Military of Madagascar The Military of Madagascar is made up of the People ' s Armed Forces and the National Gendarmerie . The IISS detailed the armed forces in 2012 as including an Army of 12 , 500 + , a Navy of 500 , and a 500 - strong Air Force . An alternate report ( seemingly from CIA World Factbook data ) describes the People ' s Armed Forces as consisting of the Intervention Force , Development Force , and Aeronaval Force , which is the navy and air force . The armed forces were involved in the 2009 Malagasy political crisis . During World War II , Malagasy troops fought in France , Morocco , and Syria . History . The rise of centralized kingdoms among the Sakalava , Merina and other ethnic groups produced the island ' s first standing armies , first equipped with spears , but later with muskets , cannons and other firearms . King Ralambo ( 1575 – 1612 ) raised the first standing army in the highland Kingdom of Imerina with a handful of guns , although for at least two centuries the armies of the Sakalava were much larger and better equipped , possessing thousands of muskets obtained principally through trade with European partners . By the early 19th century , however , the army of the Kingdom of Imerina was able to bring much of the island under Merina control . Merina Queen Ranavalona , like her predecessors , utilized the tradition of " fanampoana " ( service due to the sovereign in lieu of taxes ) to conscript a large portion of the population of Imerina into military service , enabling the queen to raise a standing army that was estimated at 20 , 000 to 30 , 000 soldiers . By the late 19th century French plans to colonize Madagascar were gaining momentum , leading British mercenaries to provide training to the queen ' s army in an unsuccessful bid to repel the French troops . Madagascar was colonized in 1896 , and during World War II over 46 , 000 Malagasy soldiers were drafted to fight with the Allies , over 2 , 000 of whom lost their lives fighting for France . Madagascar regained political independence and sovereignty over its military in 1960 . Since this time Madagascar has never engaged in an armed conflict , whether against another state or within its own borders . As such the armed forces of Madagascar have primarily served a peace - keeping role . However , the military has occasionally intervened to restore order during periods of political unrest . When President Philibert Tsiranana was forced to step down in 1972 , a military directorate ensured an interim government before appointing one of its own , Admiral Didier Ratsiraka , to lead the country into its socialist Second Republic . He launched a strategy of obligatory national armed or civil service for all young citizens regardless of gender . The majority were channeled into civil service , including agriculture and education programs for rural development based on the socialist Soviet model . Ratsiraka would also mobilize elements of the military to pacify unarmed protesters , occasionally using violent means . His order to fire upon unarmed protesters in 1989 was the catalyst for transition to the democratic Third Republic in 1992 . The military remained largely neutral during the protracted standoff between incumbent Ratsiraka and challenger Marc Ravalomanana in the disputed 2001 presidential elections . By contrast , in 2009 a segment of the army defected to the side of Andry Rajoelina , then - mayor of Antananarivo , in support of his attempt to force President Ravalomanana from power . It is widely believed that payoffs were involved in persuading these military personnel to change camps in support of the " coup d ' etat " . As of 2010 , the military of Madagascar is composed of the 8 , 100 paramilitary of the National Gendarmerie and the 13 , 500 members of the People ' s Armed Forces . According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies ' Military Balance 2010 , the latter includes an Army of 12 , 500 , a Navy of 500 and a 500 - strong Air Force , while the CIA Factbook describes the People ' s Armed Forces as consisting of the Intervention Force , Aeronaval Force ( navy and air ) and the Development Force . Military service is voluntary and limited to males aged 18 to 25 ; every citizen of either gender is required to have perform either military or civil service for a minimum of 18 months . The Gendarmerie recruits Malagasy citizens between the ages of 20 and 30 ( or 35 if the recruit has prior military service ) . Military expenses constituted just over one percent of GDP . Under Ravalomanana , military expenditure doubled from 54 million USD in 2006 to 103 million USD in 2008 . Equipment . Aircraft . Madagascar has a small air force ( " Armée de l ' Air Malgache " ) based on its main aircraft , MiG - 21 s . A number of MiG - 21s as well as transport aircraft are in ' open storage ' at Ivato Airport outside Antananarivo .