For the first time British army troops trained with Sierra Leone soldiers in jungle warfare 10801171.

"Britain's focus on military support to Africa is strong, and two-thirds of Britain's entire global short-term training team effort is invested in the continent, which equates to around 18,000 man days of training per year.," said the Ministry of Defense (MOD).

Secretary Fallon said: "Training with Sierra Leonean forces is just the latest example of the UK stepping up globally to tackle international threats that put Britain at risk."

The Sierra Leone Army is modelled on the British Army and came into existence after independence in 1961. The core of the army was based on the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force, which became the Royal Sierra Leone Regiment and later the Republic of Sierra Leone Regiment. The total active manpower of Sierra Leone armed forces is around 10,000 military personnnel.

Sierra Leone has very limited modern weaponry. The country has a wide variety of used second-hand foreign imported arms. The IISS Military Balance lists 31 mortars, Carl Gustav recoilless rifles, and seven air defence guns in service. Other army equipment may include the Heckler & Koch G3, AK-47, RPD light machine gun, and the RPG-7.