Albania Military Power Ranking 2025
MPR Rank: 134th
MPR SCORE: 230
MPR Index: 0.0579 (1.0000 is perfect)
Reverse MPR Index: 0.8911 (0.0000 is perfect)
Z Score: -0.579 (standard deviations above the mean)
Overview
Albania ranks 134th globally in the 2025 Military Power Rankings. As a NATO member since 2009, Albania fields a small, professional, volunteer-based military focused on territorial defense, rapid response, and multinational operations. Its defense doctrine prioritizes NATO interoperability, disaster relief, and peacekeeping missions, with strategic reliance on U.S. and NATO support for modernization, infrastructure development, and specialized training.
The Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) consist of the Land Force, Air Force, and Naval Force, with a growing emphasis on cybersecurity, special operations, and interagency disaster coordination. Albania contributes troops to NATO, EU, and UN peacekeeping operations and regularly hosts joint training exercises with allied militaries. While limited in size and conventional combat power, the AAF plays a valuable role in regional security frameworks, including Balkan stability and maritime domain cooperation in the Adriatic Sea.
Strengths
1. Full NATO Integration and Alliance Participation
Albania is fully integrated into NATO’s command and defense architecture, contributing to allied operations, training missions, and hosting joint exercises involving U.S., Italian, and Balkan forces.
2. Focus on Special Forces and Cyber Defense
Albania has developed a well-trained Special Operations Battalion (BFS) and invested in cybersecurity infrastructure, including NATO-backed upgrades, to enhance internal resilience and address modern asymmetric threats.
3. Strategic Location and Air Surveillance Network
Situated on the Adriatic coast, Albania supports NATO air policing and regional surveillance coverage, improving defense coordination across Southern Europe and the Western Balkans.
Why Albania Is Still Ranked 134th
1. Very Limited Conventional Firepower
The AAF lacks tanks, combat aircraft, and long-range artillery, operating with light vehicles, helicopters, and patrol boats, which restrict its role to support, logistics, and internal defense.
2. Small Force Size and Budget Dependency
Albania maintains fewer than 10,000 active personnel, with limited strategic reserves, and depends heavily on foreign donations, U.S. equipment transfers, and NATO capacity-building programs.
3. No Power Projection or Independent Deterrence Capability
Albania has no ability to project force abroad independently, lacking airlift, missile systems, or naval combat platforms, meaning its military presence is limited to allied frameworks and peacekeeping missions.
Conclusion
Albania’s military is a disciplined, alliance-integrated force optimized for rapid reaction, peacekeeping, and regional stability support, not for conventional warfighting or force projection. While materially constrained, its value lies in NATO alignment, strategic positioning, and modernization through partnership. Its global ranking reflects its limited independent capacity, though it remains a reliable and active contributor to European and transatlantic security.
Military Strength and Force Projection
Active Military Personnel: 6,500
Reserve Personnel: 10,000
Paramilitary Forces: 3,000 (Military Police, Gendarmerie)
Army Personnel: 4,000
Navy Personnel: 1,000
Air Force Personnel: 1,500
Ground Forces
Main Battle Tanks (MBTs): 0 (decommissioned in 2000s)
Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): 150+
Artillery Pieces (Towed & Self-Propelled): 60+
Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 0
Air Force
Combat Aircraft: 0
Attack Helicopters: 0
Transport Aircraft: 4+
Training Aircraft: 6+
Aircraft Breakdown:
Eurocopter AS532 Cougar and Bell 206: Helicopter fleet
CN-235 and CASA C-212 Transport Aircraft: Limited use
Pilatus PC-9M: Training platform
Naval Forces
Warships: 6+
Submarines: 0
Frigates/Corvettes: 0
Patrol and Coastal Defense Boats: 6+
Naval Vessel Breakdown:
Damen Stan Patrol vessels: In service
Coastal surveillance boats for Adriatic Sea operations
Missile Capabilities
Albania does not operate strategic or tactical missile systems. Its air and coastal defense is supported by NATO assets, while domestic capabilities include light MANPADS, anti-tank guided weapons, and short-range air defense systems provided by NATO partners.
Strategic Partnerships
Albania is a full NATO member and regularly hosts joint NATO exercises and U.S. military training missions. It cooperates with the United States, Turkey, and Italy on logistics, defense reforms, and infrastructure upgrades. Albania contributes to international peacekeeping missions and participates in EU security initiatives.
Military History & Combat Experience
Albania’s military history is shaped by its communist-era isolation, post-Cold War reforms, and growing role in international peace operations, with no recent experience in state-on-state warfare.
Communist-Era Militarization and Isolation (1946–1990):
Under Enver Hoxha, Albania pursued an extreme militarized isolation policy, building over 170,000 bunkers, training a mass militia, and withdrawing from both Warsaw Pact and Soviet alignment. The military was large but politicized, poorly equipped, and doctrinally outdated by the 1980s.Post-Communist Collapse and Military Reform (1991–2000):
Following the fall of communism, Albania experienced military disintegration, including widespread looting during the 1997 civil unrest, which led to international stabilization operations and deep structural reforms in the AAF.NATO Membership and Modernization (2009–present):
Since joining NATO in 2009, Albania has restructured into a professional volunteer force, focusing on interoperability, military education reform, and NATO-certified capabilities such as EOD, engineering, and peacekeeping units.Peacekeeping Deployments and Regional Engagement:
Albanian troops have served in Kosovo (KFOR), Afghanistan (ISAF/Resolute Support), Chad, and Bosnia, primarily in support, military police, and infantry escort roles, gaining operational experience under allied command.Joint Exercises and NATO Hosting Role:
Albania regularly hosts exercises such as Defender Europe, involving U.S. and NATO troops in interoperability drills, airborne operations, and logistics coordination, reinforcing its relevance as a Balkan security partner.
Albania’s military legacy is one of radical transformation—from communist-era bunkered isolation to a modern, Western-aligned military force supporting regional security, allied cooperation, and peacekeeping diplomacy.
General Information
Demographics and Geography
Population: ~2.7 million (2024 est.)
Population Available for Military Service: ~950,000
Geographic Area: 28,748 km²
Land Boundaries: 717 km
Bordering Countries: Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia
Coastline: 476 km
Climate: Mild temperate; wet winters, dry summers
Terrain: Mostly mountains and hills; coastal plain in the west
Natural Resources: Oil, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper
Proven Oil Reserves: ~200 million barrels
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: ~5 billion cubic feet
Economic Indicators
Defense Budget (2025): ~$340 million USD
Defense Budget as % of GDP: ~1.7%
GDP (PPP): ~$45 billion USD
GDP per Capita (PPP): ~$16,400
External Debt: ~$9.5 billion USD
Military Expenditure Trend (last 5 years): Gradual growth with NATO integration focus
Military Infrastructure and Readiness
Military Service Obligation: Suspended (voluntary force)
Primary Defense Focus: NATO operations, territorial defense, disaster response
Military Industry Base: Small-scale; maintenance and logistics
Cyber/Electronic Warfare Capability: Developing
Nuclear Warhead Inventory: None (non-nuclear state)
Major Military Districts / Commands: Under Joint Forces Command of Albanian Armed Forces
Missile Inventory Highlights: Short-range air defense, anti-tank systems
Reservist Call-up Readiness / Timeline: Moderate; 30–45 days
Reservist Force Size: ~15,000
Space, Intelligence, and Strategic Infrastructure
Space or Satellite Programs: No national program
Military Satellite Inventory: None
Intelligence Infrastructure: SHISH (State Intelligence Service), Military Intelligence
Intelligence Sharing Partnerships: NATO, EU, regional Balkan alliances
Airports (Total): ~14
Major Military Airports: Rinas (Tirana)
Naval Power and Maritime Logistics
Merchant Marine Fleet: ~10 vessels
Major Ports: Durrës, Vlorë, Sarandë
Naval Infrastructure: Patrol craft, coastal defense
Naval Replenishment Capability: Limited to Adriatic operations
Domestic Mobility and Infrastructure
Railway Network: ~330 km (minimal operation)
Roadways: ~18,000 km
Energy and Fuel Logistics
Oil Production: ~20,000 barrels/day
Energy Imports: Moderate; supports own reserves and hydropower
Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Maintains state reserves for emergencies
Defense Production and Strategic Forces
Domestic Defense Production: Small arms repair, uniforms
Military Installations (Domestic): Tirana, Zall-Herr, Kuçovë
Military Installations (Overseas): NATO deployments
Foreign Military Personnel Presence: NATO training rotations
Defense Alliances: NATO, EU accession cooperation
Strategic Airlift Capability: Small fixed-wing transports, rotary-wing fleet
Wartime Industrial Surge Capacity: Low
Research and Industry Support
Defense R&D Investment: Minimal
Key Wartime Industries Beyond Defense: Oil logistics, port operations, hydropower
Political and Administrative Structure
Capital: Tirana
Founding Date: November 28, 1912 (independence from Ottoman Empire)
System of Government: Unitary parliamentary republic
