In this article, we look at 5 NATO members with the largest militaries. You can read about European countries racking up their defense in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by heading over to the 15 NATO Members with the Largest Militaries.
5. Greece
Active Military Personnel: 142,700
Aircraft: 372
Tanks: 1,365
Submarines: 11
Strategic Warships: 13
Score: 4.19
Greece has one of the largest militaries in NATO. In addition to the 142,700 active soldiers, the Greek military also has a large reserve force of 221,350 personnel. The country boasts a large fleet of battle tanks, and is equipped with a sizable number of military aircraft as well. On the naval side, Greece has 11 submarines and 13 strategic warships. Athens spent 3.01% of its GDP on defense expenditure in 2023 – the third highest share among NATO members.
4. United Kingdom
Active Military Personnel: 184,860
Aircraft: 466
Tanks: 213
Submarines: 10
Strategic Warships: 17
Score: 4.26
Next up on our list of NATO members with the largest militaries is the United Kingdom, which has the fifth largest military in the alliance in terms of manpower. About 750,000 people reach military age annually in the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last year pledged to increase military spending by an additional $6 billion over the next two years to counter threats faced from Russia and China.
3. France
Active Military Personnel: 200,000
Aircraft: 658
Tanks: 222
Submarines: 9
Strategic Warships: 21
Score: 4.45
France has one of the largest standing militaries in Europe with about 200,000 active military personnel. The country boasts a large fleet of advanced military aircraft and battle tanks. The French Navy operates 126 naval assets, which include one aircraft carrier, 9 submarines, and 21 strategic warships, among others. France spent 1.9% of its GDP on defense expenditure last year, and is inching closer to NATO’s 2% spending target.
2. Turkiye
Active Military Personnel: 355,200
Aircraft: 618
Tanks: 2,231
Submarines: 12
Strategic Warships: 25
Score: 4.81
Turkiye has the second largest standing military among NATO members, with over 355,000 active troops, and another 378,700 personnel in reserves. According to the Global Firepower Index, about 1.4 million Turks reach military age annually. The country boasts an impressive fleet of military aircraft, which most notably includes 157 F-16 fighter jets. Turkiye’s battle-tank fleet is the tenth largest in the world. It is also well-served on the naval side with one aircraft carrier, 9 corvettes, 12 submarines, and 16 frigates among other assets.
1. United States
Active Military Personnel: 1,328,000
Aircraft: 5,209
Tanks: 4,657
Submarines: 64
Strategic Warships: 98
Score: 5.00
The United States boasts the largest military in NATO, with an active manpower of nearly 1.33 million troops – which is the third largest in the world after China and India. The US also has 799,500 personnel in its reserve forces. The country’s air force has the largest fleet of aircraft in the world, which comprises 196 F-35s, 177 F-22 Raptor, 775 F-16s, and 408 F-15 fighter jets among several other combat aircraft, training jets, and helicopters. The US also has the fifth most number of battle tanks. Moreover, the US Navy operates 64 submarines – only one behind Russia – and boasts 98 strategic warships and 11 aircraft carriers including a $13.3 billion warship.
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