East Timor - Armed forces

The East Timor Defense Force, established in 2000, comprises a light-infantry division of about 1,500 regulars and an additional 1,500 reservists. Basic training for the first group of recruits was aided by Portugal, with special training programs aided by Australia. In April 2002, UN Peacekeeping Forces totaled about 6,200 members from 20 countries. The number of UN forces is expected to decline as the government and the UN continued to make arrangements for national security. The general military age is 18–21 years old. Both male and female recruits have been accepted. Military expenditures for 2003 were estimated to be at about $4.4 million.