US Allied NATO Nations Spend Billions on Paramilitary ‘Shadow Armies’

Apart from the traditional forces that NATO heavily relies on, the alliance operates paramilitary organizations that serve other purposes besides direct military action. Paramilitary forces typically act as internal security, border protection, and even disaster relief or humanitarian aid. When NATO is not directly militarily involved around the world, these paramilitary forces fill in the gaps and help where needed. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the NATO nations with the largest paramilitary forces.

To identify the NATO countries with the most paramilitary personnel, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked on the total number of paramilitary personnel. We included supplemental information regarding total personnel, active personnel, reserves, total population, and fit-for-service, as well as the overall military strength score and defense budget. Countries without paramilitary forces were excluded.

Here is a look at the countries with the largest paramilitary forces in NATO:

Why Are We Covering This?

Understanding NATO’s military dynamics is important when looking at the state of global security. Since its inception, NATO has played a pivotal role in shaping international relations through its collective defense and security framework. As geopolitical tensions continue to rise and new threats emerge, knowing and understanding NATO’s military capabilities is important for getting a clearer picture of the world stage. Not to mention, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, among others, contribute significantly to NATO’s military strength, influencing global power balances and regional stability.

23. Albania

• Paramilitary forces: 500
• Active personnel: 6,600
• Reserves: 2,000
• Total military personnel: 9,100
• Total population: 3,107,100
• Fit-for-service: 1,292,554
• Military defense budget: $558,862,420 – #101 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.6815 – #78 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Albania also has a total of 19 military aircraft, 1,796 military vehicles (including 46 tanks and 135 MLRS units), as well as 19 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

22. Croatia

• Paramilitary forces: 2,000
• Active personnel: 14,325
• Reserves: 20,100
• Total military personnel: 36,425
• Total population: 4,150,116
• Fit-for-service: 1,564,594
• Military defense budget: $1,176,000,000 – #83 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.5074 – #75 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Croatia also has a total of 67 military aircraft, 2,848 military vehicles (including 45 tanks and 42 MLRS units), as well as 30 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

21. North Macedonia

• Paramilitary forces: 3,500
• Active personnel: 9,000
• Reserves: 60,000
• Total military personnel: 7,250
• Total population: 2,135,622
• Fit-for-service: 783,773
• Military defense budget: $388,421,700 – #114 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 2.4042 – #112 out of 145

Outside of its troops, North Macedonia also has a total of 20 military aircraft, 1,108 military vehicles (including 20 tanks and 17 MLRS units), and no navy to speak of.

20. Netherlands

• Paramilitary forces: 5,000
• Active personnel: 41,380
• Reserves: 6,765
• Total military personnel: 53,145
• Total population: 17,772,378
• Fit-for-service: 6,486,918
• Military defense budget: $27,000,000,000 – #18 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.6412 – #36 out of 145

Outside of its troops, the Netherlands also has a total of 120 military aircraft, 2,755 military vehicles (including 18 tanks and 2 MLRS units), as well as 64 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

19. Slovenia

• Paramilitary forces: 5,000
• Active personnel: 7,300
• Reserves: 26,000
• Total military personnel: 38,300
• Total population: 2,097,893
• Fit-for-service: 826,570
• Military defense budget: $886,860,000 – #91 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 2.1016 – #96 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Slovenia also has a total of 39 military aircraft, 1,428 military vehicles (including 54 tanks), as well as 2 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

18. Canada

• Paramilitary forces: 5,500
• Active personnel: 68,000
• Reserves: 27,000
• Total military personnel: 100,500
• Total population: 38,794,813
• Fit-for-service: 13,500,595
• Military defense budget: $41,000,000,000 – #15 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.5179 – #28 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Canada also has a total of 351 military aircraft, 21,704 military vehicles (including 74 tanks), as well as 73 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

17. Montenegro

• Paramilitary forces: 5,500
• Active personnel: 2,350
• Reserves: 0
• Total military personnel: 7,850
• Total population: 599,849
• Fit-for-service: 85,179
• Military defense budget: $148,100,000 – #136 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 2.9216 – #127 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Montenegro also has a total of 11 military aircraft, 471 military vehicles (including 12 MLRS units), as well as 14 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

16. Estonia

• Paramilitary forces: 10,000
• Active personnel: 7,700
• Reserves: 78,800
• Total military personnel: 96,500
• Total population: 1,193,791
• Fit-for-service: 456,028
• Military defense budget: $1,463,360,000 – #77 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 2.2917 – #107 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Estonia also has a total of 5 military aircraft, 1,685 military vehicles, as well as 8 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

15. Latvia

• Paramilitary forces: 12,500
• Active personnel: 17,250
• Reserves: 36,000
• Total military personnel: 65,750
• Total population: 1,801,246
• Fit-for-service: 648,449
• Military defense budget: $1,138,000,000 – #84 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 2.1246 – #99 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Latvia also has a total of 7 military aircraft, 1,848 military vehicles, as well as 18 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

14. Lithuania

• Paramilitary forces: 14,150
• Active personnel: 23,000
• Reserves: 104,000
• Total military personnel: 141,150
• Total population: 2,628,186
• Fit-for-service: 1,332,490
• Military defense budget: $2,388,900,000 – #66 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.9075 – #88 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Lithuania also has a total of 9 military aircraft, 1,263 military vehicles, as well as 14 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

13. Hungary

• Paramilitary forces: 15,000
• Active personnel: 41,600
• Reserves: 20,000
• Total military personnel: 76,600
• Total population: 9,855,745
• Fit-for-service: 3,794,462
• Military defense budget: $4,576,000,000 – #53 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.0259 – #55 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Hungary also has a total of 69 military aircraft, 7,797 military vehicles (including 209 tanks), and no navy to speak of.

12. Romania

• Paramilitary forces: 15,000
• Active personnel: 81,300
• Reserves: 55,000
• Total military personnel: 151,300
• Total population: 18,148,155
• Fit-for-service: 7,731,114
• Military defense budget: $9,700,000,000 – #33 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.8984 – #51 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Romania also has a total of 140 military aircraft, 10,774 military vehicles (including 328 tanks and 243 MLRS units), as well as 20 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

11. Portugal

• Paramilitary forces: 24,700
• Active personnel: 24,000
• Reserves: 211,700
• Total military personnel: 260,400
• Total population: 10,639,726
• Fit-for-service: 4,096,295
• Military defense budget: $4,627,000,000 – #52 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.6856 – #39 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Portugal also has a total of 115 military aircraft, 10,828 military vehicles (including 34 tanks), as well as 194 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

10. Sweden

• Paramilitary forces: 25,000
• Active personnel: 24,400
• Reserves: 32,900
• Total military personnel: 82,300
• Total population: 10,589,835
• Fit-for-service: 3,558,185
• Military defense budget: $13,000,000,000 – #28 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.4835 – #27 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Sweden also has a total of 169 military aircraft, 6,795 military vehicles (including 110 tanks), as well as 308 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

9. Norway

• Paramilitary forces: 40,000
• Active personnel: 23,250
• Reserves: 0
• Total military personnel: 63,250
• Total population: 5,509,733
• Fit-for-service: 1,807,192
• Military defense budget: $9,710,000,000 – #32 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.6811 – #38 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Norway also has a total of 97 military aircraft, 6,552 military vehicles (including 44 tanks), as well as 43 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

8. Poland

• Paramilitary forces: 50,000
• Active personnel: 202,100
• Reserves: 350,000
• Total military personnel: 602,100
• Total population: 38,746,310
• Fit-for-service: 15,576,017
• Military defense budget: $48,700,000,000 – #12 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.3776 – #22 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Poland also has a total of 479 military aircraft, 23,138 military vehicles (including 614 tanks and 196 MLRS units), as well as 62 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

7. Denmark

• Paramilitary forces: 51,000
• Active personnel: 20,000
• Reserves: 12,000
• Total military personnel: 83,000
• Total population: 5,973,136
• Fit-for-service: 2,126,436
• Military defense budget: $7,225,466,250 – #40 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.8109 – #45 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Denmark also has a total of 117 military aircraft, 3,856 military vehicles (including 44 tanks and 8 MLRS units), as well as 50 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

6. Finland

• Paramilitary forces: 53,800
• Active personnel: 24,000
• Reserves: 870,000
• Total military personnel: 947,800
• Total population: 5,626,414
• Fit-for-service: 1,912,981
• Military defense budget: $6,779,661,000 – #42 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.8437 – #48 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Finland also has a total of 163 military aircraft, 11,704 military vehicles (including 200 tanks and 76 MLRS units), as well as 264 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

5. Greece

• Paramilitary forces: 55,000
• Active personnel: 142,700
• Reserves: 221,350
• Total military personnel: 419,050
• Total population: 10,461,091
• Fit-for-service: 3,985,676
• Military defense budget: $6,500,000,000 – #44 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.5337 – #30 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Greece also has a total of 558 military aircraft, 61,888 military vehicles (including 1,344 tanks and 152 MLRS units), as well as 192 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

4. Spain

• Paramilitary forces: 78,470
• Active personnel: 133,282
• Reserves: 15,150
• Total military personnel: 226,902
• Total population: 47,280,433
• Fit-for-service: 17,635,602
• Military defense budget: $23,397,000,000 – #22 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.3242 – #17 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Spain also has a total of 461 military aircraft, 17,626 military vehicles (including 317 tanks), as well as 152 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

3. Italy

• Paramilitary forces: 105,000
• Active personnel: 165,500
• Reserves: 18,500
• Total military personnel: 289,000
• Total population: 60,964,931
• Fit-for-service: 22,191,235
• Military defense budget: $30,890,000,000 – #16 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.2164 – #10 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Italy also has a total of 729 military aircraft, 73,480 military vehicles (including 200 tanks and 21 MLRS units), as well as 196 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

2. France

• Paramilitary forces: 150,000
• Active personnel: 200,000
• Reserves: 26,000
• Total military personnel: 376,000
• Total population: 68,374,591
• Fit-for-service: 23,794,358
• Military defense budget: $55,000,000,000 – #9 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.1878 – #8 out of 145

Outside of its troops, France also has a total of 976 military aircraft, 110,932 military vehicles (including 215 tanks and 9 MLRS units), as well as 129 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

1. Turkey

• Paramilitary forces: 150,000
• Active personnel: 355,200
• Reserves: 378,700
• Total military personnel: 883,900
• Total population: 84,119,531
• Fit-for-service: 36,087,279
• Military defense budget: $47,000,000,000 – #13 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.1902 – #9 out of 145

Outside of its troops, Turkey also has a total of 1,083 military aircraft, 61,173 military vehicles (including 2,238 tanks and 296 MLRS units), as well as 182 ships and/or submarines at its disposal.

The post US Allied NATO Nations Spend Billions on Paramilitary ‘Shadow Armies’ appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..