This powerful NATO country has more tanks than the next top 3 combined

NATO operates according to the principle of collective defense. This principle states that an attack on one NATO member is essentially an attack on the other 31 members. As such, any attack on a NATO country could be met with the joint force of 32 member states. Although NATO has invoked Article 5 – which enshrines this principle – only once, NATO forces have intervened for collective defense measures in areas such as Syria or Ukraine after September 11. Tanks are often used for ground operations in conflict-affected situations to provide protection, counter enemies, and participate in close-range defense. Many NATO countries – but not all – have vast quantities of tanks to meet their military needs and to assist other members in times of need. (NATO’s internal tensions are becoming worrisome.)

While not every NATO country has the same number of tanks, some bring other strategic benefits to the alliance. However, tanks represent a tremendous amount of power and a strong deterrent against conflict. Here Wall St. searched 24/7 for the NATO countries with the most tanks. To do this, we assessed Global Firepower’s Military Strength Ranking 2024, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked by the total number of tanks in their arsenal. We’ve added additional information on the total number of military vehicles, artillery, and MLRS units, as well as each country’s overall military strength score. We excluded NATO members who do not have tanks. The tanks in these arsenals range from older models to newer, more technological armored vehicles, but it is clear that these tanks – regardless of age – greatly support a range of military operations.

Here’s a look at the NATO countries with the most tanks:

Why we are talking about this

This powerful NATO country has more tanks than the next top 3 combined

Not every NATO country is heavily armed. In fact, Iceland and Luxembourg do not own tanks and rely on other NATO members for protection. Knowing which NATO countries have the most tanks will reveal where the military alliance’s strengths lie. As global tensions continue to rise, including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, understanding collective defense becomes the best way to see which members are bringing what to the table, and which members are missing the mark. (This is why Iceland continues to miss its NATO target so badly.)

25. Netherlands

Netherlands+artillery | M10 (17pdr) Achilles Ic

Total tanks: 18
Total military vehicles: 3,176
Total artillery: 72
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.5644 – #40 of 145

24. North Macedonia

Total tanks: 23
Total military vehicles: 2,156
Total artillery: 191
Total mlrs: 24
Military Strength Score: 2.1717 – #110 of 145

23. Portugal

Total tanks: 34
Total military vehicles: 11,173
Total artillery: 106
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.5609 – #38 of 145

22. Norway

Total tanks: 36
Total military vehicles: 7,048
Total artillery: 56
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.5664 – #41 of 145

21. Slovakia

Hungary+artillery | Dedication to the Great Victory Day. Soviet self-propelled tank destroyer SU-100. 1944-45. ÃÂÃÂ¾ ÃÂ´ÃÂ½ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂµÃÂ»ÃÂ¸ÃÂºÃÂ¾ÃÂ¹ ÃÂÃÂ¾ÃÂ±ÃÂµÃÂ´ÃÂ. €-100.

Total tanks: 36
Total military vehicles: 2,048
Total artillery: 44
Total mlrs: 25
Military Strength Score: 1.1891 – #69 of 145

20. Albania

Total tanks: 40
Total military vehicles: 976
Total artillery: 0
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 1.8188 – #90 of 145

19. Denmark

M1 Abrams | Marines bomb through a live fire range using M1A1 Abrams tanks.

Total tanks: 44
Total military vehicles: 4,056
Total artillery: 19
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.7743 – #48 of 145

18. Slovenia

Total tanks: 55
Total military vehicles: 1,502
Total artillery: 18
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 1.8286 – #91 of 145

17. Czech Republic

Total tanks: 65
Total military vehicles: 6,757
Total artillery: 53
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.7706 – #46 of 145

16. Canada

Total tanks: 74
Total military vehicles: 18,054
Total artillery: 0
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.3813 – #27 of 145

15. Croatia

Total tanks: 75
Total military vehicles: 3,076
Total artillery: 181
Total mlrs: 105
Military Strength Score: 1.1333 – #66 of 145

14. Sweden

Total tanks: 120
Total military vehicles: 7,958
Total artillery: 26
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.4009 – #29 of 145

13. Italy

Total tanks: 200
Total military vehicles: 61,892
Total artillery: 172
Total mlrs: 21
Military Strength Score: 0.1863 – #10 of 145

12. Finland

Total tanks: 200
Total military vehicles: 11,716
Total artillery: 792
Total mlrs: 76
Military Strength Score: 0.7967 – #50 of 145

11. Hungary

Total tanks: 208
Total military vehicles: 7,797
Total artillery: 318
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.8478 – #54 of 145

10. United Kingdom

Total tanks: 213
Total military vehicles: 27,203
Total artillery: 197
Total mlrs: 41
Military Strength Score: 0.1443 – #6 of 145

9. Bulgaria

Total tanks: 215
Total military vehicles: 7,420
Total artillery: 273
Total mlrs: 24
Military Strength Score: 1.0132 – #62 of 145

8. France

Chieftain+MBT | Upgraded Chieftain MBT. Elvington, 01-09-2020

Total tanks: 222
Total military vehicles: 85,023
Total artillery: 96
Total mlrs: 9
Military Strength Score: 0.1878 – #11 of 145

7. Germany

Total tanks: 295
Total military vehicles: 79,317
Total artillery: 134
Total mlrs: 33
Military Strength Score: 0.2847 – #19 of 145

6. Spain

Total tanks: 327
Total military vehicles: 15,046
Total artillery: 236
Total mlrs: 0
Military Strength Score: 0.2882 – #20 of 145

5. Romania

Total tanks: 345
Total military vehicles: 9,990
Total artillery: 720
Total mlrs: 225
Military Strength Score: 0.7712 – #47 of 145

4. Poland

Total tanks: 612
Total military vehicles: 13,956
Total artillery: 525
Total mlrs: 211
Military Strength Score: 0.2917 – #21 of 145

3. Greece

Total tanks: 1,365
Total military vehicles: 57,030
Total artillery: 1,318
Total mlrs: 152
Military Strength Score: 0.4349 – #32 of 145

2. Turkey

Total tanks: 2,231
Total military vehicles: 55,104
Total artillery: 2,785
Total mlrs: 286
Military Strength Score: 0.1697 – #8 of 145

1. United States

Total tanks: 4,657
Total military vehicles: 360,069
Total artillery: 2,862
Total mlrs: 694
Military Strength Score: 0.0699 – #1 of 145

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