The Chad National Army consists of the five Defence and Security Forces listed in Article 185 of the Chadian Constitution that came into effect on 4 May 2018. These are the National Army, the National Police, the National and Nomadic Guard (GNNT) and the Judicial Police.

The Chadian Ground Forces are the main and largest component of the Chadian National Army. Historically Chad has had one of the strongest armies in the Sahara region, larger than the Malian or Central African army, with a total of 25,000 to 30,000 troops. Chad has been involved as part of the Multinational Joint Task Force in fighting the Boko Haram insurgency, deploying troops to Niger and Mali. Another common role of the Chadian Army has been quelling rebellions against the central government of Chad.