Paraguay Military Power Ranking 2025
MPR Rank: 100th
MPR SCORE: 283
MPR Index: 0.0863 (1.0000 is perfect)
Reverse MPR Index: 0.8659 (0.0000 is perfect)
Z Score: -0.439 (standard deviations above the mean)
Overview
Paraguay ranks 100th globally in the 2025 Military Power Rankings. Its armed forces, officially known as the Paraguayan Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de la Nación), are structured primarily for internal security, border protection, and anti-smuggling operations, with a longstanding focus on preserving national sovereignty in a region marked by both cooperation and informal threats. Though Paraguay’s military is modest in size and equipment, it remains well-organized, regionally integrated, and strategically oriented around homeland defense.
As a landlocked country, Paraguay maintains only limited air and riverine capabilities, but compensates through regional partnerships, particularly with neighbors such as Brazil and Argentina. The military operates under civilian control and emphasizes non-interventionism, constitutional defense, and cross-border security cooperation to counter transnational threats such as narcotics trafficking, illegal arms flows, and organized crime.
Strengths
1. Organized and Balanced Military Framework
Paraguay maintains a three-branch military—Army, Air Force, and Navy (riverine)—despite its size, providing basic operational balance and institutional stability across national defense sectors.
2. Border Control and Internal Security Focus
The armed forces play an active role in border patrol, rural area security, and support to national police, especially along Paraguay’s porous frontiers with Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia.
3. Regional Coordination and Training
Paraguay participates in joint military exercises and interoperability programs with regional partners and U.S. Southern Command, enhancing tactical readiness and counter-narcotics capabilities despite resource limitations.
Why Paraguay Is Still Ranked 100th
1. No Strategic Reach or Power Projection
Paraguay lacks airlift capability, naval reach, and heavy mechanized forces, preventing any form of external military influence or regional power projection. Its military is wholly territorial and reactive in nature.
2. Aging Equipment and Limited Modernization
Most of Paraguay’s inventory is composed of outdated vehicles, light artillery, and non-combat aircraft, with limited funding for modern procurement, command systems, or advanced surveillance infrastructure.
3. Economic Constraints and Defense Dependency
Defense spending is tightly constrained by Paraguay’s modest economy, and the military depends on donated platforms, second-hand equipment, and international training programs to maintain operational capability.
Conclusion
Paraguay’s military plays a critical role in national sovereignty enforcement, border integrity, and support to civil governance, despite operating under clear economic and strategic constraints. Its focus on territorial defense, anti-trafficking efforts, and regional cooperation reflects its geopolitical reality as a landlocked and neutral country. While limited in force projection or deterrence capabilities, the Paraguayan Armed Forces remain a functional, disciplined, and politically stable institution well-suited to the country’s defense needs.
Military Strength and Force Projection
Active Military Personnel: 12,000 (IISS 2023)
Reserve Personnel: 9,500 (CIA World Factbook)
Paramilitary Forces: 16,000 (National Police)
Army Personnel: 8,500
Air Force Personnel: 3,500
Ground Forces
Main Battle Tanks (MBTs): 30 (M3 Stuart, light tanks)
Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): 250+
Artillery (Towed and Self-Propelled): 100+
Air Force
Combat Aircraft: 10+ (SIPRI 2023)
Helicopters: 20+
Transport Aircraft: 10+
Aircraft Breakdown:
T-27 Tucano: 6 (trainer and light attack aircraft)
UH-1H Iroquois Helicopters: 10 (transport)
Naval Forces
Paraguay, despite being a landlocked country, operates a small navy focused on riverine operations along the Paraguay and Paraná Rivers.
Patrol Vessels: 10+
Missile Capabilities
Paraguay does not possess ballistic or hypersonic missiles. The country focuses on conventional defense systems and small arms for internal security and border defense.
Strategic Partnerships
Paraguay cooperates closely with its regional neighbors, particularly Brazil and Argentina, for defense and security, and participates in multilateral military exercises in South America. The country also relies on external military training and aid, particularly from the United States, to enhance its capabilities.
Military History & Combat Experience
Paraguay’s military history is marked by one of the most devastating wars in Latin American history, internal upheavals, and a more recent turn toward constitutional order and regional coordination. Though not involved in modern wars, Paraguay’s legacy continues to shape its military ethos.
War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870):
Paraguay engaged in a massive war against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay under the leadership of Marshal Francisco Solano López. Despite fierce resistance and widespread mobilization, Paraguay suffered catastrophic losses—over 60% of its population—and near-total military defeat. The war left a deep imprint on Paraguay’s military culture, reinforcing a tradition of sovereignty-first defense and national martyrdom.Chaco War (1932–1935):
Paraguay fought Bolivia over the Gran Chaco region, a resource-scarce but strategically contested territory. Despite Bolivia’s superior manpower and equipment, Paraguayan forces employed superior strategy, jungle warfare, and logistics management, ultimately securing victory and territorial gains. The Chaco War remains Paraguay’s most celebrated military success and a foundation of military pride and identity.Internal Political Role and Dictatorship (1954–1989):
Under General Alfredo Stroessner, Paraguay’s military operated as an instrument of authoritarian rule, with widespread internal surveillance and political suppression. Since Stroessner’s fall, the armed forces have transitioned into a subordinate constitutional entity, with reforms focused on professionalization and civil oversight.Modern Border and Counter-Narcotics Operations (1990s–present):
Paraguay’s military is heavily engaged in anti-smuggling patrols, rural security operations, and interagency efforts to combat drug trafficking, especially in the Amambay Department near the Brazilian border. Operations often involve joint missions with national police and regional cooperation frameworks.
Though Paraguay has not fought external wars in nearly a century, its military legacy is shaped by territorial resilience, historical trauma, and a long-standing commitment to national defense in isolation. Today, its forces remain rooted in a non-aggressive doctrine, focused on internal stability, border integrity, and strategic neutrality.
General Information
Demographics and Geography
Population: ~7.4 million (2024 est.)
Population Available for Military Service: ~2.8 million
Geographic Area: 406,752 km²
Land Boundaries: 3,920 km
Bordering Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Climate: Subtropical to temperate; rainfall varies from east to west
Terrain: Grassy plains and wooded hills in the east; scrubland and marshes in the west (Gran Chaco)
Natural Resources: Hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
Proven Oil Reserves: None
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: None
Economic Indicators
Defense Budget (2025): ~$680 million USD
Defense Budget as % of GDP: ~1.9%
GDP (PPP): ~$85 billion USD
GDP per Capita (PPP): ~$11,500
External Debt: ~$15 billion USD
Military Expenditure Trend (last 5 years): Stable; focus on modernization and border security
Military Infrastructure and Readiness
Military Service Obligation: Mandatory for men (12 months)
Primary Defense Focus: Border defense, internal security, hydroelectric facility protection
Military Industry Base: Limited; light weapons maintenance, uniforms, vehicle repair
Cyber/Electronic Warfare Capability: Developing
Nuclear Warhead Inventory: None (non-nuclear state)
Major Military Districts / Commands: Central Command with regional battalions and divisions
Missile Inventory Highlights: MANPADS, short-range anti-tank systems
Reservist Call-up Readiness / Timeline: Moderate; 30–45 days
Reservist Force Size: ~25,000
Space, Intelligence, and Strategic Infrastructure
Space or Satellite Programs: Civil projects through international partnerships
Military Satellite Inventory: None
Intelligence Infrastructure: Military Intelligence Directorate, National Intelligence Secretariat
Intelligence Sharing Partnerships: Brazil, Argentina, regional pacts
Airports (Total): ~799
Major Military Airports: Asunción, Mariscal Estigarribia
Naval Power and Maritime Logistics
Merchant Marine Fleet: ~30 vessels
Major Ports: Asunción, Villeta
Naval Infrastructure: Riverine patrol force operating on Paraguay and Paraná Rivers
Naval Replenishment Capability: Inland-only, limited range
Domestic Mobility and Infrastructure
Railway Network: ~400 km (mostly inactive)
Roadways: ~60,000 km
Energy and Fuel Logistics
Oil Production: None
Energy Imports: Imports all refined petroleum
Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Maintains minimal emergency reserves
Defense Production and Strategic Forces
Domestic Defense Production: Ammunition, basic equipment
Military Installations (Domestic): Asunción, Concepción, Mariscal Estigarribia
Military Installations (Overseas): None
Foreign Military Personnel Presence: U.S. joint training (occasional)
Defense Alliances: Bilateral pacts, Latin American cooperation forums
Strategic Airlift Capability: C-212, light transport aircraft
Wartime Industrial Surge Capacity: Low
Research and Industry Support
Defense R&D Investment: Minimal
Key Wartime Industries Beyond Defense: Itaipu Hydroelectric, petroleum logistics, inland port operations
Political and Administrative Structure
Capital: Asunción
Founding Date: May 14, 1811 (independence from Spain)
System of Government: Unitary presidential republic
