North Macedonia — Military File

MCB · 49/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.

Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).

Jul–Sep 2026 came and went without leaving a mark on the country's trajectory. Continuity, not change, is the story.

For a small or mid-sized state, that is often the good outcome: no shock to absorb, no crisis to manage.

Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM or ARNM): joint force with air, ground, reserve, special operations, and support forces (2025)

approximately 6,000 active military personnel (2025)

the military's inventory is a mix of Russian/Soviet-era armaments and growing quantities of more modern equipment from countries such as Türkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2007 (2025)

the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM) is responsible for the defense of the country’s territory and independence, fulfilling North Macedonia’s commitments to NATO and European security, and contributing to EU, NATO, and UN peace and security missions; the ARSM has participated in multinational missions and operations in Afghanistan (NATO), Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU), Eastern Europe (NATO), Iraq (NATO), Kosovo (NATO), and Lebanon (UN); a key area of focus over the past decade has been improving capabilities and bringing the largely Soviet-era-equipped ARSM up to NATO standards; it has increased its participation in NATO training exercises since becoming the 30th member of the Alliance in 2020 and currently has small numbers of combat troops deployed to Bulgaria and Romania as part of NATO’s Enhance Forward Presence mission implemented because of Russian military aggression against Ukraine (2025)