Editing Armed Forces of Bhutan

{{Short description|Combined military forces of Bhutan}}
{{Infobox military
| name               = Armed Forces of Bhutan
| native_name        = འབྲུག་དམག་མི་ཚོགས་པ།
| image              = Flag of the Royal Bhutan Army.svg
| image_size         = 150px
| caption            = Flag of the Royal Bhutan Army
| founded            = 1951
| current_form       = 
| country            = {{flag|Bhutan}}
| allegiance         = [[Druk Gyalpo|King of Bhutan]]
| type               = Armed forces
| role               = National defence
| headquarters       = [[Thimphu]], Bhutan
| commander-in-chief = [[Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck]] (King of Bhutan)
| chief_of_staff     = Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering
| age                = 18–25 years
| conscription       = No
| manpower_data      = 2024 est.
| available          = 200,000 (approx.)
| fit                = 150,000 (approx.)
| active             = ~8,000 (est.)
| reserve            = classified
| budget             = $23.5 million (FY2024 est.)
| percent_GDP        = ~1.3%
| ranks              = [[Military ranks of Bhutan]]
}}
The branches of the [[armed forces]] of [[Bhutan]] are the [[Royal Bhutan Army]] (RBA), [[Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan|Royal Bodyguard]]s, and [[Royal Bhutan Police]]. Bhutan does not have an [[air force]], nor (being a [[landlocked country]]) a [[navy]]. [[India]] is responsible for military training, arms supplies and the air defense of Bhutan. Bhutan's army is trained by the [[Indian Armed Forces]].

==Air support==
The RBA relies on the [[Eastern Air Command (India)|Eastern Air Command]] of the [[Indian Air Force]] for air assistance. In recent years India has helped Bhutan start to develop its military in all areas through military donations and training. Total 8,000 Army personnel.<ref>{{Cite news
  | last = Dorji
  | first = Kinley
  | title = Eastern air command chief visits Bhutan
  | publisher = [[Kuensel]]
  | url = http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1576
  | access-date = 2008-10-22
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061105030718/http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1576
  | archive-date = 5 November 2006
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref> Historically, on 1 of January 1971 the Government of Bhutan decided to increase military personnel to 4,850 by recruiting additional 600-700 recruits and stricter regulations on liberation from service.<ref name="HronikaBelgrade">{{cite book |editor= Milutin Tomanović |date=1972 |title=Hronika međunarodnih događaja 1971 |trans-title=The Chronicle of International Events in 1971 |url= |language=sh |page= 2553 |location=[[Belgrade]] |publisher=[[Institute of International Politics and Economics]] |isbn=}}</ref> [[Indian Air Force]] helicopters evacuated RBA casualties to India for treatment during [[Operation All Clear]] in 2003.<ref>{{Cite news
 |title=A nation pays tribute 
 |publisher=[[Kuensel]] 
 |date=15 August 2004 
 |url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4394 
 |access-date=2008-10-22 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610231908/http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4394 
 |archive-date=10 June 2011 
}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[[CIA World Factbook]] (2010)

{{Bhutan topics}}
{{Military of Asia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

[[Category:Military of Bhutan| ]]