Countries With the Most US Military Bases

The U.S. and its northern neighbor defense arrangements extend beyond the presence of military bases and include continental defense within the binational North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Still, the only U.S. military base remaining in Canada, its closest military ally, is the Argentia Newfoundland base, which was built during WWII.

The U.S. maintained a strong naval presence there throughout the war and through the following decades during the Cold War, when, among other functions, it helped detect Soviet nuclear submarines. Since the end of the Cold War, the base lost much of its functional purpose and by 1994, all American military personnel were withdrawn. In recent years, however, the site has been used by the U.S. Coast Guard as a resupply point for ships in the Placentia Bay.

The only U.S. military base in Peru serves as an infectious disease research center. The Naval Medical Research Center, or NAMRU-6, was established in 1983 and works on vaccine testing, infection prevention, diagnostics, and insect control measures. The center’s primary focus is on viral pathogens common to the region, such as the flu, dengue, and Zika.

Cooperative Secure Location, or CSL, a base maintained by the U.S. Navy, is the only operating American military outpost in El Salvador. As its name suggests, the CSL is the product of a long-term cooperative agreement with the host nation. Not technically a base, the CSL is primarily an airfield the U.S. leases from El Salvador. The CSL was established in 2000 to monitor large shipments of illegal drugs. It is operated by the U.S. Navy and other U.S. agencies personnel.

The Navy is investing tens of millions of dollars into Naval Air Station Keflavik, which has gone largely unused since 2006. The base, which served as a way-station during WWII and the Cold War has taken on a new strategic significance, as it will now house P-8A Poseidon aircraft used to track Russian submarines — which have become increasingly present in the region.

Though Iceland is a member of NATO, it has no standing military of its own and depends on the militaries of other member states for its security.

The U.S. established diplomatic relations with Kenya in 1964 and formed a stronger partnership with the country following its transition to a democracy in 2002. Advancing its strategic objectives, the U.S. is working with the East African country military to increase its counterterrorism, marittime, and peacekeeping capabilities. As of September 2017, the U.S.had one major military base in the country — a naval support station outside of Mombasa.

In August 2019, Camp Simba, located near Manda Bay, became one of the latest bases established in the country. An attack on the camp by al-Shabaab fighters in early 2020 left three Americans dead. Because it only recently became an official military installation, Camp Simba was not counted in the ranking for this story.

Since 1946, the U.S. Navy has had a footprint in Egypt with a Naval Medical Research Unit 3 — the Defense Department’s largest overseas laboratory made up of about 30 buildings that span 3 acres. The installation conducts research and surveillance — primarily related to infectious disease — to support military personnel deployed across Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.

Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar is a U.S. Army base comprising 23 buildings with a DoD-estimated value of over $106 million. American military personnel stationed at the base participate in an annual multinational exercise named Eagle Resolve — which includes counterterrorism training and simulations of various attacks. Qatar is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, supporting both NATO and American military operations in the region.

Along with Qatar and Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates is one of a handful of Persian Gulf countries that the U.S. military counts among its allies. The Port of Jebel Ali, located in the Gulf just south of Dubai, is the world’s largest artificial deep-water harbor and also the busiest port for the U.S. Navy outside of the United States.

Since the fall in 1991 of the Soviet Union — of which Bulgaria was a satellite state — the U.S.has developed a close military alliance with Bulgaria. As a result, the U.S. military has access to and shared use of several military facilities in the Balkan country. The Novo Selo Training Area, or NSTA, is a joint U.S.-Bulgarian military base that has been used by both countries for training and troop exercises since 2004. The facility is equipped for tank artillery firing and nuclear and chemical weapons defense training. The U.S. Army invested $61 million in the base in 2008.

Bulgaria is one of a handful of NATO countries to spend at least 2.0% of its annual GDP on defense — a threshold agreed upon in 2014.

Mutual interests like security and defense — particularly with regard to terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destuction — are a cornerstone of U.S.-Singapore relations, though the two countries do not refer to each other as allies. Under a recently re-signed agreement, the U.S. military has access to naval and air bases in the city-state until 2035. As of September 2017, the U.S. operates one Naval base in Singapore — a strategic access point to the South China Sea.

For about 40 years, the U.S. military has had an outpost at Soto Cano Air Base known as Joint Task Force Bravo. At any given time, the base has between 500 and 1,500 U.S. troops who carry out a range of missions including disaster response, medical assistance, and military training for allied nations in the region.

Camp Lemonnier, located in the East African nation of Djibouti, was established in 2003 and is the only combat-capable American military base on the continent. The base, which formerly belonged to France, is now home to some 4,000 American troops whose primary role is carrying out counterterrorism operations in Somalia. Camp Lemonnier also has been a base for missions conducted in nearby Yemen.

Though Greenland is a territory of Denmark, it is classified as autonomous and has its own parliament. Greenland is also considered the largest island in the world and is an important strategic ally to the United States. The Thule Air Base, established at the beginning of the Cold War, is geographically the largest U.S. military installation located in a foreign country, spanning over 233,000 acres.

The base is home to the 21st Space Wing’s network of missile detection sensors, a dedicated squadron for detecting and tracking potential intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) launched at targets in North America, a 10,000-foot runway, and the world’s northernmost deep water port.

The United States established diplomatic relations with Kuwait in 1961 and liberated the oil rich country from Iraq in 1991. Since 2003, the country has served as a staging ground for U.S. military operations in Iraq. As of September 2017, there were two major U.S. military installations in the country: Camp Arifjan, which serves as U.S. military headquarters in the country, and Camp Buehring, an Army base that boasts a 5,215 foot runway with precision radar capabilities that allow for landings in low-visibility conditions.

The United States owns and operates two major military installations in Spain: Morón Air Force Base and Naval Station Rota. In addition to these installations, the U.S. is permitted to use certain Spanish military bases and facilities.

As a NATO member state, Spain in 2014 agreed to spend at least 2.0% of its annual GDP on defense by 2024. Currently, the Mediterranean nation spends just 1.2% of its GDP on defense.

Romania, an adversary of the United States in WWII, has become a close ally since the fall of the Soviet Union, even joining NATO in 2004. The U.S. has several military installations in the Balkan country, including an airfield, an Army camp, and a naval facility near the Black Sea.

Romania hit its NATO-designated defense spending of 2.0% of annual GDP for the first time in 2019. When NATO set the target threshold in 2014, Romania was spending the equivalent of 1.3% of its GDP on defense.

The United States has three military installations in Australia. Each is a communications facility that the U.S. Navy operates jointly with the Australian military on a peninsula in Western Australia that separates the Exmouth Gulf from the Indian Ocean.

Australia is one of the closest military allies of the United States — the two countries have fought together in every major conflict since World War I. The strong alliance is a pillar of peacekeeping and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Oman, home to four U.S. military installations, is a critical strategic ally in an unstable region. The U.S.’s common objectives with the Middle Eastern country include counterterrorism and security of maritime oil shipments. The largest U.S. military base in the country is an Air Force facility on the island of Masirah that boasts 10,005 foot and 8,446 foot runways.

As the southernmost NATO member in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Greece is an important NATO ally, according to the U.S. State Department. As of September 2017, the U.S. had four major naval bases in the country, the largest of which is the Naval Support Activity Souda Bay that covers over 100 acres on the island of Crete. The base, which provides operational support to U.S. and coalition forces operating in the area, was founded in 1969 with an initial staff of 13. Today, it is home to 750 military and civilian personnel.

The Netherlands, one of the oldest U.S. military allies, is home to five major American military installations — each controlled by the Army. These bases include the U.S. Army Garrison Benelux-Schinnen, a support base of operations for regional American and NATO interests. A sixth U.S. base, the Forward Operating Location in the Netherlands Antilles territories, is used to combat drug trafficking is located in the Caribbean.

As a NATO member state, the Netherlands in 2014 agreed to spend at least 2.0% of its annual GDP on defense by 2024. Currently, the Netherlands spend just 1.3% of annual GDP on defense.

The Bahamas are home to six active U.S. Navy installations — each a part of the broader Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, or AUTEC, a submarine and weapons testing program. The main AUTEC base was selected because of its location, a site that is protected from the open ocean, insulating it from ambient noise. All told, AUTEC facilities in the Bahamas include 141 buildings, span 540 acres, and have a total DoD estimated replacement value of nearly $500 million.

As of September 2017, the United States had eight major military installations in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain — all of them operated by the Navy. The U.S. has had a military presence in the country since 1948 and has more than 7,000 military personnel stationed there. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is based in the country and patrols much of the region, including the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Red Sea. Bahrain is a key U.S. partner in the region and a participant in the U.S.-led coalition to defeat ISIS.

Turkey is an important historic U.S. ally, providing the U.S. military strategic leverage against the Soviet Union during the Cold War and a launching point for U.S. operations in the Middle East. The only NATO member state in the Middle East, Turkey remains a key strategic partner. The U.S. has eight military installations in the country — the largest of which is the 3,336-acre Incirlik Air Base. There are about 2,500 American troops stationed at the base, which is also home to as many as 50 nuclear gravity bombs. Notably, Turkey refused to let the U.S. use the base during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Home to the NATO headquarters, Belgium is a key military ally of the United States. The country is also host to nine major American military installations — nine run by the Army and one by the Air Force. American bases in the area serve both U.S. and NATO interests.

As a NATO member state, Belgium in 2014 agreed to spend at least 2.0% of its annual GDP on defense by 2024. Currently, Belgium spends just 0.9% of annual GDP on defense.

Portugal is one of several NATO member countries to rank on this list. As of September 2017, the country was host to nine U.S. military installations. The largest installation in the country is the Lajes Field. Though the base is run by the Portuguese Air Force, it is home to the 65th Air Base Wing. The base, located in the Azores, is a logistical hub for the U.S. and NATO partners. Portugal is a U.S. partner in a number of capacities, including combating ISIS and fighting drug trafficking.

There are 18 major military installations in the United Kingdom — the largest of which is the 7,000-acre Naval base located in the British overseas territory of Diego Garcia. The second largest U.S. base in Great Britain is the Ascension Auxiliary Airfield, which is also located off the mainland in the territory of St. Helena. The U.S. Air Force shares this base with the Royal Air Force. The largest American base on the mainland is the RAF Lakenheath, which is home to the 48th Fighter Wing.

Italy is one of several U.S. adversaries from WWII that are now a close ally — and home to multiple American military installations. The country is home to nine major Air Force installations, 10 Army installations, and another 10 Navy installations. The largest U.S. base in the country is the Aviano Air Base, located in northern Italy and home to the 31st Fighter Wing. The second largest U.S. base in the country is the Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, which is part of a larger NATO base that includes troops from other member states.

South Korea is a close U.S. ally that shares a border with one of our nation’s most dangerous adversaries — North Korea, a nuclear power. As of September 2020, the U.S. had 64 major bases throughout the country, operated by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

Recently, Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about an hour south of the South Korean capital of Seoul, underwent a massive expansion. Once one of the smaller installations in the country, the base recently tripled in size from housing about 11,000 U.S. troops to over 40,000. The base is a focal point of U.S. operations in Asia.

As of September 2017, Japan was host to 86 major American military installations — the most of any country in Asia and second most in the world, not counting the United States. The largest U.S. installation in the country is Camp Fuji, which contains five live fire ranges and is operated by the Marine Corps. The camp is located on the main island of Honshu less than two hours from Tokyo. The U.S.-Japan military alliance is a pillar of stability in the region.

The concentration of American military installations in Japan are due in large part to an agreement forged in 1960. The U.S.-Japan agreement allowed the United States to establish bases in the country — giving the U.S. a foothold in Asia — so long as it defended Japan if it were attacked.

Germany, one of the closest U.S. allies today, is host to 87 major American military installations — the largest of which by total acreage is the Ramstein Air Base. In close proximity to the borders of nine other countries, the base serves as the U.S. Air Force European headquarters and is sometimes referred to as “Little America” because of the tens of thousands of U.S. personnel in the area. The second largest US installation in the country is the Spangdahlem Air Base, located in western Germany. The base is home to the 52nd Fighter Wing.

The world-leading U.S. military presence in Germany can be partially explained by the two country’s history since the end of World War II, when the U.S. military was part of the decade-long occupation of Germany. The U.S. European Command is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.