Haiti’s armed forces receive first major equipment upgrade since 2017 remobilization

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian authorities handed over a first batch of seven Senator RAM MRAP armored vehicles to the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H) on Saturday, Nov. 8, during a ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office in Port-au-Prince. The delivery marks the first significant acquisition of tactical equipment for the army since its remobilization in 2017.

The ceremony drew Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Transitional Council member Leslie Voltaire, cabinet officials and senior officers. The seven vehicles are part of a 17-unit order meant to boost the FAd’H’s ability to back police operations as gangs tighten their grip on Port-au-Prince..

“Since the remobilization of the Haitian Armed Forces, this is the first time they are receiving significant tactical equipment,” said Defense Minister Jean Michel Moïse. “This will enable them to take control of the country’s security and defense, and fully assist the police and government in the fight against gangs.”

A symbolic boost for an under-equipped force

Reestablished in 2017 by the late President Jovenel Moïse after a 22-year absence, the FAd’H was assigned to disaster response, border security, and support for the Haitian National Police (PNH). But limited funding, training, and equipment have left the force largely symbolic as gang power escalates.

According to the 2025–2026 national budget, the army includes 987 active service members—819 men and 168 women—making it a modest force amid Haiti’s growing security crisis. The Defense Ministry received 10.7 billion gourdes (about $82 million) this fiscal year, a slight increase from 2024’s allocation of under $65 million, but still short of what’s needed for large-scale operations.

Despite its small size, the army has been deployed in limited missions, including in Kenscoff and the mountains around Pétion-Ville, where soldiers have supported police in pushing back armed groups tied to the Viv Ansanm gang coalition.

A wider security and humanitarian crisis amid promises of modernization

The new vehicles arrive as gangs continue to expand across more than 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, according to UN estimates. Killings, kidnappings, and forced displacements persist despite the formation of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, now integrated into the Gang Suppression Force (GSF). 1,247 people were killed and 710 injured between July and September 2025, according to a United Nations report.

More than 1.3 million people have been displaced nationwide, many living in schools, abandoned buildings, or makeshift camps with limited access to food and clean water. The violence has paralyzed most of the economy and delayed indefinitely the organization of elections, initially expected by February 2026.

“Despite the symbolic nature of this delivery, it sends a message of resilience,” said a defense analyst based in Port-au-Prince, noting that the FAd’H’s new armored fleet is “largely symbolic but politically significant amid a leadership crisis.”

Presidential councilor Voltaire said the government plans to continue modernizing the army by adding air and maritime units in the coming year.

“Today we are equipping the FAd’H with land transport vehicles, and we are already negotiating to obtain air and maritime transport equipment,” Voltaire said. “We are building an army that can respond to natural disasters and protect Haiti’s borders and coastline.”

The Senator RAM MRAP vehicles—manufactured by Ontario-based Roshel Defense Solutions—are designed to withstand landmines and ambushes, making them suitable for counter-gang operations in urban areas. The Haitian Armed Forces will share operational coordination with the PNH’s specialized units, including SWAT and UDMO.

Persistent institutional strains

Even with new armored vehicles, Haiti’s security institutions face serious structural challenges. The National Police, Haiti’s primary law enforcement body, is under fire following an internal investigation revealing that more than 6,200 promotions issued between mid-2024 and August 2025 violated standard procedures, further straining morale and budgets.

The irregular promotions, which reportedly burdened state payrolls by hundreds of millions of gourdes, highlight the lack of coordination between Haiti’s security agencies at a time of national crisis.

As gang attacks intensify and international assistance lags, the government’s symbolic handover of military equipment underscores both its determination and its limitations in restoring state authority.

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