7. Algeria
Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 10.4
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 18 months
Women: None
The end of a bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002 left the country’s armed forces with a difficult task of reorganizing itself from an anti-guerrilla force to a modern conventional army. Vast resources have been poured into weapons and equipment, most notably in the air force and air defense, as Algeria has turbulent relations with almost all of its neighbors. Algerian People’s National Armed Forces are based on compulsory military service, where conscript undergoes 6 months of basic training and spend the next 12 months of their service engaged in civil projects. Algerian army is currently involved in quelling the insurgency in the Maghreb, fighting al-Qaeda elements together with other countries in the Maghreb region.
