Bosnia Military Power Ranking 2025
MPR Rank: 108th
MPR SCORE: 261
MPR Index: 0.0752 (1.0000 is perfect)
Reverse MPR Index: 0.8764 (0.0000 is perfect)
Z Score: -0.498 (standard deviations above the mean)
Overview
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks 108th globally in the 2025 Military Power Rankings. Its armed forces, the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH), were formed in the aftermath of the 1992–1995 Bosnian War as a unified, multi-ethnic, and state-controlled military, built to ensure territorial integrity, internal security, and post-conflict stabilization. The AFBiH operates under civilian oversight, follows a doctrine of defensive readiness, and emphasizes NATO interoperability and international peacekeeping engagement.
While small in size and constrained by internal political fragmentation, the AFBiH maintains a professional force structure, supported by training, logistics modernization, and command reform assistance from NATO, the European Union, and the United States. The military has also taken an active role in humanitarian relief, disaster response, and international deployments, despite limitations in equipment, procurement capacity, and strategic doctrine unification across the federation.
Strengths
1. NATO-Aligned Training and Interoperability
The AFBiH has benefited from nearly two decades of NATO training missions, achieving interoperability standards in command procedures, logistics, and peacekeeping readiness. It has participated in NATO’s Partnership for Peace since 2006.
2. Post-Conflict Professionalization
The AFBiH was successfully restructured into a single national force after decades of ethnic division, integrating former Bosniak, Croat, and Serb military elements under one chain of command with civilian democratic oversight.
3. Active Peacekeeping and International Deployment
Bosnian troops have served in UN, EUFOR, and NATO missions, including in Mali, Congo, and Afghanistan, showcasing their discipline, adaptability, and alignment with international operational standards.
Why Bosnia and Herzegovina Is Still Ranked 108th
1. Internal Political Division and Command Paralysis
Bosnia's fragmented political system—including the Republika Srpska entity—creates resistance to defense reforms and challenges unified strategic planning, procurement, and force posture alignment.
2. Outdated Equipment and Minimal Heavy Assets
Much of the AFBiH’s equipment is Cold War–era stock, including obsolete tanks, light vehicles, and artillery. The air force has only limited helicopter capability, and the country lacks fighter aircraft, air defense systems, or modern ISR assets.
3. Small Force Size and Budget Limitations
With under 10,000 active personnel, Bosnia’s military is modest in scale and operates under tight fiscal constraints, restricting modernization, reserve training, and independent operational capability beyond small deployments.
Conclusion
Bosnia and Herzegovina fields a professional, NATO-aligned military built on the legacy of post-conflict reconciliation, with a clear emphasis on peacekeeping, defensive security, and civil-military stabilization. Despite limited equipment and internal political headwinds, the AFBiH remains a functional and respected component of the state, contributing to international missions while ensuring domestic readiness. Its global ranking reflects the combination of high institutional integrity with low kinetic capability and limited modernization.
Military Strength and Force Projection
Active Military Personnel: 9,000
Reserve Personnel: 15,000
Paramilitary Forces: 2,000 (state-level and entity security units)
Army Personnel: 6,000
Navy Personnel: 0 (landlocked)
Air Force Personnel: 3,000
Ground Forces
Main Battle Tanks (MBTs): 45+ (M-84 and T-55 variants)
Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): 250+
Artillery Pieces (Towed & Self-Propelled): 150+
Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 20+
Air Force
Combat Aircraft: 0
Attack Helicopters: 2+
Transport Aircraft: 4+
Training Aircraft: 4+
Aircraft Breakdown:
Mi-8 and Mi-17 Helicopters: In service
Bell UH-1H: Limited use
Small fixed-wing transports for humanitarian and support operations
Naval Forces
Bosnia has no navy. While the country does have a short Adriatic coastline at the town of Neum, it lacks any operational naval forces and relies on civil maritime administration and foreign partners for maritime defense.
Missile Capabilities
Bosnia does not maintain any missile systems. Its legacy air defense systems and ground forces rely on conventional artillery, anti-tank guided weapons, and small arms. There is no strategic missile program.
Strategic Partnerships
Bosnia is a NATO Partnership for Peace member and has aspirations for full NATO integration. The country cooperates extensively with the EU and United States, and it contributes troops to EUFOR and UN peacekeeping missions. Military assistance focuses on training, institutional reform, and democratic oversight.
Military History & Combat Experience
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s military history is rooted in the 1992–1995 Bosnian War, a brutal ethnic conflict that reshaped the region and directly led to the establishment of the modern AFBiH. Since then, Bosnia’s military has transitioned from conflict fragmentation to institutional integration.
Bosnian War (1992–1995):
A civil war involving Bosniak, Croat, and Serb factions, with the country divided among ethno-military lines. The conflict involved sieges, ethnic cleansing, and large-scale displacement, culminating in the Dayton Peace Accords. The war marked the collapse of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) presence and set the stage for international peace enforcement.Post-War Military Unification (2005):
The modern AFBiH was created through the integration of former Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosniak-Croat) and Army of Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb) forces. This unprecedented merger created a single, state-level army, placing all units under the Ministry of Defense and eliminating parallel chains of command.Peacekeeping Missions Abroad (2000s–present):
Bosnia has deployed troops to Afghanistan (ISAF), Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Mali (MINUSMA), and other UN peacekeeping roles. These deployments have focused on engineering, logistics, and base security, offering valuable experience in non-combat international operations.EUFOR Althea and Domestic Readiness Exercises:
Bosnia continues to host EUFOR Althea, a European Union stabilization mission that provides support to the AFBiH. Domestic joint exercises emphasize disaster relief, anti-terror drills, and command unification, reflecting both military readiness and international support.
Bosnia’s military history is one of transformation from conflict to cooperation, with its armed forces becoming a model of post-war integration, peacekeeping professionalism, and international engagement, albeit within a context of limited hard power and ongoing political hurdles.
General Information
Demographics and Geography
Population: ~3.2 million (2024 est.)
Population Available for Military Service: ~1.1 million
Geographic Area: 51,197 km²
Land Boundaries: 1,538 km
Bordering Countries: Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia
Coastline: 20 km
Climate: Hot summers, cold winters; Mediterranean near coast
Terrain: Mountains and valleys; flat plains in the north
Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, timber, hydropower
Proven Oil Reserves: None
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: None
Economic Indicators
Defense Budget (2025): ~$400 million USD
Defense Budget as % of GDP: ~1.5%
GDP (PPP): ~$65 billion USD
GDP per Capita (PPP): ~$19,800
External Debt: ~$10 billion USD
Military Expenditure Trend (last 5 years): Stable; EU/NATO cooperation focus
Military Infrastructure and Readiness
Military Service Obligation: Voluntary
Primary Defense Focus: Territorial integrity, EUFOR support, peacekeeping
Military Industry Base: Small arms, artillery, vehicle maintenance
Cyber/Electronic Warfare Capability: Developing
Nuclear Warhead Inventory: None (non-nuclear state)
Major Military Districts / Commands: Joint Armed Forces structure under tripartite command
Missile Inventory Highlights: MANPADS, mortars, MLRS
Reservist Call-up Readiness / Timeline: Moderate; 30–45 days
Reservist Force Size: ~35,000
Space, Intelligence, and Strategic Infrastructure
Space or Satellite Programs: None
Military Satellite Inventory: None
Intelligence Infrastructure: Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA), military branches
Intelligence Sharing Partnerships: EU, NATO, OSCE
Airports (Total): ~25
Major Military Airports: Sarajevo, Tuzla, Banja Luka
Naval Power and Maritime Logistics
Merchant Marine Fleet: Minimal
Major Ports: Neum (limited)
Naval Infrastructure: Not applicable
Naval Replenishment Capability: Not applicable
Domestic Mobility and Infrastructure
Railway Network: ~1,000 km
Roadways: ~23,000 km
Energy and Fuel Logistics
Oil Production: None
Energy Imports: Heavy reliance on imports from neighboring countries
Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Maintains emergency stockpiles
Defense Production and Strategic Forces
Domestic Defense Production: Small arms, ammunition, logistics support
Military Installations (Domestic): Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar
Military Installations (Overseas): Peacekeeping units abroad
Foreign Military Personnel Presence: EUFOR presence
Defense Alliances: EUFOR, NATO Partnership for Peace
Strategic Airlift Capability: C-130 (via NATO), An-26
Wartime Industrial Surge Capacity: Low to moderate
Research and Industry Support
Defense R&D Investment: Modest; legacy from Yugoslav arms industry
Key Wartime Industries Beyond Defense: Elektroprivreda (energy), railways, arms factories
Political and Administrative Structure
Capital: Sarajevo
Founding Date: March 3, 1992 (independence from Yugoslavia)
System of Government: Federal parliamentary republic with tripartite presidency
