Montenegro Military - 2024

Military and security forces

Army of Montenegro (Vojska Crne Gore or VCG): Ground Forces (Kopnene snage), Air Force (Vazduhoplovstvo), Navy (Mornarica) (2024)

note: the National Police Force, which includes Border Police, is responsible for maintaining internal security; it is organized under the Police Administration within the Ministry of Interior and reports to the police director and, through the director, to the minister of interior and prime minister

Military expenditures

2% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2022)
1.6% of GDP (2021)
1.7% of GDP (2020)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 2,000 active-duty troops (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is small and consists mostly of Soviet-era equipment inherited from the former Yugoslavia military, along with a limited mix of other imported systems from such countries as Austria, Turkey, and the US (2023)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2006 (2024)

note: as of 2023, women made up over 15% of the military's full-time personnel

Military - note

the Army of Montenegro is a small military focused on the defense of Montenegro’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, cooperating in international and multinational security, and assisting civil authorities during emergencies such as natural disasters; since Montenegro joined NATO in 2017, another focus has been integrating into the Alliance, including adapting NATO standards for planning and professionalization, structural reforms, and modernization by replacing its Soviet-era equipment; the Army trains and exercises with NATO partners and actively supports NATO missions and operations, committing small numbers of troops in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence mission in Eastern Europe; a few personnel have also been deployed on EU- and UN-led operations

the combat units of the Ground Forces include an infantry battalion, plus artillery and special forces; there are two additional infantry battalions in reserve; the Air Force has ground air defense units but no combat aircraft; the Navy is a coastal defense force with a small inventory of coastal patrol craft and patrol boats, plus a marine/special forces detachment (2023)