[5] Saleh Ould Hanenna, a former army major, led the 2003 Mauritanian coup d'état attempt in June 2003.

With the failure of the coup Hanenna initially escaped capture, and formed a group called the 'Knights of Change' with Mohamed Ould Cheikhna, but they were arrested on 9 October 2004.

Following the latter coup, Abdel Aziz became President of the High Council of State as part of what was described as a political transition leading to a new election.

The army was organized into the six regions which each supervised several companies, though there was 'one small autonomous infantry battalion stationed in Nouakchott.'

[24] During the same time two Cessna 337s and two DHC-5 Buffalo STOL transports were supplied in 1977 and 1978 with one DHC-5 crashing almost immediately and the other being returned to De Havilland Canada in 1979.

[25] More recent procurements have been from China in the form of the Harbin Y-12 II turboprop transports were delivered in September 1995, one crashed in April 1996.

Mauritania has developed a five-year plan to develop its navy into a force that is capable of defending the country's 235,000 km squared exclusive economic zone, Admiral Isselkou Ould Cheik El-Weli said during a promotion ceremony held at the Nouadhibou naval base in late May 2017.

The Saharamedias.net website reported that the plan includes the acquisition of two 60-meter vessels, which are currently under construction, and "mid-sized ships", as well as the formation of three companies of marines.

[28] The Mauritanian Navy was created on 25 January 1966, after the extension of Mauritania's territorial waters from 12 to 30 nautical miles (22 to 56 kilometres).