Military - note In 30 editions of 36.

• the ANP is responsible for external defense but also has some internal security responsibilities;
• key areas of concern include border and maritime security, terrorism, regional instability, and tensions with Morocco;
• Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front in Western Sahara and accuses Morocco of supporting the Algerian separatist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK);
• border security and counterterrorism have received additional focus since the Arab Spring events of 2011 and the rise of terrorist threats emanating from Libya and the Sahel;
• the Army and Ministry of Defense (MND) paramilitary forces of the Gendarmerie and the border guards have beefed up their presence along the frontiers with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, and Mali to interdict and deter cross-border attacks by Islamist militant groups;
• the ANP and MND paramilitary forces have also increased counterterrorism cooperation with some neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia, including joint operations

• the ANP has also played a large role in the country’s politics since independence in 1962, including coups in 1965 and 1991;
• it was a key backer of BOUTEFLIKA’s election in 1999 and remained a center of power during his 20-year rule;
• the military was instrumental in BOUTEFLIKA’s resignation in 2019, when it withdrew support and called for him to be removed from office (2024)

• the Angolan Armed Forces were created in 1991 under the Bicesse Accords signed between the Angolan Government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA);
• the current force is responsible for country’s external defense but also has some domestic security responsibilities, such as border protection;
• it participates in multinational exercises, as well as regional peacekeeping operations, including the deployment of several hundred troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023;
• in recent years, the military has placed additional emphasis on maritime security and protecting offshore resources (2025)

• the Beninese Armed Forces (FAB) are responsible for defense against external aggression and may be required to assist in maintaining public order and internal security under conditions defined by the country's president;
• it may also participate in economic development projects

• a key focus for the security forces of Benin is countering infiltrations into the country by terrorist groups tied to al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) operating just over the border from northern Benin in Burkina Faso and Niger;
• in 2022, the Benin Government said it was "at war" after suffering a series of attacks from these groups;
• later that same year, President TALON pledged to increase the size of the military, modernize military equipment, and establish forward operating bases;
• the military since 2022 has also deployed thousands of additional troops to the north of the country to better secure the border region;
• in addition, the FAB participates in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeastern border (2025)

• the key responsibilities of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) are defending the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity on land and in the air, ensuring national security and stability, and aiding civil authorities in support of domestic missions such as disaster relief and anti-poaching;
• the BDF also participates in regional and international security operations

• Bechuanaland/Botswana did not have a permanent military during colonial times, with the British colonial administrators relying instead on small, lightly armed constabularies such as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and by the early 1960s, the Police Mobile Unit (PMU);
• after independence in 1966, Botswana militarized the PMU and gave it responsibility for the country’s defense rather than create a conventional military force;
• however, turmoil in neighboring countries and numerous cross-border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces in the 1960s and 1970s demonstrated that the PMU was inadequate for defending the country and led to the establishment of the BDF in 1977 (2025)

• the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF) are responsible for external defense but also have an internal security role and can be called out to assist internal security forces in restoring public order, combating crime, securing the border, and conducting counterterrorism/counterinsurgency/internal defense operations;
• the FABF has a history of involvement in the country’s politics, having conducted eight coups since its formation in 1960-61, including the most recent in September 2022

• the FABF's primary focus is combatting militants of the al-Qa'ida and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist groups, which have operated in Burkina Faso for more than a decade and control portions of the country;
• Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups that act as al-Qa'ida in the Land of the Islamic Magreb's (AQIM) arm in the Sahel, is strongest in the north but active in nearly all of the country's 13 provinces, while ISIS in the Greater Sahara (aka ISIS-Sahel) operates in the eastern part of the country (2025)

• the National Defense Force (FDNB) is responsible for defending Burundi’s territorial integrity and protecting its sovereignty;
• it has an internal security role, including maintaining and restoring public order if required;
• the FDNB also participates in providing humanitarian/disaster assistance, countering terrorism, narcotics trafficking, piracy, and illegal arms trade, and protecting the country’s environment;
• the FDNB conducts limited training with foreign partners such as Russia and participates in regional peacekeeping missions, most recently in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Somalia;
• in recent years the FDNB has conducted operations against anti-government rebel groups based in the neighboring DRC that have carried out sporadic attacks in Burundi, such as the such as National Forces of Liberation (FNL), the Resistance for the Rule of Law-Tabara (aka RED Tabara), and Popular Forces of Burundi (FPB or FOREBU);
• Burundi has accused Rwanda of supporting the RED-Tabara

the Arusha Accords that ended the 1993-2005 civil war created a unified military by balancing the predominantly Tutsi ex-Burundi Armed Forces (ex-FAB) and the largely Hutu dominated armed movements and requiring the military to have a 50/50 ethnic mix of Tutsis and Hutus (2025)

• the FACV is responsible for external defense;
• it also has an internal security role in collaboration with the police if required;
• its duties include monitoring and patrolling the country's air and maritime spaces, participating in training exercises, conducting search and rescue, countering narcotics and other forms of illicit trafficking, and supporting the police and civil society (2025)

• the Cameroon Armed Forces (FAC) are responsible for defending the country's territorial integrity, providing humanitarian assistance, supporting regional peacekeeping operations, and contributing to internal security;
• key areas of focus are the threat from the terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa along its frontiers with Nigeria and Chad (Far North region) and, since 2016, an insurgency from armed Anglophone separatist groups in the North-West and South-West regions;
• in addition, the FAC often deploys ground units to the border region with the Central African Republic to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits;
• the Navy’s missions include protecting Cameroon’s oil installations, combatting crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and patrolling the country’s lakes and rivers;
• the FAC's small Air Force supports both the ground and naval forces (2025)

• the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) are focused on internal security;
• since the 2013 coup, multiple armed groups have been active in the country, carrying out attacks, controlling territory, and undermining security;
• the coup resulted in the institutional collapse of the FACA;
• its forces were overwhelmed and forced to flee to neighboring countries;
• it has been estimated that only 10% of the FACA returned afterwards;
• over the past decade, the FACA has sought to rebuild with considerable foreign assistance, including from France, the EU, Russia, Rwanda, Uganda, and the UN;
• Russian private military contractors and Rwandan military forces have assisted the FACA in its operations against rebel groups

• the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has operated in the country since 2014;
• its mission includes providing security, protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance, disarming and demobilizing armed groups, and supporting the country’s transitional government (2025)

internal security is the primary focus of the Chadian National Army, and it is actively engaged in counterinsurgency operations against multiple terrorist and rebel groups; the terrorist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in West Africa operate in the Lake Chad Basin area; meanwhile, a number of anti-government militias operate in northern Chad, some from bases in southern Libya, including the FACT (Front pour le Changement et la Concorde au Tchad), the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (le Conseil de Commandement Militaire pour le salut de la République or CCSMR), the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (le Union des Forces pour la Démocratie et le Développement or UFDD), and the Union of Resistance Forces (le Union des Forces de la Résistance UFR); former Chadian President Idriss DEBY was killed in April 2021 during fighting between the FACT and government forces (2025)

• the focus for the security forces is search and rescue operations and maintaining internal security;
• a defense treaty with France provides naval resources for the protection of territorial waters, training of Comoran military personnel, and air surveillance;
• France maintains a small maritime base and a Foreign Legion contingent on neighboring Mayotte (2024)

the FARDC’s primary focus is internal security and conducting operations against rebels and other illegal armed groups (IOGs) operating in the DRC, particularly in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, where more than 15 significant and cohesive IOGs operate; there is also IOG-related violence in Maniema, Kasai, Kasai Central, and Tanganyika provinces; some estimates place over 100 IOGs operating in the country, including organized militias, such as the Nduma Defense of Congo-Renewal (NDC-R), which controls a large portion of North Kivu; Mai Mai groups (local militias that operate variously as self-defense networks and criminal rackets); and foreign-origin groups seeking safe haven and resources, such as the Ugandan-origin Allied Democratic Forces (ADF; aka Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the DRC), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), multiple groups originating from Burundi, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), and the March 23 Movement (aka M23 or Congolese Revolutionary Army), which Rwanda has been accused of supporting militarily; the FARDC incorporates some non-state armed groups and has been accused of collaborating with some IOGs, such as the NDC-R

• the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has operated in the central and eastern parts of the country since 1999;
• its mandate had been extended to the end of 2026;
• MONUSCO includes a Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), the first ever UN peacekeeping force specifically tasked to carry out targeted offensive operations to neutralize and disarm groups considered a threat to state authority and civilian security (2025)

• the FAC's primary focuses are internal and maritime security;
• since its creation in 1961, the FAC has had a turbulent history;
• it has been sidelined by some national leaders in favor of personal militias, endured an internal rebellion (1996), and clashed with various rebel groups and political or ethnic militias (1993-1996, 2002-2005, 2017);
• during the 1997-1999 civil war, the military generally split along ethnic lines, with most northern officers supporting eventual winner SASSOU-Nguesso, and most southerners backing the rebels;
• others joined ethnic-based factions loyal to regional warlords;
• forces backing SASSOU-Nguesso were supported by Angolan troops and received some French assistance;
• the FAC also has undergone at least three reorganizations that included the incorporation of former rebel combatants and various ethnic and political militias;
• in recent years, France has provided some advice and training, and a military cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in 2019 (2025)

• the military (FACI) is responsible for external defense but also has a considerable internal role supporting the National Gendarmerie and other internal security forces;
• key areas of focus for the FACI are the country's porous international borders and the threat posed by Islamic militants associated with the al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group operating across the border in Burkina Faso and Mali;
• AQIM militants conducted attacks in the country in 2016 and 2020;
• Côte d’Ivoire since 2016 has stepped up border security and completed building a joint counter-terrorism training center with France near Abidjan in 2020;
• Cote d'Ivoire has long maintained a close security relationship with France

• the FACI has mutinied several times since the late 1990s, most recently in 2017, and has had a large role in the country’s political turmoil;
• it was established in 1960 from home defense units the French colonial government began standing up in 1950 (2025)

• Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, such as counterterrorism;
• as recently as February 2025, Djiboutian forces have conducted operations near its border with Ethiopia against members of the Armed Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD A), which Djibouti considers a terrorist group

• China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counterterrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance;
• other countries, such as Germany and Spain, have smaller military contingents;
• the EU and NATO also maintain a presence in Djibouti to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2025)

• the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF) are responsible for external defense but also have an internal role assisting police and paramilitary security forces during emergencies and in anti-terrorism operations;
• the EAF also participates in foreign peacekeeping and other security missions, as well as both bilateral and multinational exercises;
• the military has considerable political power and independence;
• it has long had a crucial role in Egypt’s politics and has a large stake in the civilian economy, including running banks, businesses, gas stations, shipping lines, and utilities, and producing consumer and industrial goods, importing commodities, and building and managing infrastructure projects, such as bridges, roads, hospitals, and housing

• key areas of concern for the EAF include Islamist militant groups operating out of the Sinai Peninsula, regional challenges such as ongoing conflicts and instability, and maritime security;
• since 2011, the EAF has been conducting operations alongside other security forces in the North Sinai governorate against several militant groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
• over the past decade, it has deployed additional units along the border with Libya, provided air support to the Saudi-led coalition's intervention in Yemen, and most recently boosted its presence on the border with Gaza in response to the HAMAS-Israel conflict;
• the Navy in recent years has sought to modernize and expand its capabilities and profile in the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea, including the acquisition of helicopter carriers, modern frigates, and attack submarines, as well as the establishment of a joint service military base on the Red Sea

• the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) has operated in the Sinai since 1982 as a peacekeeping and monitoring force to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace;
• the MFO is an independent international organization, created by agreement between Egypt and Israel;
• it has about 1,150 troops from 13 countries;
• Colombia, Fiji, and the US are the leading providers of troops to the MFO (2025)

• the Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea (FAGE) are responsible for defending the territory and sovereignty of the country;
• the FAGE also has some internal security duties, including fulfilling some police functions in border areas, sensitive sites, and high-traffic areas;
• maritime security, particularly protecting offshore oil installations and combating piracy and crime in the Gulf of Guinea, is a key priority (2025)

• the military’s primary responsibilities are external defense, border security, and providing the regime a vehicle for national cohesion;
• the conscript-based Army is the dominant service

• since the country's independence in 1991, the Eritrean military has participated in numerous conflicts, including the Hanish Island Crisis with Yemen (1995), the First Congo War (1996-1997), the Second Sudanese Civil War (1996-1998), the Eritrea-Ethiopia War (1998-2000), the Djiboutian-Eritrean border conflict (2008), and the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia (2020-2022);
• during the Tigray conflict, the Eritrean Defense Forces were accused of human rights abuses;
• in recent years, it has provided training support to the military of Somalia (2025)

• the UEDF’s primary mission is external defense, which includes mostly securing the borders;
• it also has domestic security responsibilities, including protecting members of the royal family;
• the king is the UEDF commander in chief and holds the position of minister of defense, although the UEDF reports to the Army commander and principal undersecretary of defense for day-to-day operations;
• the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) is responsible for maintaining internal security as well as migration and border crossing enforcement;
• it is under the prime minister, although the king is the force’s titular commissioner in chief;
• the UEDF was originally created in 1973 as the Royal Swaziland Defense Force (2025)

• the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is focused on both external threats emanating from its neighbors and internal threats from multiple internal armed groups;
• since 1998, the ENDF has engaged in several conventional and counterinsurgency operations, including border wars with Eritrea (1998-2000) and Somalia (2006-2008) and internal conflicts with the Tigray regional state (2020-2022), multiple insurgent groups and ethnic militias, and the al-Shabaab terrorist group;
• as of 2025, the ENDF was actively conducting counterinsurgency operations against anti-government militants in several states, including the Amhara militia Fano and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), as well as al-Shabaab in Somalia (2025)

• the Gabonese military is a small and lightly armed force that is responsible for both external and internal security;
• the military may also participate in the economic and social development work of the nation;
• key defense priorities include securing the country's borders and maritime domain;
• it has contributed to regional peacekeeping and joint security operations;
• in August 2023, officers from the Republican Guard seized control of the government and placed the president under arrest (2025)

• the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) are responsible for external defense and aiding civil authorities in internal emergencies and natural disaster relief;
• they participate in multinational peacekeeping missions, as well as domestic support activities such as agricultural development, construction, education, and health services;
• the Gambian security forces have a history of involvement in domestic politics, including multiple coup attempts and mutinies, with the latest being an attempted coup in 2022

• since January 2017, several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have provided security forces for Gambia's stability, plus assistance and training for the GAF and other Gambian security forces through the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG);
• as of 2025, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal were providing military and gendarmerie personnel for ECOMIG (2025)

• the military’s primary missions are border defense, assisting with internal security, peacekeeping, and protecting the country’s territorial waters, particularly its offshore oil and gas infrastructure;
• it has benefited from cooperation with foreign partners, such as the UK and the US, and experience gained from participation in multiple international peacekeeping missions

in recent years, Ghana has expanded the Army and reinforced its presence in the northern part of the country to shore up porous borders, interdict smuggling routes, and counter threats from the terrorist organization Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups which has a considerable presence in Burkina Faso and has conducted attacks in Cote d'Ivoire and Togo; Ghana has also made efforts to increase the Navy's capabilities to protect its maritime claims and counter threats such as piracy and illegal fishing (2025)

• the Guinean military is responsible for territorial defense, but also has some domestic security responsibilities and has historically been involved in suppressing public protests;
• in 2021 the Army’s special forces led a military overthrow of the government;
• the military-led government has since been accused of cracking down on dissent, the media, and political opposition;
• border security is a key focus for the Guinean military, particularly a territorial dispute with Sierra Leone that dates back to 2001 (2025)

• the Armed Forces (FARP) are focused on external security, but also has some internal security duties;
• the FARP and the paramilitary National Guard have been influential in the country’s politics since independence and have attempted several coups;
• since the 2000s, the FARP has undergone various attempts at defense and security sector reforms under the auspices of the African Union, the EU, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), and the UN (2025)

• the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) are responsible for protecting the country's sovereignty and territory and assisting civil authorities in responding to emergency, disaster, or political unrest as requested;
• the KDF's chief security concerns include regional disputes and instability, maritime crime and piracy, and the threat posed by the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist group, which has conducted attacks inside Kenya;
• it has conducted operations in neighboring Somalia since 2011 and taken part in numerous regional peacekeeping and security missions;
• the KDF is a leading member of the Africa Standby Force;
• it participates in multinational exercises, and has ties to a variety of foreign militaries, including those of France, the UK, and the US

• the Kenya Military Forces were created following independence in 1963;
• the current KDF was established and its composition laid out in the 2010 constitution;
• it is governed by the Kenya Defense Forces Act of 2012;
• the Army traces its origins back to the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Britain's East Africa possessions from 1902 until independence in the 1960s;
• the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during both World Wars (2025)

• the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) is responsible for the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security;
• in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa;
• the LDF is a small force that began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU);
• the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986;
• it was renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2025)

• the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are responsible for external defense and some domestic security responsibilities if called upon, such as humanitarian assistance during natural disasters and support to law enforcement;
• it is a small, lightly equipped force comprised of two combat infantry battalions and supporting units, as well as a few coastal patrol craft for the Coast Guard;
• the infantry battalions were rebuilt with US assistance in 2007-2008 from the restructured AFL following the end of the second civil war in 2003 when military and police forces were disbanded and approximately 100,000 military, police, and rebel combatants were disarmed

• the first militia unit established for defense of the Liberia colony was raised in 1832;
• the AFL traces its origins to the 1908 establishment of the Liberia Frontier Force, which became the Liberian National Guard in 1965;
• the AFL was established in 1970 (2025)

• the western-based forces aligned with the GNU and the eastern-based LNA forces are separated by a fortified line of control just west of the coastal city of Sirte;
• Turkey has provided support to the GNU forces, including military trainers, ammunition, weapons, and aerial drones;
• Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have been the main supporters of the LNA (2025)

• the military’s responsibilities include ensuring sovereignty and territorial integrity and protecting Madagascar’s maritime domain, particularly against piracy, drug trafficking, and smuggling;
• it also assists the Gendarmerie with maintaining law and order in rural areas, largely in areas affected by banditry, cattle rustling, and criminal groups;
• the military has a history of influence in domestic politics and seized control of the government in October 2025;
• security relationships have included France, India, and Russia;
• Madagascar's small Navy has traditionally looked to India for assistance with maritime security (2025)

• the MDF’s primary responsibility is external security;
• it is also tasked as necessary with providing support to civilian authorities during emergencies, supporting the Police Service, protecting national forest reserves, and participating in regional peacekeeping missions, as well as assisting with infrastructure development;
• key areas of concern include border security, regional conflict, and international terrorism;
• the MDF participates in exercises with foreign partners and contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operations;
• Malawi contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operations

• the MDF was established in 1964 from elements of the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Great Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s;
• the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during the World Wars (2025)

• the FAMa is responsible for the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory, but also has some domestic security duties, including the maintenance of public order and support to law enforcement;
• it also participates in socio-economic development projects;
• the military has traditionally played a large role in Mali’s politics;
• prior to the coup in August 2020 and military takeover in May 2021, it had intervened in the political arena at least five times since the country gained independence in 1960 (1968, 1976, 1978, 1991, 2012)

• the FAMa and other security forces are actively engaged in combat operations against several insurgent/terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), as well as other armed rebel organizations, communal militias, and criminal bands spread across the central, northern, and southern regions of the country;
• a large portion of the country--up to 50% by some estimates--is outside of government control

• the FAMa and the remainder of the security forces collapsed in 2012 during the fighting against Tuareg rebels and Islamic militants and were rebuilt beginning in 2013 with external assistance from the EU and the UN;
• the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) ended their missions in 2023 and 2024, respectively;
• France intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to assist with regaining the northern half of the country from rebel and Islamic militant groups;
• French troops withdrew in 2022;
• since 2021, Mali has increased security ties with Russia, which has provided equipment, training, and other forms of military support (2025)

• founded in 1960, the Mauritanian military is responsible for territorial defense and internal security;
• it also assists in economic development projects, humanitarian missions, and disaster response;
• border and maritime security, regional stability, and the threat of terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, particularly Mali, are key areas of focus;
• Mauritania has received security assistance from the EU, France, NATO, and the US (2025)

• key security priorities for the Maritius Police Force (MPF) include combating narcotics trafficking, ensuring public order, fighting cybercrime, improving maritime security, and responding to natural disasters;
• the MPF's primary security partner is India, which provides training and other support to the National Coast Guard, while Indian naval vessels often patrol the country's waters;
• the MPF has also received assistance and training from France, the UK, and the US

the Special Mobile Force was created in 1960 following the withdrawal of the British garrison (2025)

• the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) are responsible for protecting Morocco’s national interests, sovereignty, and territorial integrity;
• key areas of concern for the FAR include international terrorism, maritime security, and regional challenges such as the Polisario Front in Western Sahara and Algeria;
• the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), an organization that seeks the independence of Western Sahara, disputes Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over the territory;
• Moroccan and Polisario forces fought intermittently from 1975, when Spain relinquished colonial authority over the territory, until a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping mission;
• the Polisario withdrew from the cease-fire in November 2020, and since then there have been reports of low-intensity hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario Front across the 2,500-kilometer-long berm built in 1987 that separates the two sides;
• Algeria is seen as a regional rival and has openly backed the Polisario Front

• the FAR participates in international peacekeeping operations, as well as both bilateral and multinational training exercises;
• it has relations with a variety of partners including the militaries of France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the US, as well as NATO, the Arab League, and the African Union;
• Morocco has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation

• the FAR was created in May 1956;
• Moroccans were recruited for service in the Spahi and Tirailleur regiments of the French Army during the period of the French protectorate (1912-1956), and Moroccans fought under the French Army during both World Wars, as well as the First Indochina War (1946-1954);
• the Spanish Army recruited Moroccans from the Spanish Protectorate during both the Rif War (1921-26) and the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)

• the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was established by Security Council resolution 690 in April 1991 in accordance with settlement proposals accepted in August 1988 by Morocco and the Polisario Front;
• MINURSO was unable to carry out all the original settlement proposals, but continues to monitor the cease-fire and reduce the threat of mines and unexploded ordnance, and has provided logistic support to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (2025)

• the FADM is responsible for external security, cooperating with police on internal security, and responding to natural disasters and other emergencies;
• the primary focus of the FADM is countering an insurgency in the northern province of Cabo Delgado by militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham terrorist group (ISIS-Mozambique; known locally as Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a);
• since 2017, the conflict has claimed an estimated 6,000 lives and displaced an estimated one million persons;
• at Mozambique's request, Rwanda and several southern African countries under the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) deployed forces to Mozambique to combat the insurgency in 2021;
• the SADC forces departed in 2024;
• as of 2025, Rwanda continued to provide approximately 3,000 military and police personnel to assist Mozambican Defense and Security Forces, along with several hundred Tanzanian troops;
• the EU has also provided training assistance (2025)

• the NDF’s primary responsibility is defending Namibia's territorial integrity and national interests;
• other responsibilities include support to civil authorities and participating in peace and stability missions under the African Union, Southern African Development Community, and the UN;
• Namibia has bilateral defense ties with several countries, including Botswana, India, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia

• the NDF was created in 1990, largely from demobilized former members of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and the South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF);
• the PLAN was the armed wing of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), while SWATF was an auxiliary of the South African Defense Force and comprised the armed forces of the former South West Africa, 1977-1989;
• from 1990-1995, the British military assisted with the forming and training the NDF (2025)

• the military of Niger is responsible for territorial defense, but most of its focus is on internal and border security operations;
• the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) and the al-Qaida affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) terrorist groups are active in western Niger and in adjacent strongholds in Burkina Faso and Mali, while the Nigeria-based Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa groups threaten southeast Niger;
• parts of Niger also face spillover from communal, criminal, and vigilante violence in neighboring Nigeria;
• since the 2023 coup, some former ethnic separatist rebels have taken up arms in support of deposed President BAZOUM

• the military has played a role in Niger's domestic politics since its establishment in 1960-61;
• prior to seizing control of the government in 2023, it attempted coups in 1974, 1996, 1999, 2010, and 2021, and ruled the country for much of the period before 1999 (2025)

• the Nigerian military is responsible for defending against external aggression, maintaining the country's territorial integrity, securing national borders, participating in international peacekeeping and other security missions, suppressing insurrection, and aiding civil authorities in restoring order, as well as other duties such as providing humanitarian assistance;
• its primary concerns are internal and maritime security;
• in the northeast part of the country, the military is conducting operations against the Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in West Africa (ISIS-WA) terrorist groups, where it has deployed as many as 70,000 troops at times and terrorist-related violence has killed an estimated 35-40,000 people, mostly civilians, since 2009;
• in the northwest, the military faces threats from criminal gangs--locally referred to as bandits--and violence associated with long-standing farmer-herder conflicts, as well as BH and ISIS-WA terrorists;
• the military also continues to protect the oil industry in the Niger Delta region against militants and criminal activity and since 2021, has deployed troops alongside other security forces to quell renewed agitation in the state of Biafra;
• maritime security concerns include piracy and the protection of natural resources in the Gulf of Guinea

• the Nigerian military traces its origins to the Nigeria Regiment of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison Great Britain's West African colonies;
• the WAFF (the honorary title "Royal" was added later) served in both World Wars;
• in 1956, the Nigeria Regiment of the Royal WAFF was renamed the Nigerian Military Forces (NMF) and in 1958, the colonial government of Nigeria took over control of the NMF from the British War Office;
• the Nigerian Armed Forces were established following independence in 1960 (2025)

• the principle responsibilities of the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) are ensuring territorial integrity and national sovereignty and preventing infiltrations of illegal armed groups from neighboring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);
• since 2021, Rwanda has deployed RDF troops to the border region with the DRC to combat the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which it has accused the DRC of backing;
• Rwanda has been accused by the DRC, the UN, and the US of deploying RDF troops in the DRC and providing material support to the March 23 Movement (M23, aka Congolese Revolutionary Army) rebel group;
• the RDF also participates in UN and regional military operations, as well as multinational exercises;
• it has deployed several thousand RDF troops and police personnel to Mozambique to assist in combating an insurgency since 2021;
• Rwanda has mutual defense treaties with Kenya and Uganda

• the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) were established following independence in 1962;
• after the 1990-1994 civil war and genocide, the victorious Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front's military wing, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), became the country's military force;
• the RPA participated in the First (1996-1997) and Second (1998-2003) Congolese Wars;
• the RPA was renamed the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) in 2003, by which time it had assumed a more national character with the inclusion of many former Hutu officers as well as newly recruited soldiers (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

the FASTP is one of the smallest militaries in Africa and consists of only a few companies of ground troops and some small patrol boats (2024)

• the Senegalese military is responsible for both territorial defense and internal security;
• it also assists the civilian government in such areas as preventive healthcare, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and disaster response;
• key areas of focus for the military include a low-level insurgency in the country's south, maritime security, and securing the border against smuggling and Sahel-based Islamist insurgent groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State;
• the military participates in foreign peacekeeping deployments and multinational exercises;
• its closest security partner is France, which has long maintained a military presence in Senegal

• Senegalese security forces have been engaged in a low-level counterinsurgency campaign in the southern Casamance region against factions of the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MDFC) since 1982;
• the conflict is one of longest running low-level insurgencies in the World, having claimed more than 5,000 lives while leaving another 60,000 displaced;
• in recent years, nearly all of the MDFC factions have agreed to cease hostilities (2025)

• formed in 1977, the SDF is one of the World's smallest militaries;
• its primary responsibility is maritime security, including countering illegal fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling;
• it was given police powers in 2022;
• the Seychelles maintains close security ties with India, which has provided support to the SDF's maritime security operations (2025)

• the RSLAF’s primary responsibilities are securing the country's borders and territorial waters, supporting civil authorities during internal emergencies, and participating in peacekeeping missions;
• since the end of the civil war in 2002, it has received assistance from several foreign militaries, including those of Canada, China, France, the UK, and the US

• the RSLAF’s origins lie in the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and The Gambia;
• the RWAFF fought in both World Wars (2025)

• the primary responsibility of the Somali National Army (SNA) is combating the al-Shabaab terrorist group, which controls large portions of central and southern Somalia and continues to conduct attacks targeting both military and civilian sites, including military bases, government institutions, and civilian gatherings;
• the SNA is supported by the National Police, regional/state security forces, and allied militias, as well as international forces;
• some African Union (AU) countries have provided military assistance to the SNA since 2007 under the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM, 2007-2022), the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS, 2022-2024), and the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM, January 2025-present);
• Turkey and the US have also provided military support to SNA operations

• Turkey and the US have formed and trained SNA units, including the US-backed Danab ("Lightning") Brigade and the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") brigades;
• SNA soldiers have also received training from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the EU, Uganda, UAE, and the UK (2025)

• the South African National Defense Force's (SANDF) primary responsibilities include territorial and maritime defense, supporting the Police Service, protecting key infrastructure, responding to disasters, and participating in international peacekeeping missions;
• border security and maintaining a rapid reaction capability for regional security missions and disaster response have been priorities;
• in recent years, it has been deployed internally to assist the Police with quelling unrest and assisting with border security;
• the SANDF also regularly participates in African and UN peacekeeping missions and is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force

• the SANDF was created in 1994 to replace the South African Defense Force (SADF);
• the SANDF was opened to all South Africans who met military requirements, while the SADF was a mostly white force (only whites were subject to conscription) with non-whites only allowed to join in a voluntary capacity;
• the SANDF also absorbed members of the various anti-apartheid opposition groups, including the African National Congress, the Pan Africanist Congress, and the Inkatha Freedom Party, as well as the security forces of the formerly independent Bantustan homelands (2025)

• the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) are largely focused on border and internal security;
• areas of concern include disputed national borders, conflict spillover from neighboring Sudan, banditry, and armed rebel groups and militias that continue to operate in the country since the civil war ended in 2020

• the SSPDF, formerly the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), was founded as a guerrilla movement against the Sudanese Government in 1983 and participated in the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005);
• the Juba Declaration that followed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 unified the SPLA and the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF), the second-largest rebel militia remaining from the civil war, under the SPLA name;
• in 2017, the SPLA was renamed the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF) and in September 2018 was renamed again as the SSPDF

• the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has operated in the country since 2011 with the objectives of consolidating peace and security and helping establish conditions for the successful economic and political development of South Sudan;
• UNMISS has about 18,000 personnel assigned;
• the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011;
• its mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid;
• UNISFA has approximately 3,800 personnel assigned (2025)

• the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are border control, external defense, and internal security;
• SAF operations have traditionally been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF);
• in the Spring of 2023, fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in the western region of Darfur, amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule;
• fighting subsequently spread and continued into 2025 with reports of atrocities, ethnic cleansing, food insecurity, heavy civilian casualties, and millions of internally displaced persons;
• each side is supported by allied militias and both reportedly have received foreign support

• the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956;
• in addition, the military has a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports

• the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011;
• UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid;
• as of 2025, UNISFA had approximately 3,800 personnel assigned (2025)

• the chief concerns of the Tanzania Defense Forces (TDPF) are maritime piracy and smuggling, border security, terrorism, animal poaching, and spillover from instability in neighboring countries, particularly Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);
• it participates in multinational training exercises, regional peacekeeping deployments, and has ties with a variety of foreign militaries, including those of China, India, and the US;
• it has contributed troops to the UN’s Force Intervention Brigade in the DRC;
• the TPDF also participated in the former Southern African Development Community intervention force in Mozambique, which assisted the Mozambique military in combating fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
• the regional force withdrew in 2024, but the TPDF continues to maintain troops in Mozambique as part of a separate bilateral security agreement;
• since 2020, the TPDF has reinforced the border with Mozambique following several cross-border attacks by ISIS fighters (2025)

• the Togolese Armed Forces (FAT) are responsible for both external defense and internal security;
• the FAT’s primary concerns are border security, terrorism, and maritime security;
• in recent years, it has boosted operations in the northern border region of the country to secure the frontier and prevent banditry, illicit smuggling, and infiltrations from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida-affiliated militant groups based in Mali that also operates in neighboring Burkina Faso;
• in 2022, the Togolese Government declared a state of emergency in the north following an attack by JNIM fighters on a Togolese military post that killed several soldiers;
• the Navy and Air Force have increased focus on combating piracy and smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea

• since its creation in 1963, the Togolese military has had a history of involvement in the country’s politics, including assassinations, coups, and a crackdown in 2005 that killed hundreds of civilians;
• over the past decade, it has made efforts to reform and professionalize, which have included increasing its role in UN peacekeeping activities, participating in multinational exercises, and receiving training from foreign partners, particularly France and the US;
• in addition, Togo has established a regional peacekeeping training center for military and police in Lome (2025)

• the Tunisian Armed Forces (FAT) are responsible for territorial defense and internal security;
• operational areas of focus include counterterrorism and assisting with securing the border regions, particularly along the frontiers with Algerian and Libya

• the FAT conducts bilateral and multinational training exercises with a variety of countries, including Algeria and other North African and Middle Eastern countries, France, and the US, as well as NATO;
• it also participates in UN peacekeeping operations;
• Tunisia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation (2025)

the responsibilities of the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) include defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uganda, assisting the civilian authorities in emergencies and natural disasters, contributing to regional security, participating in socio-economic development projects, conducting military diplomacy, and ensuring internal security, including against civil unrest, internal insurgency, and terrorism; in recent years it has beefed up its presence along the borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan; the UPDF participates in African and UN peacekeeping missions and is a key contributor to the East Africa Standby Force; the UPDF is constitutionally granted seats in parliament and is widely viewed as a key constituency for MUSEVENI; it has been used to break up rallies, raid opposition offices, and surveil rival candidates

• the military traces its history back to the formation of the Uganda Rifles in 1895 under the British colonial government;
• the Uganda Rifles were merged with the Central Africa Regiment and the East Africa Rifles to form the King’s African Rifles (KAR) in 1902, which participated in both world wars, as well as the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya (1952-1960);
• in 1962, the Ugandan battalion of the KAR was transformed into the country's first military force, the Uganda Rifles, which was subsequently renamed the Uganda Army;
• the UPDF was established in 1995 from the former rebel National Resistance Army following the enactment of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda (2025)

• the Zambia Defense Forces (ZDF) are responsible for territorial defense, border security, and providing support to African and UN peacekeeping operations;
• it also has some domestic security responsibilities in cases of national emergency and is involved in socio-economic support;
• in recent years, ZDF has been directed to assist in agricultural production;
• the ZDF is part of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force and participates in multinational training exercises;
• it has received training assistance from China and the US

• the ZDF traces its roots to the Northern Rhodesia Regiment, which was raised by the British colonial government to fight in World War II;
• the ZDF was established in 1964 from units of the dissolved Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland armed forces;
• it participated in a number of regional conflicts during the 1970s and 1980s;
• Zambia actively supported independence movements such as the Union for the Total Liberation of Angola (UNITA), the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC), and the South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) (2025)

• the primary responsibilities of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) are protecting the country’s sovereignty and territory and securing its borders;
• it also has a role in domestic security and socio-economic development projects and has continued to be active in the country’s politics since the 2017 military-assisted political transition;

• the ZDF is part of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force and provided troops for the SADC military deployment to Mozambique from 2021-2024;
• Zimbabwe has defense ties with China and Russia

• the ZDF was formed after independence from the former Rhodesian Army and the two guerrilla forces that opposed it during the Rhodesian Civil War (aka "Bush War") of the 1970s, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA);
• the ZDF intervened in the Mozambique Civil War (1983-1992), the Democratic Republic of Congo during the Second Congo War (1998-2003), and the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) during the late 1990s (2025)

• the Antarctic Treaty of 1961 prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon;
• it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes

• defense is the responsibility of France;
• the French military maintains a Foreign Legion detachment on Mayotte to maintain France’s presence in the region and support French forces operating in the southern zone of the Indian Ocean and the east coast of Africa;
• the detachment regularly deploys to the outlying Glorioso Islands

defense is the responsibility of Australia

defense is the responsibility of the UK

the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk is responsible for coordinating Denmark's defense of Greenland

the US Space Force maintains a base on Greenland’s northwest coast, about 750 miles from the North Pole

• Iceland was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949;
• Iceland is the only NATO member that has no standing military force;
• defense of Iceland is a NATO commitment, and NATO maintains an air policing presence in Icelandic airspace;
• Iceland participates in international peacekeeping missions with the civilian-manned Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (ICRU)

• Iceland also cooperates with the militaries of other regional countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) and the Joint Expeditionary Force (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK);
• in 1951, Iceland and the US concluded an agreement to make arrangements regarding the defense of Iceland and for the use of facilities in Iceland to that end (2025)

defense is the responsibility of Norway

• Svalbard is a territory of Norway, demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920;
• Norwegian military activity is limited to fisheries surveillance by the Norwegian Coast Guard (2025)

• the Taliban’s key security priorities are border and internal security;
• specific issues have included tensions with Pakistan along their shared border, armed anti-Taliban resistance elements, and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group (2025)

• the Armenian Armed Forces were officially established in 1992, although their origins go back to 1918;
• the modern military’s missions include deterrence, territorial defense, crisis management, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, as well as socio-economic development projects;
• territorial defense is its primary focus, particularly in regards to tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan;
• Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in open conflicts over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in 1991-94 and 2020;
• Azerbaijan seized the entire enclave in 2023

• Armenia has traditionally had close military ties with Russia;
• it has been a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and committed troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force until suspending its engagement in 2024;
• Armenia has relations with NATO going back to 1992 when Armenia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council;
• in 1994, it joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and has contributed to the NATO force in Kosovo, as well as the former NATO deployment in Afghanistan (2025)

• the Azerbaijani military was established in 1991, although its origins go back to 1918;
• much of the military’s original equipment was acquired from former Soviet military forces that departed Azerbaijan by 1992;
• territorial defense is the military’s primary focus, particularly with regards to neighboring Armenia;
• a secondary focus is guarding against Iran;
• Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in open conflicts over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in 1991-94 and 2020;
• tensions continued following the 2020 conflict, and Azerbaijan seized the entire enclave in 2023

• key bilateral security relationships include Israel, Russia, and Turkiye;
• Azerbaijan's ties with Turkiye have included weapons transfers, technical advice, bilateral training exercises, and military support during its conflicts with Armenia;
• Azerbaijan is not part of NATO but has had a cooperative relationship with it dating back to when it joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and has provided troops to NATO-led missions in Kosovo (1999-2008) and Afghanistan (2002-2014) (2025)

• the military’s primary responsibility is external defense but it also has a domestic security role;
• following widespread domestic protests in September 2024, the Army was given law enforcement powers, including making arrests, conducting searches, and dispersing unlawful assemblies;
• the military has traditionally been a significant player in the country's politics and has commercial business interests in such areas as banking, food, hotels, manufacturing, real estate, and shipbuilding, and manages government infrastructure and construction projects

• the military has a long history of participating in UN peacekeeping missions, which has provided operational experience and a source of funding;
• it runs an international institute for the training of peacekeepers;
• the military also conducts multinational and bilateral exercises with foreign partners, particularly India (2025)

• the Army is responsible for external threats but also has some internal security functions such as conducting counterinsurgency operations, guarding forests, and providing security for prominent persons;
• Bhutan's closest security partner is India;
• under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries agreed to cooperate closely on issues relating to their national interests (2025)

• defense is the responsibility of the UK;
• on 22 May 2025, the United Kingdom and Mauritius signed an agreement that will lead to the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius;
• under the agreement, the United Kingdom will lease Diego Garcia from Mauritius for 99 years and maintain full operational control of the joint UK-US military base

• the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the world’s largest military;
• the PLA's primary responsibility is external security but it also has some domestic security duties;
• China’s stated defense policy includes safeguarding sovereignty, security, and development interests while emphasizing a greater global role for the PLA;
• the PLA conducts air, counterspace, cyber, electronic warfare, joint, land, maritime, missile, nuclear, and space operations;
• it trains regularly, including multinational and multiservice exercises, deploys overseas, and participates in international peacekeeping missions

• the PRC's internal security forces consist primarily of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of State Security (MSS), the People’s Armed Police (PAP), and the militia;
• the PLA support the internal security forces as necessary:

• --the MPS controls the civilian national police, which serves as the first-line force for public order;
• its primary mission is domestic law enforcement and maintaining order, including anti-rioting and anti-terrorism

--the MSS is the PRC’s main civilian intelligence and counterintelligence service

• --the PAP is a paramilitary component (or adjunct) of the PLA;
• its primary missions include internal security, maintaining public order, maritime security, and assisting the PLA in times of war;
• the China Coast Guard (CCG) administratively falls under the PAP and has a variety of missions, such as maritime sovereignty enforcement, surveillance, resource protection, anti-smuggling, and general law enforcement;
• it is the largest maritime law enforcement fleet in the world

• --the militia is an armed reserve of civilians which serves as an auxiliary and reserve force for the PLA upon mobilization, although it is distinct from the PLA’s reserve forces;
• militia units are organized around towns, villages, urban sub-districts, and enterprises, and vary widely in composition and mission;
• they have dual civilian-military command structures;
• a key component of the militia are the local maritime forces, commonly referred to as the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM);
• the PAFMM consists of mariners (and their vessels) who receive training, equipment, and other forms of support from the Navy and CCG (although the PAFMM remains separate from both) to perform tasks such as maritime patrolling, surveillance and reconnaissance, emergency/disaster response, transportation, search and rescue, and auxiliary tasks in support of naval operations in wartime;
• the PAFMM’s tasks are often conducted in conjunction or coordination with the Navy and the CCG;
• it has been used to assert Beijing's maritime claims in the Sea of Japan and South China Sea (2025)

• the Defense Forces of Georgia (DFG) are responsible for protecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country;
• the DFG also provides units for multinational military operations abroad and supports the Border Police in border protection and civil authorities in counter-terrorist operations, if requested;
• it is focused primarily on Russia, which maintains military bases and troops in occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
• a five-day conflict with Russian forces in 2008 resulted in the defeat and expulsion of Georgian forces from the breakaway regions

• Georgia is not a member of NATO but has had a relationship with the Alliance since 1992 and declared its aspiration to join in 2002;
• the military is working to make itself more compatible with NATO and has participated in multinational exercises and security operations abroad with NATO, such as Afghanistan, where it was one of the top non-NATO contributors, and Kosovo;
• the DFG has also contributed troops to EU and UN missions (2025)

• the Indian military's primary mission is external/territorial defense while secondary missions include regional power projection, UN peacekeeping deployments, humanitarian operations, and support to internal security forces;
• it participates in multinational exercises and is one of the world's largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations

• the military's chief external focuses are China and Pakistan;
• the short 1962 Sino-India War left in place one of the World’s longest disputed international borders--known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC)--resulting in occasional standoffs between Indian and Chinese security forces, including lethal clashes in 1975 and 2020;
• naval competition and influence in the Indian Ocean is also an area of interest

• India has fought four wars and several skirmishes with Pakistan;
• three of the wars have been over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been unsettled since the UK's 1947 withdrawal and the partition and independence of India and Pakistan;
• a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the militarized Line of Control which serves as the border remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir where Indian military and security forces have conducted counterinsurgency operations since the 1980s;
• in the Spring of 2025, India held Pakistan responsible for a terrorist attack in India-controlled Kashmir and retaliated, sparking a brief cross-border conflict involving aircraft, artillery, drone, and missile strikes

• the Kashmir dispute also includes the Siachen Glacier, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area several times between 1985 and 1995;
• despite the 2003 cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2025)

• the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) has a range of missions, including territorial defense, monitoring the country’s air and maritime spaces, countering piracy and terrorism, and conducting humanitarian operations;
• the JSDF exercises regularly with the US military and increasingly with other regional countries, including Australia and the Philippines

• Japan’s alliance with the US is one of the cornerstones of the country’s security, as well as a large component of the US security posture in Asia;
• the US-Japan mutual defense treaty grants the US the right to base US military forces in Japan, including aircraft and ships, in return for US security guarantees;
• the Japanese Government provides approximately $3 billion on average per year to offset the cost of stationing US forces in Japan;
• in addition, it pays compensation to localities hosting US troops, rent for bases, and costs for new facilities to support the US presence;
• Japan also has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation

• Japan was disarmed after its defeat in World War II;
• shortly after the Korean War began in 1950, US occupation forces in Japan created a 75,000-member lightly armed force called the National Police Reserve;
• the JSDF was founded in 1954;
• Article 9 of Japan’s 1947 constitution renounced the use of force as a means of settling international disputes;
• however, Japan has interpreted Article 9 to mean that it can maintain a military for national defense purposes and, since 1991, has allowed the JSDF to participate in noncombat roles overseas in a number of UN peacekeeping missions and in the US-led coalition in Iraq;
• in 2014-2015, the Japanese Government reinterpreted the constitution as allowing for "collective self-defense," described as the use of force on others’ behalf if Japan’s security was threatened;
• in 2022, the government released security policy documents that declared Japan’s intention to develop "counterstrike” capabilities, including armed drones and cruise missiles, and outlined plans to increase Japan’s security-related expenditures to 2% of GDP (2025)

• the military’s principal responsibilities are territorial defense while the National Police, National Guard, Committee for National Security, and Border Service have primary responsibility for internal security, although the military may provide assistance if required;
• the military also participates in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, as well as regional exercises;
• in recent years, Kazakhstan has placed greater emphasis on regional military partnerships and equipment modernization and diversification in order to reduce reliance on Russia, its traditional security partner;
• other efforts to enhance the country’s security sector have included boosting the capabilities of the National Guard and improving military professionalism

• Kazakhstan has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and has obligated troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force;
• it also has had a relationship with NATO since 1992 focused on democratic, institutional, and defense reforms (2025)

• the Korean People's Army (KPA) is one of the World’s largest military forces;
• founded in 1948, the KPA’s primary responsibilities are national defense and protection of the Kim regime;
• it also provides support to domestic economic projects such as agriculture production and infrastructure construction;
• North Korea views South Korea and the US as its primary external threats and Russia as its closest security partner

in addition to the invasion of South Korea and the subsequent Korean War (1950-53), North Korea from the 1960s to the 1980s launched a number of military and subversive actions against South Korea; including skirmishes along the DMZ, overt attempts to assassinate South Korean leaders, kidnappings, the bombing of an airliner, and a failed effort in 1968 to foment an insurrection and conduct a guerrilla war in the South with more than 100 seaborne commandos; from the 1990s until 2010, the North lost two submarines and a semi-submersible boat attempting to insert infiltrators into the South (1996, 1998) and provoked several engagements in the Northwest Islands area along the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL), including naval skirmishes between patrol boats in 1999 and 2002, the torpedoing and sinking of a South Korean Navy corvette in 2010, and the bombardment of a South Korean military installation on Yeonpyeong Island, also in 2010; since 2010, further minor incidents continue to occur periodically along the DMZ, where both the KPA and the South Korean military maintain large numbers of troops

• North Korea also has a history of provocative regional military actions and posturing that are of major concern to the international community, including: proliferation of military-related items;
• ballistic and cruise missile development and testing;
• weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs including tests of nuclear devices in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2017;
• and large conventional armed forces (2025)

• the South Korean military is responsible for external defense and is primarily focused on the threat from North Korea;
• it participates in bilateral and multinational exercises and deploys abroad for international missions, including peacekeeping and other security operations

• South Korea's primary defense partner is the US, and the 1953 US-South Korea Mutual Defense Treaty is a cornerstone of the country's national security;
• the Treaty committed the US to provide assistance in the event of an attack and gave the US permission to station land, air, and sea forces in and about the territory of South Korea as determined by mutual agreement;
• South Korea hosts approximately 28,000 US military troops and regularly conducts bilateral exercises with the US military;
• South Korea has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation;
• the South Korean military has assisted the US in conflicts in Afghanistan (5,000 troops; 2001-2014), Iraq (20,000 troops; 2003-2008), and Vietnam (325,000 troops; 1964-1973)

• in 2016, South Korea concluded an agreement with the EU for participation in EU Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, such as EU counter-piracy operations off the coast of East Africa;
• South Korea has had a relationship with NATO since 2005, and in 2022 established a mission to the NATO headquarters to further cooperation;
• it has participated in NATO-led missions and exercises, including in Afghanistan and the Gulf of Aden (2025)

• the Kyrgyz military’s primary responsibility is defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory, although it also has some internal security duties;
• the military also participates in UN and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeeping missions, as well as bilateral and multinational exercises;
• particular issues of concern include border security and terrorism;
• the military’s closest security partner is Russia, which provides training and material assistance, and maintains a presence in the country, including an airbase;
• the military also conducts training with other regional countries such as India, traditionally with a focus on counterterrorism

• Kyrgyzstan has been a member of CSTO since 1994 and contributes troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force;
• it also started a relationship with NATO in 1992 and joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994 (2025)

• the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) is responsible for defending and safeguarding the Maldives' territorial integrity, economic exclusion zone, and people;
• it is also responsible for disaster relief, and if requested, assisting the Maldives Police Service in maintaining internal security and law and order;
• maritime security is its largest focus;
• the Indian Armed Forces have long been the MNDF's most important partner (2025)

• the Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) are responsible for ensuring the country's independence, security, and territorial integrity, as well as supporting Mongolia's developmental goals and diplomacy;
• it has a range of missions, including counterterrorism, international peacekeeping duties, and assisting the internal security forces in providing emergency aid and disaster relief;
• Mongolia hosts an annual international peacekeeping exercise known as “Khaan Quest”;
• it has no formal military alliances, but has defense ties and conducts training exercises with several regional countries and others, such as China, India, Russia, and the US

• Mongolia actively cooperates with NATO on issues such as counterterrorism, nonproliferation, and cybersecurity through an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Program;
• it supported the NATO-led Kosovo Force from 2005-2007 and contributed troops to the NATO-led missions in Afghanistan from 2009-2021;
• Mongolia also is an observer in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (2025)

• the Nepali Army is responsible for territorial defense, fulfilling Nepal's commitments to UN peacekeeping, and some domestic duties such as disaster relief/humanitarian assistance, social services, and nature conservation efforts;
• during the 10-year civil war that ended in 2006, it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Maoist guerrillas;
• the Army has a long history of supporting UN missions, having sent its first UN observers to Lebanon in 1958 and its first troop contingent to Egypt in 1974;
• as of 2025, 150,000 Nepali military personnel have deployed on over 40 UN missions;
• Nepal's key security partners are China, India, and the US

• the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816);
• the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army and by 1914, there were 10 Gurkha regiments, collectively known as the Gurkha Brigade;
• following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies;
• four regiments were transferred to the British Army, where they have since served continuously as the Brigade of Gurkhas;
• six Gurkha (aka Gorkha in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army;
• a seventh regiment was later added;
• Gurkhas are also recruited into the Singaporean Police and a special guard in the Sultanate of Brunei known as the Gurkha Reserve Unit (2025)

• the Pakistan military is responsible for external defense but also has a domestic security role;
• its chief external focus is India;
• the military is the lead security agency in many areas of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and has for decades conducted operations against various internal militant groups;
• it is also one of the longest serving and largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions;
• China is its closest security partner

• the military operates largely independently and without effective civilian oversight;
• it has ruled the country for more than 30 years since independence in 1947 and continues to play a significant role in Pakistan's political arena;
• it also has a large stake in the country’s economic sector and is involved in a diverse array of commercial activities, including banking, construction of public projects, employment services, energy and power generation, fertilizer, food, housing, real estate, and security services

• Pakistan has fought four wars and several skirmishes with India;
• three of the wars have been over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been unsettled since the UK's 1947 withdrawal and the partition and independence of India and Pakistan;
• a fragile cease-fire was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the militarized Line of Control which serves as the border remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in the territory New Delhi controls;
• in the Spring of 2025, Indian held Pakistan responsible for a terrorist attack in India-controlled Kashmir and retaliated, sparking a brief cross-border conflict involving aircraft, artillery, drone, and missile strikes

• the Kashmir dispute also includes the Siachen Glacier, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area several times between 1985 and 1995;
• despite the 2003 cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2025)

• the Russian military is responsible for protecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, providing maritime security, and supporting Moscow's national security objectives, including projecting influence and power abroad and deterring perceived external threats;
• its missions include air, land, maritime, strategic missile, and expeditionary operations;
• it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space;
• the Russian military's focus is its ongoing war on Ukraine and the perceived threat from NATO and the US

• in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, beginning what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945;
• Russian military forces occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea in 2014, and Moscow subsequently backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine with arms, equipment, and training, as well as Russian military troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022

• Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the Syrian Government from September 2015 until the collapse of the ASAD regime in December 2024;
• it was Moscow’s first overseas military expeditionary operation since the Soviet era;
• Russian assistance included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training;
• Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008 (2025)

• the military of Sri Lanka is responsible for external defense, maritime security, and maintaining internal security;
• it has sent small numbers of personnel on UN peacekeeping missions;
• from 1983 to 2009, the military fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a conflict that involved both guerrilla and conventional warfare, as well as acts of terrorism and human rights abuses, and cost the military nearly 30,000 killed;
• since the end of the war, a large portion of the Army reportedly remains deployed in the majority Tamil-populated northern and eastern provinces;
• the military over the past decade also has increased its role in a range of commercial sectors including agriculture, hotels, leisure, and restaurants

• Sri Lanka traditionally has had close security ties to India;
• the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries conduct exercises together, and India trains approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers per year;
• in recent years, Sri Lanka has increased military ties with China, including acquiring military equipment, hosting naval port calls, and sending personnel to China for training (2025)

• the military's primary concerns are terrorism, border security, territorial defense, and regional security, particularly in neighboring Afghanistan;
• Russia is traditionally Tajikistan’s most important security partner and thousands of Russian troops are stationed in the country, primarily at the 201st military base, which Moscow has leased until at least 2042;
• Russia and Tajikistan have a joint air defense system, and they conduct periodic joint exercises;
• Tajikistan has been a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and contributes troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force;
• Tajikistan also cooperates on security matters with China, including joint military training

• Tajikistan is the only former Soviet republic that did not form its armed forces from old Soviet Army units following the collapse of the USSR in 1991;
• rather, Russia retained command of the Soviet units there while the Tajik government raised a military from scratch;
• the first ground forces were officially created in 1993 from groups that fought for the government during the Tajik Civil War (2025)

• the military is responsible for external defense and works closely with the Border Service on protecting the country’s borders;
• areas of emphasis for the military include border security, competition on the Caspian Sea, regional stability, and military modernization;
• while Turkmenistan has a policy of permanent and "positive" neutrality and has declined to participate in post-Soviet military groupings such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has participated in multinational exercises and bilateral training with neighboring countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan;
• Turkmenistan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994, but it does not offer any military forces to NATO-led operations (2025)

• the military’s responsibilities include ensuring the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing its borders, and assisting with internal security;
• regional security and international terrorism are areas of concern;
• Uzbekistan joined the Russian-sponsored Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the 1990s but withdrew in 1999;
• it returned in 2006 but left again in 2012;
• although not part of CSTO, Uzbekistan continues to maintain defense ties with Russia, including joint military exercises and defense industrial cooperation;
• it also has defense ties with other regional countries, including Azerbaijan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Turkey;
• it is part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and participates in SCO training exercises (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

• the ABDF’s responsibilities include providing for internal security and support to the police in maintaining law and order, interdicting narcotics smuggling, responding to natural disasters, and monitoring the country’s territorial waters and maritime resources;
• established in 1981 from colonial forces originally created in 1897, it is one of the world’s smallest militaries

the country has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

• defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• the Aruba security services focus on organized crime and terrorism;
• the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy;
• the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) provides maritime security;
• the Dutch military maintains a presence on Aruba, including a marine company and a naval base (2024)

• the RBDF was established in 1980;
• its primary responsibilities are maritime security and safeguarding the territorial integrity of the Bahamas, providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, and supporting internal law and order in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies;
• the RBDF is a naval force with a few light aircraft, coastal patrol craft, and patrol boats, as well as a lightly-armed marine infantry/commando squadron for base and internal security;
• the RBDF has training relationships with the UK and the US (2025)

• formed in 1979, the Barbados Defense Force (BDF) is responsible for protecting national security, but it may also be called up to maintain internal public order in times of crisis, emergency, or other specific needs, such as special joint patrols with the police;
• it also provides humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations both domestically and regionally;
• other duties include assisting with national development, such as through the training of the country's youth with the units of the Barbados Cadet Corps

Barbados has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security; the RSS is headquartered in Barbados (2025)

• the Belize Defense Force (BDF) is responsible for external security but also provides some support to civilian authorities;
• it has limited powers of arrest within land and shoreline areas, while the Coast Guard has arrest powers and jurisdiction within coastal and maritime areas;
• the BDF traces its history back to the Prince Regent Royal Honduras Militia, a volunteer force established in 1817;
• the BDF was established in 1978 from the disbanded Police Special Force and the Belize Volunteer Guard to assist the resident British forces with the defense of Belize against Guatemala

• the British Army has maintained a presence in Belize since its independence;
• the presence consists of a small training support unit that provides jungle training to troops from the UK and international partners (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

defense is the responsibility of the UK

• Costa Rica relies on specialized paramilitary units within the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) for internal security missions and countering transnational threats such as narcotics smuggling and organized crime, as well as for participating in regional security operations and exercises;
• MPS forces have received advisory and training support from the US (2025)

• the Cuban military is largely focused on protecting territorial integrity and the state;
• it perceives the US as its primary threat;
• the military is a central pillar of the Cuban regime and viewed as the guardian of the Cuban revolution;
• it has a large role in the country’s politics and economy;
• many senior government posts are held by military officers, and the FAR reportedly has interests in agriculture, banking and finance, construction, import/export, ports, industry, real estate, retail, shipping, transportation, and tourism (2025)

• defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy;
• local security forces are supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB));
• there are two Dutch naval bases on Curaçao, and the Dutch Army maintains a small unit on a rotational basis (2025)

Dominica has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

• the military is responsible for defending the independence, integrity, and sovereignty of the Dominican Republic;
• it also has an internal security role, which includes assisting with airport, border, port, tourism, and urban security, supporting the police in maintaining or restoring public order, countering transnational crime, and providing disaster or emergency relief/management;
• a key area of focus is securing the country’s 217-mile (350-kilometer) long border with Haiti, where the Army in recent years has assigned thousands of troops to assist with security;
• these forces complement the personnel of the Border Security Corps permanently deployed along the border;
• the Air Force and Navy also provide support to the Haitian border mission;
• the Army has a brigade dedicated to managing and providing relief during natural disasters;
• the military also contributes personnel to the National Drug Control Directorate, and both the Air Force and Navy devote assets to detecting and interdicting narcotics trafficking;
• the Navy conducts regular bilateral maritime interdiction exercises with the US Navy (2025)

• the Armed Force of El Salvador (FAES) is responsible for defending national sovereignty and ensuring territorial integrity but also has considerable domestic security responsibilities;
• while the National Civil Police (PNC) are responsible for maintaining public security, the country’s constitution allows the president to use the FAES “in exceptional circumstances” to maintain internal peace and public security;
• in 2016, the government created a special joint unit of Army commandos and police to fight criminal gangs;
• more military personnel were devoted to internal security beginning in 2019 when President BUKELE signed a decree authorizing military involvement in police duties to combat rising gang violence, organized crime, and narcotics trafficking, as well as assisting with border security

• the military led the country for much of the 20th century;
• from 1980 to 1992, it fought a bloody civil war against guerrillas from the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front or FMLN, the paramilitary arm of the Democratic Revolutionary Front (Frente Democrático Revolucionario), a coalition of left-wing dissident political groups backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union;
• the FAES received considerable US support during the conflict;
• significant human rights violations occurred during the war and approximately 75,000 Salvadorans, mostly civilians, were killed (2025)

Grenada joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 1985; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

• the military is responsible for maintaining the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the honor of Guatemala, but has long focused on internal security;
• since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the military to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking;
• other responsibilities include border security, cybersecurity, and providing humanitarian assistance;
• it also participates in UN missions on a small scale and has a peacekeeping operations training command that offers training to regional countries;
• the military has security ties with regional partners such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras;
• cooperation with El Salvador and Honduras has included a combined police-military anti-gang task force to patrol border areas;
• it also has ties with the US, including joint training exercises and material assistance

• the military held power during most of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war (1960-1996) and conducted a campaign of widespread violence and repression, particularly against the country’s majority indigenous population;
• more than 200,000 people were estimated to have been killed or disappeared during the conflict (2025)

• Haiti's military was disbanded in 1995 after it participated in multiple coups and was accused of other political interference and human rights violations;
• the military was reinstated by former President MOISE in 2017 after the UN ended its peacekeeping operation in Haiti;
• the reconstituted military established an Army command in 2018 and has received some training assistance from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, France, and Mexico;
• the military’s stated mission is to assist with natural disaster relief, border security, and combating transnational crime;
• in 2023, Prime Minister HENRY called upon the military to assist the National Police (PNH) in combating armed gangs, which have overwhelmed the PNH, killed hundreds of Haitians, and seized control of swaths of territory, including much of the capital Port-au-Prince, since the assassination of President MOISE in 2021

• in 2023, the UN Security Council approved the deployment of a Kenya-led multinational security support mission (MSS) to help bring gang violence under control;
• the first contingent of MSS personnel from the Kenya National Police Service arrived in mid-2024;
• other countries pledging forces included the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica;
• the mission is slated to have a total of 2,500 personnel (2025)

• the Honduran Armed Forces (FFAA) are responsible for maintaining the country’s territory, defending its sovereignty, providing emergency/humanitarian assistance, and supporting the National Police (PNH);
• the FFAA’s primary focus is internal and border security, and since 2011 a considerable portion of it has been deployed to support the PNH in combating narcotics trafficking and organized crime;
• military support to domestic security included the creation of the Military Police of Public Order (PMOP) in 2013 to provide security in areas controlled by street gangs to combat crime and make arrests;
• the FFAA, including the PMOP, cooperates with the militaries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua on border security

• the FFAA has received military equipment, training, humanitarian, and technical assistance from the US military;
• the US military maintains a joint service task force co-located with the FFAA at Soto Cano Air Base (2025)

• in addition to its responsibility of defending against external aggression, the Jamaican Defense Force's (JDF) primary missions are border, cyber, internal, and maritime security;
• other missions include search and rescue, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and peacekeeping;
• it has arrest authority and partners with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), particularly in support of combating crime and violence;
• both the JDF and JCF are under the Ministry of National Security, which directs policy for the security forces;
• the JDF participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, including with the armed forces of Canada, the UK, the US, and other Caribbean nations

while Jamaica had a militia force as early as the 1660s, the JDF was constituted in 1962 from the West India Regiment (WIR), a British colonial regiment which dates back to 1795 (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

defense is the responsibility of the US

• the military is responsible for defending Nicaragua’s independence, sovereignty, and territory;
• it also has some domestic security responsibilities, including border security, assisting the police, protecting natural resources, and providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance;
• Nicaragua has defense ties with Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia;
• Russia has provided training support and equipment;
• in 2025, Nicaragua signed an agreement of “mutual protection” with Russia

• the modern Army of Nicaragua was created in 1979 as the Sandinista Popular Army (1979-1984);
• prior to 1979, the military was known as the National Guard, which was organized and trained by the US in the 1920s and 1930s;
• the first commander of the National Guard, Anastasio SOMOZA GARCIA, seized power in 1937 and ran the country as a military dictator until his assassination in 1956;
• his sons ran the country either directly or through figureheads until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979;
• the defeated National Guard was disbanded by the Sandinistas (2025)

• the Panamanian Public Forces focus on law enforcement, border control, and maritime security;
• the National Police are responsible for internal law enforcement and public order, while the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) handles border security;
• the Aeronaval Service is responsible for carrying out air and naval operations that include some internal security responsibilities;
• key areas of focus are countering narcotics trafficking and securing the border, particularly along the frontier with Colombia where SENAFRONT maintains a significant presence

• Panama created a paramilitary National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Panamá) in the 1950s from the former National Police (established 1904);
• the National Guard subsequently evolved into more of a military force with some police responsibilities;
• it seized power in a coup in 1968 and military officers ran the country until 1989;
• in 1983, the National Guard was renamed the Panama Defense Force (PDF);
• the PDF was disbanded after the 1989 US invasion and the current national police forces were formed in 1990;
• the armed forces were officially abolished under the 1994 Constitution (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the US

defense is the responsibility of France

SKNDF's missions include protecting the country's territorial integrity, assisting the police in combating the illegal narcotic trade and other crimes, and providing humanitarian and disaster relief assistance; the force also has a regional role through the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS); St. Kitts joined the RSS in 1984; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

Saint Lucia has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

defense is the responsibility of France

the country has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

• defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• the KPSM is supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB))

• the primary responsibilities of the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) are conducting border and maritime security, assisting civil authorities in times of crisis or disaster, providing search and rescue services, securing ports, and supporting civil law enforcement, particularly in countering gang-related crime and trafficking of narcotics and other illicit goods;
• the Police Service maintains internal security (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

defense is the responsibility of the US

• the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are responsible for defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, assisting with internal security, providing disaster and humanitarian relief, and participating in international peacekeeping missions;
• the AAF is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions;
• the AAF has contributed small numbers of forces to several NATO missions since Albania joined NATO in 2009, including peacekeeping/stability missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, and multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia;
• it has also contributed to EU and UN missions (2025)

defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

• the military’s primary responsibilities are national defense and protecting Austria’s neutrality;
• it also has some domestic security and disaster response responsibilities;
• each of the nine federal states has a military command that provides a link between the military and civil authorities;
• the main tasks of these commands include providing military assistance during disasters and supporting security police operations

• the Austrian military contributes to international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions;
• Austria has been constitutionally militarily non-aligned since 1955 but is an EU member and actively participates in EU peacekeeping and crisis management operations under the EU Common Security and Defense Policy;
• Austria is not a member of NATO but joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace framework in 1995 and participates in some NATO-led crisis management and peacekeeping operations;
• more than 100,000 Austrian military and civilian personnel have taken part in more than 50 international peace support and humanitarian missions since 1960 (2025)

• the military of Belarus is responsible for territorial defense;
• Russia is the country’s closest security partner, and the military conducts joint training exercises with Russian forces;
• in 2022, Belarus allowed the Russian military to stage on its territory for their invasion of Ukraine;
• in 2023, Belarus agreed to permit Russia to deploy nuclear weapons on its soil

• Belarus has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and has committed an airborne brigade to CSTO's rapid reaction force;
• the military trains regularly with other CSTO members (2025)

• the Belgian military's responsibilities include territorial defense, humanitarian/disaster relief, assistance to the police if required, international peacekeeping missions, and support to its NATO and EU security commitments, which Belgium considers vital components of its national security policy;
• outside of the country, the military operates almost always within an international organization or a coalition;
• Belgium was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) establishing NATO in 1949;
• it hosts the NATO headquarters in Brussels;
• Belgium also cooperates bilaterally with neighboring countries, such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands, in conducting joint patrols of their respective air spaces and in a composite combined special operations command with Denmark and the Netherlands (2025)

• the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) are responsible for territorial defense, providing assistance to civil authorities during disasters or other emergencies, and participating in collective security and peace support operations;
• each of the AFBiH's three combat brigades are headquartered inside of their respective ethnicity territory, while its main headquarters is in Sarajevo;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to join NATO;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 2006 and was invited to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan in 2010;
• the AFBiH is undergoing a 10-year (2017-2027) defense modernization and reform program for preparing to join and integrate with NATO;
• it has contributed small numbers of troops to EU, NATO, and UN missions

NATO maintains a military headquarters in Sarajevo with the mission of assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina with the PfP program and promoting closer integration with NATO, as well as providing logistics and other support to the EU Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR), which has operated in the country to oversee implementation of the Dayton/Paris Agreement since taking over from NATO's Stabilization Force (SFOR) in 2004 (2025)

• the Bulgarian military is responsible for guaranteeing Bulgaria’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, providing support to international peace and security missions, and contributing to national security in peacetime, including such missions as responding to disasters or assisting with border security;
• the military trains regularly including in multinational exercises with regional partners and with NATO since Bulgaria joined the organization in 2004;
• it also participates in overseas peacekeeping and other security missions under the EU, NATO, and the UN;
• in 2022, Bulgaria established and began leading a NATO multinational battlegroup as part of an effort to boost NATO defenses in Eastern Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine;
• in 2021, Bulgaria approved a 10-year defense development program, which included calls for equipment upgrades and procurements, boosts in manpower, organizational reforms, and greater focus on such areas as cyber defense, communications, logistics support, and research and development

• the Bulgarian military has participated in several significant conflicts since its establishment in 1878, including the Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), the First Balkan War (1912-13), the Second Balkan War (1913), World War I (1915-1918), and World War II (1941-45);
• during the Cold War it was one of the Warsaw Pact’s largest militaries with over 150,000 personnel and more than 200 Soviet-made combat aircraft (2025)

the Armed Forces of Croatia (OSRH) are responsible for the defense of Croatia’s sovereignty and territory, contributing to international humanitarian, peacekeeping, and security missions, and providing assistance to civil authorities for such missions as responding to disasters, search and rescue, anti-terrorism, and internal security in times of crisis if called upon by the prime minister or the president; Croatia joined NATO in 2009, and the OSRH participates in NATO missions, including its peacekeeping force in Kosovo and the Enhanced Forward Presence mission in Eastern Europe; it also contributes to EU and UN missions; the OSRH trains regularly with NATO and regional partners

• the OSRH was established in 1991 from the Croatian National Guard during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-95);
• during the war, the ground forces grew to as many as 60 brigades and dozens of independent battalions, and a single military offensive against Serbian forces in 1995 included some 100,000 Croatian troops;
• in 2000, Croatia initiated an effort to modernize and reform the OSRH into a small, professional military capable of meeting the challenges of NATO membership (2025)

• the Czech military is responsible for national and territorial defense, assisting civil authorities during natural disasters or other emergencies, boosting border security alongside the police, participating in international peacekeeping operations, and supporting its collective security commitments to the EU and NATO, both of which Czechia considers pillars of its national security strategy;
• Czechia is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, contributes to UN peacekeeping operations, and actively participates in EU military and security missions under the EU Common Security and Defense Policy;
• the Czech military has been an active member of NATO since the country joined in 2009 and participates in a variety of NATO’s collective defense missions, including contributing to the Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, Baltic Air Policing operations, rapid response forces, and operations in Kosovo;
• it also exercises regularly with NATO partners and maintains close bilateral ties to a number of militaries particularly partner members of the Visegrad Group (Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) and Germany

• the military has commands for its land, air, cyber/information operations, and territorial forces, as well as a joint operations command and a separate special forces directorate;
• the Territorial Command is responsible for the active reserves and regional military commands that align with each of Czechia’s 13 regions and the capital, Prague (2025)

the Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret) have a variety of missions, including enforcing the country’s sovereignty, monitoring Danish waters and airspace, search and rescue, environmental protection, host nation support for alliance partners, international peacekeeping, fulfilling Denmark’s commitments to NATO, and providing assistance to the police for border control, guard tasks, air surveillance, and during national disasters and other emergencies

• NATO has been a cornerstone of Danish security and defense police since it joined in 1949 as one of the organization’s original members under the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty);
• the Forsvaret regularly exercises with NATO allies and participates in a number of NATO missions, including its Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, air policing in the Baltics, naval operations in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic, and an advisory mission in Iraq;
• the Forsvaret leads NATO’s Multinational Division – North (inaugurated 2019), a headquarters based in Latvia that supports the defense planning of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and the coordination of regional military activities, including NATO’s forward deployed forces;
• it also takes part in other international missions for Europe and the UN ranging from peacekeeping in Africa to protecting Europe's external borders by patrolling the Mediterranean Sea in support of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency;
• Denmark is a member of the EU and voted to join the EU’s Common Defense and Security Policy in a 2022 referendum;
• the Forsvaret cooperates closely with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden in such areas as armaments, training and exercises, and operations;
• it also has a joint composite special operations command with Belgium and the Netherlands

• the Forsvaret has an Arctic Command to protect the sovereignty of Denmark in the Arctic region, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and conducts maritime pollution prevention, environmental monitoring, fishery inspections, search and rescue, and hydrographical surveys, plus support to governmental science missions;
• there is also a joint service Special Operations Command (SOKOM), which includes the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite unit that patrols the most remote parts of northeast Greenland (2025)

• Estonia’s defense policy aims to guarantee the country’s independence and sovereignty, protect its territorial integrity, including waters and airspace, and preserve constitutional order;
• Estonia’s main defense goals are developing and maintaining a credible deterrent to outside aggression and ensuring the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) can fulfill their commitments to NATO and interoperate with the armed forces of NATO and EU member states;
• the EDF’s primary external focus is Russia;
• since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Estonia has boosted defense spending, sent arms to Ukraine, and sought to boost the EDF’s capabilities in such areas as air defense, artillery, personnel readiness, and surveillance

• Estonia has been a member of NATO since 2004, is fully integrated within the NATO structure, and relies on its NATO partners for defense;
• since 2017, Estonia has hosted a UK-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative;
• as the EDF Air Force does not have any combat aircraft, NATO has provided airspace protection for Estonia since 2004 through its Baltic Air Policing mission;
• NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on four-month rotations;
• NATO fighter aircraft have been hosted at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base since 2014;
• Estonia also hosts a NATO cyber security center;
• it cooperates closely with the EU on defense issues through the EU Common Security and Defense Policy and is a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions;
• Estonia also has close defense ties with its Baltic neighbors and has bilateral military agreements with a number of European countries, as well as Canada and the US (2025)

• the EU partners with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO);
• NATO is an alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe;
• its role is to safeguard the security of its member countries by political and military means;
• NATO conducts crisis management and peacekeeping missions;
• member countries that participate in the military aspect of the Alliance contribute forces and equipment, which remain under national command and control until a time when they are required by NATO for a specific purpose (i.e., conflict or crisis, peacekeeping);
• NATO, however, does possess some common capabilities owned and operated by the Alliance, such as some early warning radar aircraft;
• relations between NATO and the EU were institutionalized in the early 2000s, building on steps taken during the 1990s to promote greater European responsibility in defense matters;
• cooperation and coordination covers a broad array of issues, including crisis management, defense and political consultations, civil preparedness, capacity building, military capabilities, maritime security, planning, cyber defense, countering hybrid threats, information sharing, logistics, defense industry, counterterrorism, etc.;
• since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU and NATO have intensified their work and cooperation;
• NATO and the EU have 23 member countries in common

there are no permanent standing EU forces, but Europe has a variety of multinational military organizations that may be deployed through the EU, in a NATO environment, upon the mandate of the participating countries, or upon the mandate of other international organizations, such as the UN or OSCE including:

• the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC) was declared operational in May 2025;
• the RDC's purpose is to enable the EU to respond to different crisis scenarios by providing a flexible and scalable military instrument of up to 5,000 troops that can be deployed in a swift manner;
• missions could include capacity building, conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, rescue and evacuation, or stabilization;
• the use of the RDC is subject to a unanimous decision by the EU Member States

• EU Battlegroups (BGs) are rapid reaction multinational army units that form a key part of the EU's capacity to respond to crises and conflicts;
• their deployment is subject to a unanimous decision by the European Council;
• BGs typically consists of 1,500-2,000 troops organized around an infantry battalion depending on the mission;
• the troops and equipment are drawn from EU member states and under the direction of a lead nation;
• two BGs are always on standby for a period of six months;
• the BGs were declared operational in 2007 but have never been used operationally due to political and financial obstacles

• the European Corps (Eurocorps) is an independent multinational land force corps headquarters composed of personnel from six framework nations and five associated nations;
• the corps has no standing operational units;
• during a crisis, units would be drawn from participating states, and the corps would be placed at the service of the EU and NATO;
• Eurocorps was established in 1992 by France and Germany;
• Belgium (1993), Spain (1994), and Luxembourg (1996) joined over the next few years;
• Poland joined in 2022;
• Greece and Turkey (since 2002), Italy, Romania, and Austria (since 2009, 2016, and 2021 respectively) participate as associated nations;
• Eurocorps is headquartered in France

• the European Gendarmerie Force (EURGENDFOR) is an operational, pre-organized, and rapidly deployable European gendarmerie/police force;
• it is not established at the EU level, but is capable of performing police tasks, including law enforcement, stability operations, and training in support of the EU, the UN, OSCE, NATO, and other international organizations or ad hoc coalitions;
• member state gendarmeries include those of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain;
• the Lithuanian Public Security Service is a partner, while Turkey's Gendarmerie is an observer force

• the European Medical Corps (EMC) was set up in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014 to enable the deployment of teams and equipment from EU member states to provide medical assistance and public health expertise in response to emergencies inside and outside the EU;
• 12 European states have committed teams and equipment to the EMC

• the European Medical Command (EMC) was formed to provide a standing EU medical capability, increase medical operational readiness, and improve interoperability amongst the participating EU members;
• it operates closely with the NATO Framework Nations Concept’s Multinational Medical Coordination Center (MMCC) under a single administrative and infrastructural framework (MMCC/EMC);
• the EMC was declared operational in May 2022

• the European Air Transport Command (EATC) is a single multinational command for more than 150 military air mobility assets from seven member states, including transport, air-to-air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation;
• the EATC headquarters is located in the Netherlands, but the air assets remain located at member national air bases;
• the EATC was established in 2010

• the European Air Group (EAG) is an independent organization formed by the air forces of its seven member nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK) that is focused on improving interoperability between the air forces of EAG members and its 14 partner and associate nations;
• it was established in the late 1990s and is headquartered in the UK

• the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR or EMF) is a four-nation (France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain), non-standing naval force with the ability to carry out naval, air, and amphibious operations;
• EUROMARFOR was formed in 1995 to conduct missions such as crisis response, humanitarian missions, peacekeeping, peace enforcement, and sea control;
• it can deploy under EU, NATO, or UN mandate, but also as long as the four partner nations agree

• the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) is a deployable, combined France-UK military force of up to 10,000 personnel for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations;
• the CJEF has no standing forces but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations;
• it was established in 2010 and declared operational in 2020

• the 1st German/Netherlands (Dutch) Corps is a combined army corps headquarters that has the ability to conduct operations under the command and control of Germany and the Netherlands, NATO, or the EU;
• in peacetime, approximately 1,100 Dutch and German soldiers are assigned, but during a crisis up to 80,000 troops may be assigned;
• it was formed in 1995 and is headquartered in Germany

• the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG) is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units;
• units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation;
• it was formed in 2014 and is headquartered in Poland (2025)

• the Government of Denmark has responsibility for defense;
• as such, the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk, Greenland is responsible for coordinating the defense of the Faroe Islands;
• the Joint Arctic Command has a contact element in the capital of Torshavn

• the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF) are focused primarily on territorial defense, which is based on having a large, trained reserve force created by general conscription;
• other FDF responsibilities include support to international peacekeeping operations and some domestic security duties, such as assisting the National Police in maintaining law and order in crises

• the FDF is also focused on fulfilling its commitment to NATO;
• following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland applied for NATO membership, gaining entry in April 2023;
• Finland had been part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program since 1994 and participated in NATO-led military missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq;
• in 2024, it joined NATO's Air Policing mission in Eastern Europe

• Finland is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and actively participates in EU crisis management missions and operations;
• the FDF also cooperates closely with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation structure (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and involves cooperation in such areas as armaments, education, human resources, training and exercises, and operations;
• Sweden, the UK, and the US are close bi-lateral defense partners;
• in 2022, Finland signed a mutual security agreement with the UK, and since 2014 has been part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions (2025)

• the French military has a global footprint and a wide range of missions and responsibilities, to include protecting French territory, population, and interests, and fulfilling France’s commitments to NATO, European security, and international peacekeeping operations under the UN;
• it is the largest military in the EU and has a leading role in the EU security framework, as well as in NATO;
• in recent years, it has actively participated in coalition peacekeeping and other security operations in regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, often in a lead role;
• the military regularly conducts large-scale exercises and participates in a variety of bi-lateral and multinational exercises;
• it also has a domestic security mission, including providing enhanced security at sensitive sites and large events and support during national crises or disasters, such as fighting forest fires;
• in recent years, defense responsibilities have expanded to include cyber and space domains

• in 2010, France and the UK signed a declaration on defense and security cooperation that included greater military interoperability and a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), a deployable, combined Anglo-French military force for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, including high intensity operations, peacekeeping, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance;
• the CJEF has no standing forces, but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations (2025)

• the Bundeswehr’s core mission is the defense of Germany and its NATO partners;
• it has a wide range of peacetime duties, including crisis management, cyber security, deterrence, homeland security, humanitarian and disaster relief, and international peacekeeping and stability operations;
• as a key member of NATO and the EU, the Bundeswehr typically operates in a coalition environment, and its capabilities are largely based on NATO and EU planning goals and needs;
• it has participated in a range of NATO and EU missions in Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as global maritime operations;
• the Bundeswehr has close bilateral defense ties with a number of EU countries, including the Czechia, France, the Netherlands, and Romania, as well as the UK and the US;
• it also contributes forces to UN peacekeeping missions

• the Bundeswehr was established in 1955;
• at the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, it had nearly 600,000 personnel, over 7,000 tanks, and 1,000 combat aircraft;
• in addition, over 400,000 soldiers from other NATO countries—including about 200,000 US military personnel—were stationed in West Germany;
• in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the Bundeswehr shrank by more than 60% in size (over 90% in tanks and about 80% in aircraft), while funding fell from nearly 3% of GDP and over 4% of government spending in the mid-1980s to 1.2% and 1.6% respectively;
• by the 2010s, the Bundeswehr’s ability to fulfill its regional security commitments had deteriorated;
• the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale assault on Ukraine in 2022 led to renewed emphasis on Germany’s leadership role in European defense and NATO and efforts to boost funding for the Bundeswehr to improve readiness, modernize, and expand (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

• the Hellenic Armed Forces (HAF) are responsible for protecting Greece’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity;
• the HAF also maintains a presence on Cyprus (the Hellenic Force in Cyprus or ELDYK) to assist and support the Cypriot National Guard;
• as a member of the EU, NATO, and other international organizations, the HAF participates in multinational peacekeeping and other security missions abroad, taking a particular interest in missions occurring in the near regions, such as the Balkans, the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, the Middle East, and North Africa;
• areas of focus for the HAF include instability in the Balkans, territorial disputes with Turkey, and support to European security through the EU and NATO

Greece’s NATO membership is a key component of its security; it became a NATO member in 1952 and occupies a strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean on NATO’s southern flank; Greece is host to several NATO facilities, including the Deployable Corps Greece (NDC-GR) headquarters in Thessaloniki, the Combined Air Operations Center in Larissa, the Multinational Peace Support Operations Training Center in Kilkis, the Multinational Sealift Coordination Center in Athens, and the Naval Base, Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre, and NATO Missile Firing Installation at Souda, Crete (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

defense is the responsibility of Italy

• the Hungarian Defense Forces (HDF) are responsible for ensuring the defense of the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and citizens, and fulfilling Hungary’s commitments to the EU and NATO, as well as contributing to other international peacekeeping efforts under the UN;
• key areas of concern for the HDF the HDF is also responsible for some aspects of domestic security, crisis management, disaster response, and assisting law enforcement forces in border security

• Hungary has been a member of NATO since 1999 and considers the collective defense ensured within the Alliance as a cornerstone of the country’s security;
• NATO membership is complemented by Hungary’s ties to the EU under its Common Security and Defense Policy;
• the HDF has participated in multiple NATO-led security missions, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, as well as EU-led missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mali;
• it hosts a NATO battlegroup comprised of troops from Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and the US, and NATO’s Multinational Division Center, a headquarters capable of commanding a division-sized force (typically 15-20,000 troops) in a crisis;
• both organizations were established as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine;
• Hungary is a member of the Visegrad Group, a regional platform that brings together Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to discuss cultural, defense, and political cooperation (2025)

• the Irish Defense Forces (IDF) are responsible for external defense, assisting civil authorities upon request, participating in multinational peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, and providing for maritime security;
• the IDF traces its origins back to the Irish Volunteers, a unit established in 1913 which took part in the 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921)