The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is by far the strongest military alliance on Earth. Composed of roughly 30 nations, NATO collectively has the largest stockpile of military assets, aircraft, and vehicles. Outside of the United States, the bulk of these assets are in Europe with the United Kingdom, France, and Italy boasting some of the largest forces within the alliance. (Checkout the NATO countries with the strongest navies.)
The United States is by far the largest military within NATO, but most of its forces are not within the European continent. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is focusing more on the military holdings of NATO nations within Europe. (The U.S. has strongest military within NATO, #2 might surprise you.)
For starters, France has substantial military holdings, including its own nuclear arsenal, advanced fighter jets such as the Rafale, and naval assets like the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. French military doctrine emphasizes rapid deployment and global intervention capabilities, this is reflected in its permanent bases in Africa and the Middle East.
Outside of these assets, countries like France rely heavily on their ground forces to achieve their operational objectives. Units like tanks, MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems), and other armored vehicles are important in this regard, each serving in a different capacity. Armored vehicles ensure safety with troop movement, while tanks, MLRS, and artillery provide offensive firepower. It should be noted that there are a number of vehicles that serve in a logistical capacity outside of any combat roles.
Collectively, these assets enable NATO forces to maintain a tactical advantage, regardless of the terrain. These also enable rapid deployment, which ultimately acts as a deterrent for opposing forces. Also, the standardization of these vehicles across NATO allows for an improved joint operational capacity among member nations. (Nearly 900 of this stealth fighter jet take to the skies worldwide.)
Here, 24/7 Wall St. is looking at the European nations with the largest forces of military vehicles. To identify the European countries with the most military vehicles, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2024 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 vehicles in their arsenal. We included supplemental information regarding the total tanks, artillery and MLRS units, as well as each country’s overall military strength score. Note that we have excluded Russia from this list.
Here is a look at the European countries with the most military vehicles:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding the military dynamics in Europe is important considering the continent’s deeply rooted geopolitical challenges going forward. Historically, Europe has been marked by wars, shifting alliances, and territorial disputes, and yet it still remains a key player on the global stage. At the same time, alliances like the EU or NATO are some of the most powerful in terms of their influence on the world. Whether it is a question of NATO’s expansion or Russia’s campaign in Eastern Europe, these military forces tilt the region’s balance of power.
38. Iceland:
- Total military vehicles: 175
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 0
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.5038 – #136 out of 145
37. Luxembourg:
- Total military vehicles: 180
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 0
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1458 – #109 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Luxembourg has 1 military aircraft. Luxembourg has 1,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 660,924.
36. Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- Total military vehicles: 450
- Total tanks: 91
- Total artillery: 590
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 79
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.3996 – #116 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Bosnia and Herzegovina has 24 military aircraft (including 24 helicopters). Bosnia and Herzegovina has 12,770 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.8 million.
35. Moldova:
- Total military vehicles: 450
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 0
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 4.2311 – #144 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Moldova has 3 military aircraft (including 2 helicopters). Moldova has 8,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.3 million.
34. Montenegro:
- Total military vehicles: 662
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 12
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 12
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.9109 – #129 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Montenegro has 11 military aircraft (all helicopters). Montenegro has 2,350 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 602,445.
33. Austria:
.jpg "Austria Tanks by 7th Army Training Command")
- Total military vehicles: 848
- Total tanks: 58
- Total artillery: 53
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2351 – #71 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Austria has 104 military aircraft (including 15 fighter aircraft and 66 helicopters). Austria has 16,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 8.9 million.
32. Kosovo:
- Total military vehicles: 922
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 0
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.4115 – #135 out of 145
Kosovo has 10,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.0 million.
31. Albania:
- Total military vehicles: 976
- Total tanks: 40
- Total artillery: 0
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.8188 – #90 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Albania has 19 military aircraft (all helicopters). Albania has 6,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.1 million.
30. Ireland:
- Total military vehicles: 1,064
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 0
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.8779 – #94 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Ireland has 25 military aircraft (including 8 helicopters). Ireland has 7,765 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.3 million.
29. Lithuania:
- Total military vehicles: 1,356
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 75
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.7395 – #88 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Lithuania has 9 military aircraft (including 4 helicopters). Lithuania has 23,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.7 million.
28. Estonia:
- Total military vehicles: 1,409
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 24
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 6
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.7237 – #87 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Estonia has 7 military aircraft (including 3 helicopters). Estonia has 7,700 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.2 million.
27. Slovenia:
- Total military vehicles: 1,502
- Total tanks: 55
- Total artillery: 18
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.8286 – #91 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Slovenia has 38 military aircraft (including 12 helicopters). Slovenia has 7,300 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.1 million.
26. Latvia:
- Total military vehicles: 1,544
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 59
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.9911 – #99 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Latvia has 7 military aircraft (all helicopters). Latvia has 17,250 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.8 million.
25. Slovakia:
- Total military vehicles: 2,048
- Total tanks: 36
- Total artillery: 44
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 25
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.1891 – #69 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Slovakia has 37 military aircraft (including 22 helicopters). Slovakia has 19,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.4 million.
24. North Macedonia:
- Total military vehicles: 2,156
- Total tanks: 23
- Total artillery: 191
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 24
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1717 – #110 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, North Macedonia has 20 military aircraft (including 10 helicopters). North Macedonia has 9,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.1 million.
23. Croatia:
- Total military vehicles: 3,076
- Total tanks: 75
- Total artillery: 181
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 105
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.1333 – #66 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Croatia has 81 military aircraft (including 11 fighter aircraft and 52 helicopters). Croatia has 14,325 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 4.2 million.
22. Netherlands:
- Total military vehicles: 3,176
- Total tanks: 18
- Total artillery: 72
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5644 – #40 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, the Netherlands has 143 military aircraft (including 26 attack aircraft, 26 fighter aircraft, and 66 helicopters). The Netherlands has 41,380 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 17.5 million.
21. Serbia:
- Total military vehicles: 3,954
- Total tanks: 262
- Total artillery: 162
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 82
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.9038 – #56 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Serbia has 112 military aircraft (including 17 attack aircraft, 11 fighter aircraft, and 44 helicopters). Serbia has 25,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 6.7 million.
20. Denmark:
- Total military vehicles: 4,056
- Total tanks: 44
- Total artillery: 19
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7743 – #48 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Denmark has 119 military aircraft (including 4 attack aircraft, 33 fighter aircraft, and 34 helicopters). Denmark has 20,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.9 million.
19. Switzerland:
_Birmenstorf,_Switzerland_(Ank_Kumar,_Infosys_Limited)_04.jpg "Switzerland tank by Ank Kumar")
- Total military vehicles: 4,304
- Total tanks: 134
- Total artillery: 133
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6097 – #43 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Switzerland has 147 military aircraft (including 43 fighter aircraft and 41 helicopters). Switzerland has 101,584 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 8.6 million.
18. Belgium:
- Total military vehicles: 4,606
- Total tanks: 0
- Total artillery: 0
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2064 – #70 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Belgium has 110 military aircraft (including 45 fighter aircraft and 20 helicopters). Belgium has 25,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 11.9 million.
17. Belarus:
- Total military vehicles: 6,700
- Total tanks: 517
- Total artillery: 539
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 206
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0901 – #64 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Belarus has 183 military aircraft (including 51 attack aircraft, 37 fighter aircraft, and 64 helicopters). Belarus has 63,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 9.4 million.
16. Czechia:
- Total military vehicles: 6,757
- Total tanks: 65
- Total artillery: 53
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7706 – #46 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Czechia has 88 military aircraft (including 16 attack aircraft, 12 fighter aircraft, and 33 helicopters). Czechia has 28,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.7 million.
15. Norway:
- Total military vehicles: 7,048
- Total tanks: 36
- Total artillery: 56
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5664 – #41 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Norway has 102 military aircraft (including 30 attack aircraft and 37 helicopters). Norway has 23,250 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.6 million.
14. Bulgaria:
- Total military vehicles: 7,420
- Total tanks: 215
- Total artillery: 273
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 24
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0132 – #62 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Bulgaria has 65 military aircraft (including 5 attack aircraft, 11 fighter aircraft, and 27 helicopters). Bulgaria has 37,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 6.8 million.
13. Hungary:
- Total military vehicles: 7,797
- Total tanks: 208
- Total artillery: 318
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8478 – #54 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Hungary has 62 military aircraft (including 12 fighter aircraft and 38 helicopters). Hungary has 41,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 9.7 million.
12. Sweden:
- Total military vehicles: 7,958
- Total tanks: 120
- Total artillery: 26
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4009 – #29 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Sweden has 212 military aircraft (including 71 fighter aircraft and 53 helicopters). Sweden has 24,400 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.5 million.
11. Romania:
- Total military vehicles: 9,990
- Total tanks: 345
- Total artillery: 720
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 225
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7712 – #47 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Romania has 131 military aircraft (including 14 fighter aircraft and 67 helicopters). Romania has 81,300 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 18.3 million.
10. Portugal:
.jpg "portugal artillery by Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum")
- Total military vehicles: 11,173
- Total tanks: 34
- Total artillery: 106
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5609 – #38 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Portugal has 117 military aircraft (including 28 fighter aircraft and 38 helicopters). Portugal has 24,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.5 million.
9. Finland:
- Total military vehicles: 11,716
- Total tanks: 200
- Total artillery: 792
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 76
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7967 – #50 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Finland has 164 military aircraft (including 55 fighter aircraft and 27 helicopters). Finland has 24,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.6 million.
8. Poland:
- Total military vehicles: 13,956
- Total tanks: 612
- Total artillery: 525
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 211
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2917 – #21 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Poland has 468 military aircraft (including 34 attack aircraft, 59 fighter aircraft, and 215 helicopters). Poland has 202,100 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 38.0 million.
7. Spain:
- Total military vehicles: 15,046
- Total tanks: 327
- Total artillery: 236
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2882 – #20 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Spain has 513 military aircraft (including 12 attack aircraft, 139 fighter aircraft, and 121 helicopters). Spain has 133,282 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 47.2 million.
6. Ukraine:
- Total military vehicles: 22,110
- Total tanks: 1,777
- Total artillery: 2,217
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 491
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2598 – #18 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Ukraine has 321 military aircraft (including 30 attack aircraft, 72 fighter aircraft, and 130 helicopters). Ukraine has 900,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 43.3 million.
5. United Kingdom:
- Total military vehicles: 27,203
- Total tanks: 213
- Total artillery: 197
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 41
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1443 – #6 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, the United Kingdom has 664 military aircraft (including 29 attack aircraft, 120 fighter aircraft, and 276 helicopters). The United Kingdom has 184,860 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.1 million.
4. Greece:
- Total military vehicles: 57,030
- Total tanks: 1,365
- Total artillery: 1,318
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 152
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4349 – #32 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Greece has 632 military aircraft (including 194 fighter aircraft and 289 helicopters). Greece has 142,700 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.5 million.
3. Italy:
- Total military vehicles: 61,892
- Total tanks: 200
- Total artillery: 172
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 21
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1863 – #10 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Italy has 800 military aircraft (including 67 attack aircraft, 90 fighter aircraft, and 402 helicopters). Italy has 165,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 61.0 million.
2. Germany:
- Total military vehicles: 79,317
- Total tanks: 295
- Total artillery: 134
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 33
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2847 – #19 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, Germany has 618 military aircraft (including 76 attack aircraft, 133 fighter aircraft, and 318 helicopters). Germany has 181,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 84.2 million.
1. France:
- Total military vehicles: 85,023
- Total tanks: 222
- Total artillery: 96
- Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 9
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1878 – #11 out of 145
Apart from the ground forces, France has 972 military aircraft (including 224 fighter aircraft and 447 helicopters). France has 200,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.5 million.
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