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In 2026, the United States had the largest number of active military personnel out of all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, with over **** million troops. The country with the second-largest number of military personnel was Turkey, at around ** active personnel. Additionally, the U.S. has by far the most armored vehicles in NATO, as well as the largest Navy and Air Force.Ìý

NATO in brief

NATO, which was formed in 1949, is the most powerful military alliance in the world. At its formation, NATO began with 12 member countries, which by 2024 had increased to 32. NATO was originally formed to deter Soviet expansion into Europe, with member countries expected to come to each other’s defense in case of an attack. Member countries are also obliged to commit to spending two percent of their respective GDPs on defense, although many states have recently fallen far short of this target.Ìý

NATO in the contemporary world

Some questioned the purpose of NATO after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union a few years later. In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron even called the organization 'brain dead' amid dissatisfaction with the leadership of the U.S. during Donald Trump's first term. NATO has, however, seen a revival after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Following the invasion, Sweden and Finland abandoned decades of military neutrality and applied to join the alliance, with Finland joining in 2023 and Sweden in 2024.