North Macedonia Military Forces

Strategic Position

North Macedonia is a landlocked state in the central Balkans, situating its defense posture within the context of regional stability and Euro-Atlantic integration. The country became the 30th member of NATO in 2020, which serves as the primary pillar of its security architecture. National defense doctrine emphasizes collective security, territorial integrity, and the maintenance of good relations with neighboring states to mitigate historical regional tensions.

Primary security concerns involve hybrid warfare, cyber threats, and the potential for regional instability in the Western Balkans. North Macedonia maintains a Strategic Partnership with the United States and has strengthened bilateral defense ties with the United Kingdom through a revised defense strategy agreement signed in 2025. Additionally, the country maintains close military-technical cooperation with Turkey, formalized through a 2025 memorandum on industrial collaboration.

Military personnel are regularly deployed to NATO missions, including the Kosovo Force (KFOR) and multinational battlegroups along the alliance's eastern flank in Bulgaria, Latvia, and Romania. The national strategy prioritizes transitioning from a legacy of territorial defense based on conscription to a fully professionalized force capable of high interoperability within NATO frameworks.

Military Forces

The Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM) is a professionalized force organized under a General Staff reporting to the Ministry of Defence. The Commander-in-Chief is the President of the Republic. The force structure is centered on the Operations Command, which oversees the primary combat units, and the Training and Doctrine Command.

Personnel The active force consists of approximately 10,000 personnel, supported by a reserve component of roughly 60,000. Since the abolition of compulsory service, the military has operated as an all-volunteer force.

Ground Forces The Ground Forces are organized around the 1st Infantry Brigade, which includes the Light Infantry Battalion Group—the country's primary unit declared for NATO operations. Following the donation of all remaining main battle tanks to Ukraine, the army has transitioned exclusively to wheeled mechanized and motorized formations.

The inventory is undergoing a shift from Soviet-era platforms to Western equipment. The army operates Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) and is in the process of inducting Stryker 8x8 armored fighting vehicles. Legacy equipment includes BTR-70 and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, alongside M113 variants. Artillery capabilities are based on towed 105mm howitzers, including the Boran system.

Air Force The Air Force (Air Force WING) primarily provides transport, surveillance, and rotary-wing support. It does not operate fixed-wing fighter aircraft, relying instead on NATO Air Policing for sovereign airspace protection. The helicopter fleet consists of Mi-8/17 transport helicopters and Bell 206 training aircraft. North Macedonia has contracted for the delivery of AgustaWestland AW149 and AW169M multirole helicopters to replace its aging Soviet-era rotary assets, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2028.

Special Forces The Special Operations Regiment is the army's elite component, comprising the "Wolves" Special Forces Battalion and a Rangers Battalion. These units are trained for unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, and reconnaissance.

Defense Industry

The domestic defense industry is concentrated in small arms ammunition and ballistic protection. The primary manufacturer is ATS Group, which operates several entities including ATS Ammunition and ATS Ballistics. The company produces small-caliber ammunition, composite ballistic helmets, and body armor, exporting these products to over 50 countries. In 2025, ATS Group initiated plans for a gunpowder production facility in North Macedonia through a joint venture with the Turkish state-owned company MKE.

While the country is self-sufficient in small arms ammunition and personal protective gear, it remains almost entirely dependent on foreign imports for heavy equipment, aviation, and advanced electronic systems. Recent procurement programs highlight a reliance on American, Italian, and Turkish manufacturers.

Strategic Trends

Defense spending in 2025 and 2026 is approximately 2% to 2.5% of GDP, meeting the NATO baseline. The government has committed to a long-term plan to increase total security and defense-related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a target endorsed at the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague.

Current modernization priorities focus on the "Light Infantry" concept, emphasizing mobility and rapid deployment. Key procurement trends include:

• Armored Mobility: Completing the delivery of JLTVs and the operationalization of the Stryker fleet.

• Air Defense: Enhancing short-range air defense (SHORAD) through the procurement of Mistral 3 systems, with deliveries expected in 2026.

• Aviation: Transitioning the rotary fleet from Soviet platforms to Italian AgustaWestland models.

• Unmanned Systems: Increasing the integration of reconnaissance and surveillance drones into infantry units.

Fiscal constraints remain a primary challenge as the military attempts to balance high-cost equipment acquisitions with the personnel and infrastructure costs required to sustain a professional force. Global supply chain disruptions have also impacted delivery timelines for advanced systems, such as air defense batteries.