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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. The ABDF has responsibility for several different roles:
internal security Internal security is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-governing territories, generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats. Responsibility for internal secu ...
, prevention of
drug smuggling The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
, the protection and support of fishing rights, prevention of marine pollution, search and rescue, 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 In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...
. 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 19.81-metre Commercial Cruiser-class
patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
(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, mul ...
in 1998 ***1 Defender 380X-class all-weather interceptor (D-8), date of acquisition unknown ***2
Boston Whaler Boston Whaler is an American boat manufacturer. It is a subsidiary of the Brunswick Boat Group, a division of the Brunswick Corporation. Boston Whalers were originally produced in Massachusetts, hence the name, but today are manufactured in Edg ...
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 A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are i ...
in service since 1998 * Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Air Wing *
Antigua and Barbuda Cadet Corps The Antigua and Barbuda National Cadet Corps (ABNCC) is a voluntary youth organization open to students between the ages of 12 and 19 in Antigua and Barbuda. It is part of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. It is sponsored by the government o ...


Former deployments

* In 1983, fourteen men of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force were deployed to Grenada during the Operation Urgent Fury. * 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 Operation Uphold Democracy was a military intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The operation was effectively authorized by t ...
.


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 ...


See also

*
Regional Security System The Regional Security System (RSS) is an international agreement for the defence and security of the eastern Caribbean region with future expansion planned with South America. History The Regional Security System was created in 1982 to counter ...


References


External links


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