Seychelles

Introduction

Guarding over one million square kilometres of ocean with fewer than 500 personnel, the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) embody the challenges of small island-state security in the modern era. Despite its limited size, the SDF plays an outsized role in protecting the country’s vast exclusive economic zone and key shipping routes in the western Indian Ocean. Organised under the Defence Forces Integrated Headquarters, the force comprises a Coast Guard, Air Force, and Special Operations Unit, reflecting its strong maritime orientation. While ageing equipment and resource constraints continue to limit capability, gradual reforms and sustained international support have driven modest improvements in professionalism and effectiveness. Heavily reliant on partners such as India, the SDF depends on external assistance for training, equipment, and operational support. Though small, it remains a vital contributor to regional maritime security and counter-piracy efforts.

Overview

Head of State and Government:	Patrick Herminie (since 2025)
Vice-President:	Sebastien Pillay (since 2025)
Minister of Defence:	Patrick Herminie (since 2025)
Chief of Defence Forces:	Major General Micheal Rosette (since 2021)
Deputy Chief of Defence Forces:	Brigadier Jean Attala (since 2025)
Chief of Staff:	Colonel Michael Hollanda (since 2022)
Commander of the Coast Guard:	Lieutenant Colonel David Arrisol (since 2023)
Commander of the Air Force:	Lieutenant Colonel Rodney Zarine (since 2021)
Commander of Special Operations Unit:	Lieutenant Colonel Archil Mondon (since 2025)
Capital(s):	Victoria
Member of:	United Nations (UN); African Union (AU); Southern African Development Community (SADC); The Commonwealth; Indian Ocean Commission (IOC); Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA); International Criminal Court (ICC); Group of 77; Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie; Etc.
Signatory to:	Arms Trade Treaty (ATT); Rome Statute; Pelindaba Treaty (African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty); Mine Ban Treaty (MBT, Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention); Biological Weapons Convention (BWC); Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC); Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CNTBT); Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW); Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM); Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT); Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT); Sea-bed Treaty; Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW); Etc.
Parliamentary Oversight:	Defence and Security Committee

Structure:

The Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) (formally the Seychelles People’s Defence Force) falls under the Ministry of Defence and its Minister of Defence, an office held by the President, who also serves as Commander-in-Chief. The SDF is commanded by a Chief of Defence Forces. In recent years, the SDF has undergone a restructuring to simplify its organisation and boost efficiency. At present, it consists of a joint command primarily focused on maritime security. The Coast Guard serves as the primary operational arm, supported by a small air wing and specialised units. Conventional land forces have been reduced, and the dedicated land forces command has been dissolved, reflecting the country’s limited land threats and emphasis on protecting its vast maritime domain.

Military Service Age, Demographics, and Obligation Status:

The Seychelles Defence Force (SDF) is a volunteer force recruiting both men and women between the ages of 18 and 28 for enlisted personnel and between 18 and 25 for officers. The initial service obligation is 6 years.

Symbols

Order of Battle

Force Strength* Summary
Service	Personnel
Special Operations Unit (Land Forces**)	200
Air Force	60–100
Coast Guard	200–250
Total	~460–500
Best efforts were taken to ensure the reliability of the Order of Battle figures; however, figures are approximations due to a lack of available and officially published figures. *The separate land forces command was dissolved in early 2025 with its functions and responsibilities largely transferred to the Special Operations Unit and Defence Integrated Headquarters.

Special Operations Unit Equipment
Category	Type	Quantity/Notes
Reconnaissance	BRDM-2	6 (unserviceable)
Self-Propelled Multiple Rocket Launcher	BM-21	2 (unserviceable, likely retired)
Towed Artillery	D-30	3 (unserviceable)
Mortar	M-46 82mm	6 (unserviceable)
Rocket Launcher	RPG-7 Knout 73mm	(unserviceable)
Air Defence Gun	ZPU-2 14.5mm	(unserviceable)
	ZPU-4 14.5mm	4 (mounted on rear of trucks)
	ZPU-1 14.5mm	2
	M-1939 37mm	(unserviceable)
Air Defence Missile	SA-7 Strela	10 (unserviceable)

Structure of the Special Operations Unit
Category	Units
Headquarters	Victoria, Mahé Island
Regular Forces by Role	1: Special Forces Company 1: Maritime Operations Troop 1: Land Operations Troop 1: Presidential/VIP Security Troop 1: Signals Troop 1: Logistics Section 1: Support Section

Seychelles Air Force
Role	Aircraft Type	Quantity
Multipurpose / Utility / Anti-Piracy / Surveillance / S&R	DHC 6-320 Twin Otter	1
	Dornier 228	2
	Y-12	2

Structure of the Seychelles Air Force
Category	Type	Details
Headquarters	Location	Seychelles International Airport, Mahé Island

Seychelles Coast Guard
Category	Details
Patrol Craft	2: Trinkat class (ex-India) PS Topaz PS Constant 1: Rajshree class (ex-India) PS Zoroaster 1: Shanghai class II (ex-PRC) Etoile 2: Rodman-101 (ex-UAE) La Fleche Le Vigilant
Fast Interceptor	1: L&T class (ex-India) Hermes
Inshore Patrol Craft	2: Wave Rider Class (ex-Sri Lanka) Thorpe African
Auxiliary	1: ex-fishing support craft (Donation, INPESCA Fishing Belize LTD, Portugal) Saya De Malha
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)	2: Parrot ANAFI

Structure of the Seychelles Coast Guard
Category	Class/Type	Details
Headquarters	Location	Victoria, Mahé Island

Defence Economics

Seychellois Defence Spending
(Seychellois Rupee, million)
	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Defence Spending	251.29	355.92	303.06	299.22	304.30	332.97	319.09	334.63	410.47	373.44	404.55
Average USD Exchange Rate	13.14	13.12	13.31	13.49	13.59	19.00	13.13	13.17	13.34	13.89	14.30

*Note on Data Source: All figures were obtained from official Seychellois Government Budget documents; Exchange rate figures were derived from official US Treasury Reporting Rates of Exchange data. All figures are nominal SCR.

Seychellois Defence Spending
(USD, million unless stated otherwise)
	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Defence Spending (million)	16.39	27.13	22.76	22.19	22.39	17.53	24.29	25.41	30.77	26.89	28.29
GDP (billion)	1.43	1.57	1.68	1.78	1.87	1.38	1.49	2.02	2.19	2.18	2.23
Defence Spending (% of GDP)	1.15%	1.73%	1.36%	1.25%	1.20%	1.27%	1.63%	1.26%	1.40%	1.23%	1.27%

*Note on Data Source: Defence spending was calculated based on the figures in the previous table; GDP figures were obtained from IMF data. All figures are nominal USD.

Seychelles Arms Control

Although the Seychelles is a party to a range of differing international and regional agreements limiting arms proliferation and regulating the trade in conventional arms, its domestic legal framework is only partially compliant with its international commitments. Presently, the system primarily relies on the ageing Firearms and Ammunition Act of 1973, although the Act has been amended on a number of occasions, most recently in 2021, the Act remains substantively unchanged. The 2021 amendment was limited in scope, focusing primarily on increasing penalties (raising the maximum imprisonment term for unlawful possession to 15 years and the maximum fine to R1 million) rather than substantively reforming the regime to better reflect Seychelles’ international obligations.

The Act governs the acquisition, possession, manufacture, sale, import, export, and transit (among others) of firearms and ammunition within or through the Seychelles. It establishes a “licensing authority” that is empowered to grant, refuse, suspend, or revoke firearm licences, dealer registrations, import and export permits, removal permits, and transit permits. Although the Act simply designates the Commissioner of Police or any police officer he/she may choose to be this authority. Additionally, the Act gives a significant number of discretionary powers to the President. For example, Section 3 of the Act states expressly that “The Commissioner of Police in the exercise of his powers under this Act shall be under the control and direction of the President” while Section 26 requires that the importation or exportation of any firearm or ammunition be conducted under a permit issued by an authorised officer, and explicitly provides that no permit may be granted for the import or export of arms or ammunition of war without the express sanction of the President.

At the international level, Seychelles participates in several overlapping conventional arms control frameworks. It is a member of both SADC, which adopted the Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials, and the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), binding it simultaneously to two distinct regional small arms control frameworks. Seychelles has also ratified the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Despite this, the Firearms and Ammunition Act is yet to be substantively amended to bring it in line with ATT’s core provision. Notably, the Act does not contain explicit human rights and international humanitarian law-based risk assessment criteria against which licence applications are to be judged, leaving the decision to approve or decline largely to the discretion of officials. There are also no meaningful domestic or international reporting criteria, significantly limiting transparency and accountability. As such, while the Seychelles superficially engages with international arms control efforts, steps need to be taken to ensure the domestic legal framework more closely reflects its international treaty obligations.

Defence Industry & Partners

The Seychelles does not maintain a domestic defence industry beyond a limited maintenance and support capability. As such, the island nation is largely reliant on external partners to meet the operational requirements of the Seychelles Defence Force (SDF). Owing to its strategic location along major international shipping routes in the western Indian Ocean, Seychelles has attracted sustained interest from a range of regional and global powers. Key defence partners include India, France, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and increasingly China, all of whom play an important role in supporting the country’s security and defence capacity.

Chief amongst these partners is India. India has long been regarded as the Seychelles’ principal strategic defence partner, having supplied or donated a wide range of equipment to the SDF over several decades. India has contributed significantly to the development of both the Seychelles Coast Guard and Air Force, including the donation of Dornier Do 228 maritime patrol aircraft and much of the Coast Guard fleet. In addition to equipment transfers, India provides training, technical support, and personnel secondment, and has played a key role in regional counter-piracy operations. The two countries also conduct the biennial Exercise Lamitiye (“Friendship”), with the most recent iteration occurring in 2026.

While relations with India remain strong, there has been some tension surrounding Seychelles’ engagement with China. China has supported Seychelles through capacity building, training, and equipment donations, including the provision of Harbin Y-12 aircraft in 2011 and at least one patrol vessel for maritime security operations. Beyond the defence sector, China has invested heavily in civilian infrastructure, including government buildings, housing, healthcare facilities, and broadcasting infrastructure.

Recently, the United States has also started re-engaging with Seychelles following the closure of its embassy in the 1990s, reopening it in 2023. US support has primarily focused on maritime security, counter-narcotics, and law enforcement capacity building rather than large-scale equipment transfers or infrastructure projects. Similarly, France maintains an active security partnership with Seychelles, leveraging its regional presence in Réunion. French support includes training, maritime surveillance cooperation, joint patrols, and participation in multilateral exercises.

State of Military Forces

Established in 1977, the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) is one of the world’s smallest militaries, with an estimated active personnel strength of fewer than 500. In recent years, the SDF has undergone a modest restructuring process, most notably marked by the disbandment of a separate Land Forces Command, which had been established in the early 2020s. The SDF is now organised under the Defence Forces Integrated Headquarters and comprises the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), Seychelles Air Force (SAF), and a Special Operations Unit (with both land and maritime elements).

Historically, the SDF has faced challenges related to training standards, discipline, and morale. However, both domestic reforms and increased international support have sought to address these shortcomings over the past two decades, resulting in modest progress.

Much of the SDF’s equipment is ageing, with many systems dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in limited operational availability. The land component remains particularly lightly equipped, possessing only a small number of operational vehicles and light weapons. Given that Seychelles’ primary security challenges are maritime in nature (including piracy, illegal, unreported and unregulated [IUU] fishing, and narcotics trafficking), the land element plays a relatively insignificant role.

In contrast, the SCG and SAF are comparatively better resourced, reflecting the SDF’s maritime security focus. The SCG operates a small fleet of approximately 11 small to medium sized patrol vessels, supplemented by a limited number of small unmanned aerial vehicles, primarily tasked with maritime surveillance and counter-piracy operations. However, its effectiveness is significantly constrained by the scale of Seychelles’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends to nearly one million square kilometres.

The SAF operates a small fleet of fixed-wing aircraft, providing critical aerial surveillance and reconnaissance support to the SCG. While these capabilities are invaluable, the SDF remains heavily dependent on foreign assistance for equipment, training, and operational support. The force also lacks the capacity to independently secure its EEZ in its entirety, let alone conduct sustained operations beyond its national territory. As such, a range of foreign nations have naval assets based in the Seychelles on a rotational basis as part of international efforts to combat piracy and narcotics trafficking. Currently, this is largely limited to the European Union under Operation Atalanta and India, although the United States, China, Japan, and others have conducted joint maritime patrols and operations based in the Seychelles.

Country Threat Report

Threat Type	Overview
External	• The Seychelles is currently not facing any external military threat. • However, like other Western Indian Ocean states, it faces a persistent maritime piracy threat, primarily originating from Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. • Increased geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific region—particularly between China and the United States, as well as China and India—may influence the Seychelles’ foreign and security policy.
Internal	• The Seychelles is currently not facing any internal military security threat. • Crime levels are relatively low, with most offences being petty and non-violent, posing minimal risk to foreign visitors. • The most significant internal threat is drug trafficking and consumption, with one of the highest per capita heroin use rates globally. • Youth unemployment, estimated at approximately 12–13%, presents a socio-economic challenge that could impact political stability and anti-drug efforts if not addressed. • There is a low threat of terrorism.
Regional	• Regional drug trafficking is a major concern, with the Seychelles serving as a transit hub along the Afghan “Southern Route”. • Human trafficking is also an issue, with the country acting as a source, transit point, and destination for victims. • Instability in northern Mozambique could negatively impact Seychelles’ security and economic stability, particularly if it leads to increased maritime piracy.
Political	• The Seychelles is widely considered politically stable, with a functioning democracy established since the end of one-party rule in 1991 and regular multi-party elections since 1993. • The 2020 election marked the first opposition victory and a peaceful transfer of power, followed by another peaceful transition in 2025. • Corruption remains a persistent challenge, despite relatively low levels compared to the rest of Africa and ongoing anti-corruption measures, though enforcement remains uneven.
Economic	• The Seychelles economy is driven by tourism, fishing, and agriculture, making it highly dependent on external conditions. • The country is vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, such as cyclones, due to its small island geography. • It is also highly exposed to external market shocks, particularly energy price fluctuations. • The potential closure of the Straits of Hormuz (as of March 2026) could increase energy and travel costs, negatively affecting the economy. • Heavy reliance on tourism makes the Seychelles particularly sensitive to global economic downturns and disruptions.

External Deployments

Operation	Country	Personnel
N/A	N/A	N/A

Military Exercises

Level	Name	Participants	SA Force Involved	Last Held
Domestic	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Regional	Lamitiye	Seychelles; India	SPDF	2026
	Tulip	Seychelles; Mauritius; Madagascar; Réunion & Mayotte (France); Comoros	SPDF	2025
	Ushirikiano 4	Seychelles; Kenya; etc.	Coast Guard	2025
International	Cutlass Express	Seychelles; United States; Comoros; Djibouti; Egypt; France; Georgia; India; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mauritius; Morocco; Mozambique; Senegal; Somalia; Tanzania; Tunisia; United Kingdom	Coast Guard	2026
	AIKEYME	Seychelles; India; Comoros; Djibouti; Eritrea; Kenya; Mauritius; Madagascar; Mozambique; South Africa	Coast Guard	2025
	Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX)	Seychelles; India; South Africa; Botswana; Cameroon; Ethiopia; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eswatini; Ghana; Kenya; Lesotho; Malawi; Morocco; Niger; Nigeria; Republic of Congo; Rwanda; Senegal; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe	SDF	2023