North Macedonia is restructuring its military with a new force design based on wheeled armor and unmanned systems.
Why it matters
- The country has a defense budget of 23 billion dinars by 2025, making it the 30th member of NATO.
- The restructuring of the tank-less army, main suppliers, and the Military Framework Agreement signed with Turkey at SAHA EXPO 2024 are deepening the Turkey line and open modernization titles.
- Turkey-North Macedonia contacts are an updated living reference as they improve.
North Macedonia became the 30th member of NATO on March 27, 2020. Its 2025 defense budget of 23 billion dinars (approximately 388 million dollars) reached 2.4% of its GDP, a 27.7% increase from the previous year, with 32% of the budget allocated for procurement.
The main suppliers include the US (GDLS, Oshkosh), Italy (Leonardo), and France (MBDA). The Military Framework Agreement signed with Turkey and the donation of military equipment are deepening relations between the two countries.
Why it matters for Turkey
These developments can contribute to the deepening of relations between Turkey and North Macedonia and the strengthening of defense industry cooperation. Additionally, the increase in North Macedonia's defense budget and its new force design can help increase the country's security and defense capabilities, which is important for Turkey's defense context as it seeks to strengthen its alliances and partnerships in the region.
