanaian military division s and Ghanaian army group are manufactured in Russia , Iran , and China . Peacekeeping . The Ghanaian military is recognised as one of the most professional and up - to - date armed forces in Africa . Ghana is free to commit a large proportion of its armed forces to international peacekeeping operations . Such operations are mainly conducted in Africa , while large Ghanaian forces are frequently posted across the world as elements of United Nations peacekeeping forces . The United Nations has often relied on Ghanaian forces to conduct peacekeeping operations , in countries as diverse as Afghanistan , Rwanda , Kosovo , and Lebanon . Currently , Ghanaian forces are posted to United Nations peacekeeping missions as follows : Ghana provided the first Force Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group ( ECOMOG ) , Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo . Quainoo led the force from July 1990 to September 1990 . Air Force . The Ghana Air Force is headquartered in Burma camp Accra , and operates from bases in Accra ( main transport base ) , Tamale ( combat and training base ) , Sekondi - Takoradi ( training base ) , and Kumasi ( support base ) . The Air Force ' s stated mission is to perform counterinsurgency operations within Ghana and to provide logistical support to the army . An order has been placed for two EADS CASA C - 295 aircraft . Navy . The Ghana Navy provides defence of Ghana and its territorial waters , fishery protection , and internal security on Lake Volta . It is also tasked with resupplying Ghanaian peacekeepers in Africa , fighting maritime criminal activities such as Piracy , disaster and humanitarian relief operations , and evacuation of Ghanaian citizens and other nationals from troubled spots . In 1994 the navy was re - organized into an Eastern command , with headquarters at Tema , and a Western command , with headquarters at Sekondi - Takoradi . Miscellaneous . Paramilitary forces deal with preventing and controlling civil disturbances and insurrection . Ghanaian statutory law officially prohibits civilians and foreign nationals from wearing military apparel such as camouflage clothing , or clothing which resembles military dress . Officially , fines and / or short prison sentences can be passed against civilians seen in military dress in public . In addition , Ghanaian law prohibits the photographing of police or military personnel and vehicles while on duty , strategic sites such as Kotoka International Airport when in use , and the seat of the Ghanaian government , Osu Castle .