The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces is Cambodia's national military force. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is King Norodom Sihamoni. Since 2018, General Vong Pisen has been the Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF as head of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Gendarmerie. The armed forces operate under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defence. Under the country's constitution, the RCAF is charged with protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

It was created in 1993 by a merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces and the two non-communist resistance armies. Two resistance forces, the Khmer Rouge and the royalist National United Army (NUA) opposed the government. The forerunner of the Cambodian Armed Forces is Division 125, established in 1978 by Hun Sen (now prime minister) with support from the Vietnamese People's Army.

The Royal Cambodian Army is the largest RCAF branch, with troops stationed in each of the country's 25 provinces. The Royal Cambodian Navy, the second-largest branch and operates along the Mekong and Bassac Rivers and in the Tonlé Sap lake. The 10,000-person military police force parallels the civilian police, and has posts in every province and municipality across the country. The Royal Cambodian Air Force, the smallest service branch with 5,000 members, operates in every province which has an airport.

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces was re-established in 1993 after the democratic election of a government consisting of two prime ministers. The armed forces of all parties except the NADK were integrated into a national armed force; the NADK joined in 1998, after Pol Pot's death. The KPRAF dominated the three integrated guerrilla groups, with ANKI and the Khmer Rouge commanders later replaced by those loyal to the KPRAF.

To resolve security problems, the government began a win-win policy in mid-1995 of national reconciliation and unity efforts under the king. Defections of NADK units began in early 1996. The win-win policy of Prime Minister Hun Sen continued to succeed as the last groups of Khmer Rouge guerrillas were integrated into the RCAF in late 1998; this marked the dissolution of the Khmer Rouge's political and military organisation and the return of all seceded areas to government control.

The RCAF undergoes reforms in accordance with governmental guidelines which direct the armed forces to demobilize to an acceptable size, achieve capability and inculcate standards of ethics and dignity, with future advancement towards international standardization. Its agenda includes regional security co-operation.

The RCAF has four branches: the Royal Cambodian Army, the Royal Cambodian Navy, the Royal Cambodian Air Force and the Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia.

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Founded  9 November 1953; 68 years ago (original)

Current form  24 September 1993;

Service branches  Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Cambodian Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force, Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie;

Headquarters  Phnom Penh, Cambodia;

Military age  18–60 years old (18–25 for those who attend colleges or universities)

Available for military service  4,000,000 males, age 18–50 (2010 estimate), 3,900,000 females, age 18–50 (2010 estimate)

Fit for military service  3,000,000 males, age 18–50 (2010 estimate), 2,900,000 females, age 18–50 (2010 estimate)

Reaching military age annually  150,000 males (2010 estimate), 150,000 females (2010 estimate)

Active personnel  125,000;

Reserve personnel  200,000;

Budget  US$635 million (2022 fiscal year);

Percent of GDP  ~2% (2016 estimate).

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Ref. Wikipedia.