The armed forces of the other countries of the founders of the NATO "defensive bloc" - Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway, cannot be compared with the Turkish army.
The total number of personnel of the armed forces of Belgium: 30 thousand people. In service with the ground forces: 106 tanks "Leopard-1A5", 220 armored vehicles, 130 guns and mortars. In army aviation: 78 helicopters (28 combat A109-VA, 18 reconnaissance A109-A), 30 general-purpose, 28 UAVs.
The Air Force has 60 F-16 aircraft, which were assembled at the national enterprise SABCA, 20 light attack aircraft "Alpha Jet", 10 military transport C-130, 34 training.
The naval forces include: two Karel Doorman-class URO frigates; minesweepers-seekers of mines of the Tripart-tit type; auxiliary vessels.
Belgian warships in the naval base Zeebrugge
The regular armed forces of Luxembourg number only 900 people. In addition to small arms, the armament has: 6 81-mm mortars, 6 PU ATGM TOU, large-caliber machine guns, American off-road vehicles "Hummer" and German "Gelenevagen". There are no air defense and air forces.
Against the background of the armed forces of Luxembourg, the army of small Holland looks very dignified. The number of personnel of the Dutch army as of the beginning of 2012 was 64 thousand people. The ground units are armed with: 80 Leopard-2 battle tanks, 500 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, 121 artillery units.
The Air Force is armed with about 60 American fighters F-16AM and F-16BM, which were built in the Netherlands under license at the Fokker plant. KC-10 tanker aircraft are intended for refueling them in the air. There are 4 military transport C-130 and 13 trainer Pilatus PC-7. To support ground units and combat armored vehicles, 29 AH-64D Apache are intended. In addition to them, there are 25 transport and multipurpose helicopters. In service with air defense units 20 launchers of the Patriot air defense system.
American KS-135 tanker aircraft, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and AWACS aircraft at the Dutch Hato airfield
The Netherlands has a developed shipbuilding industry of its own. The renewal of the fleet is primarily associated with the construction of Holland-class patrol ships, which will replace the obsolete frigates of the Karel Doorman project in service.
Dutch warships in the naval base Den Helder
The Navy has two Rotterdam-class amphibious assault ships also built at Dutch shipyards. The main striking force of the Navy is considered to be four Walrus-class diesel-electric submarines and six frigates.
During the Cold War, the Danish armed forces had a very important task - to defend the Danish straits from a possible Soviet landing and to prevent the Baltic Fleet from breaking through to the Atlantic. By the end of the Cold War, Denmark had a very powerful army for such a small country: more than 400 tanks, over 550 artillery pieces and more than 100 combat aircraft.
Today, the ground forces are in service: 57 Leopard-2 tanks, 45 CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, 310 armored personnel carriers, 24 M109 self-propelled guns, 6 105-mm howitzers, 20 120-mm mortars and 12 MLRS MLRS.
The Air Force has 30 F-16 fighters, 4 C-130 transport aircraft, 17 training and 20 helicopters.
The Navy has traditionally been considered the main branch of the armed forces in Denmark and possessed significant combat power. However, there are currently less than 30 combat units left in the Navy. It was decided to completely abandon submarines, anti-mine ships, minelayers and missile boats. Now only 5 units have real combat potential: 2 universal ships of the "Absalon" type (anti-ship missiles "Harpoon", 127-mm gun and at the same time are landing ships, they can carry 4 landing boats and up to 7 tanks "Leopard-2") and 3 frigates of the "Yver Hütfeldt" class.
Danish warships in the naval base Corseur
4 frigates of the "Tethys" do not have missile weapons and, in fact, are patrol ships. There are also 2 Knud Rasmussen-class and 1 Fluvefisken-class patrol ships. There are 6 patrol boats (2 Barsyo types, 4 Diana types) and 10 small minesweepers. Naval aviation includes 7 Lynx helicopters.
Danish patrol ship at naval base Frederikshavn
The Tethys-class frigates and the Knud Rasmussen-class patrol ships are mainly used to patrol the Danish economic zone and to protect fishing zones in the North Atlantic.
Denmark owns the world's largest island, Greenland, which makes it a polar country.
In Greenland, in the area of the Thule airbase, an American missile defense radar is located
The number of the armed forces of Norway is about 20 thousand people.
The ground forces are armed with: 52 Leopard 2A4 tanks, 20 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 104 BMPs, 130 armored personnel carriers. The artillery units have: 126 155-mm self-propelled howitzers M109A3GN, 46 155-mm howitzers M114 / 39, 12 MLRS M270.
The Norwegian Air Force is armed with about 50 F-16AM and F-16BM fighter-bombers, which have been supplied since 1980. All F-16s are planned to be overhauled to extend service until 2023 (43 years of service). 52 F-35A fighters have also been ordered.
Recently received from the USA 4 military transport aircraft of the latest modification C-130J-30. Four P-3C and two P-3N are intended for patrolling the sea area. There are two electronic warfare aircraft based on the French Falcon 20. The Air Force also has 15 training aircraft and 45 helicopters.
For Norway, the Navy is almost the main branch of the armed forces. The warships and patrol ships of this country are actively used as an instrument of influence in coastal and neutral waters in order to protect their economic zone and protect fisheries.
The Norwegian fleet has five Ula-class diesel-electric submarines. The boats of this series, adapted for the conditions of Norway, were built at German shipyards in 1987-1992 on the basis of Type 210 boats.
Norwegian diesel-electric submarines of the Ula type in the VMB Haakonsvern
The largest surface warships are the five Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates. These are fairly advanced ships, commissioned in 2006–2011. They are designed on the basis of Spanish frigates of the Alvaro de Bazan class. The construction of the ships was carried out jointly by Spanish and Norwegian shipyards. The frigates are equipped with Mk 41 vertical launchers capable of launching NCM anti-ship missiles, Sea Sparrow and ESSM anti-aircraft missiles. Relatively large dimensions (displacement up to 5200 tons) and good seaworthiness make it possible to effectively use ships of this type in northern seas with frequent storms.
Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates and Skjold-class missile boats at the Haakonsvern naval base
Six Skjold-class missile boats are considered modern. The first ship of this class was built in 1999, five more entered service until 2013. They are slated to serve alongside the old Hyouk-class missile boats.
Missile boats of the type "Höwk" and type "Skjold" in the Haukonsvern naval base
One of the largest ships in the Norwegian Navy is the Svalbard icebreaker. It is also used as a patrol ship. Designed in the late 1990s to support other Coast Guard ships, in particular the North Cape patrol ships. These three patrol ships were built in the early 80s.
North Cape patrol ship
In 2000-2001, all three patrol ships underwent modernization, which included the installation of new radar and sonar equipment. The North Cape patrol ships are ice-class and are designed to perform a wide range of tasks, including patrol, fire service and oil spill response.
The fleet also includes a minelayer, six minesweepers and seekers of mines and 17 vessels of the auxiliary fleet (including the reconnaissance ship "Maryata").
Slovenia was admitted to NATO in 2004. This former Soviet republic seceded from the SFRY in 1990. Its armed forces are for the most part equipped with outdated equipment and weapons.
The Slovenian Air Force has three PC-9 Pilatus training aircraft, several helicopters and the Roland-2 air defense system.
The Navy is armed with two patrol boats.
In 2009, Albania and Croatia joined the Alliance.
Albania possesses a huge amount of surplus and obsolete weapons and ammunition for a small country (about 300 obsolete tanks, about 100 armored vehicles, more than 1000 guns and mortars). This was the result of the country's prolonged isolation and strained ethnic relations in the region. The Albanian armed forces are currently in the process of reforming and modernizing.
Positions of the Albanian SAM HQ-2J
The Albanian Air Force is armed with several light training and transport aircraft and 12 Vo.105M helicopters.
And also 12 PU SAM HQ-2J (Chinese version of the C-75 air defense system).
The Navy has two patrol boats of the Damen Stan.
Compared to Albania, the armed forces of Croatia look much better. The number of the armed forces of this country as of 2012 was 18 thousand people. In service there are: about 250 tanks, 8 self-propelled guns, 100 infantry fighting vehicles, 30 armored personnel carriers, 416 towed field artillery guns, 132 anti-tank guns T-12, 220 MLRS, 790 mortars. For the most part, all these weapons are the "legacy" of the Yugoslav army.
As part of the air force and air defense: six MiG-21bis fighters, four MiG-21UM, two military transport An-32, five light aircraft Zlin Z242L, twenty PC-9, four CL-415, one AT-802F, and also 14 Mi-8 transport helicopters, ten Mi-171 and eight Bell 206B
Croatian MiG-21 at Pleso airbase
The Croatian Navy is armed with six missile and four patrol boats.
The countries of the former "Warsaw Pact" in the early 90s had a very impressive defensive potential. At the moment, the armed forces of these states have undergone a total reduction. In addition to the equipment and weapons supplied from the USSR, licensed production of Soviet models was carried out in all countries of the "Eastern Bloc". Some countries have developed and produced equipment on their own.
Armored vehicles at a factory in the Czech town of Sternberk
The accession of these countries to the North Atlantic Alliance, in addition to reducing the armed forces, had the most negative impact on their own defense industry. Although Poland and the Czech Republic are trying to trade their own versions of T-72 tanks, and Bulgaria with unlicensed Kalashnikovs, they have not seen much success in this area.
The desire to comply with "NATO standards" has led in many Eastern European countries to an unjustifiably early write-off of Soviet-style equipment. This, against the backdrop of a lack of funds for the acquisition of Western-made weapons, led to the weakening of their own armies.
Soviet-made combat aircraft decommissioned from the Polish Air Force
Disarmed Czech aircraft at an airfield in the vicinity of Prague
However, what is called "the process has begun", for example, in the armed forces of Poland, along with Soviet equipment, there are combat vehicles of Western production in service. Poland possesses one of the most powerful tank fleets in Europe, about 900 main battle tanks of modern modifications. To replace Soviet tanks, supplies of German - Leopard - 2A4 are underway.
In 2006, supplies of American F-16C and F-16D fighters began to the Polish Air Force. At the moment, there are 50 such aircraft.
F-16 aircraft at the Poznan airfield
Military transport An-26 and CASA C-295 at the Krakow airfield
Against the background of NATO's aggressive policy, the fact that Poland not only has a special status in the alliance, but also acts as almost the main instigator of anti-Russian hysteria, is especially striking. And at the same time, the Poles are not going to give up Soviet weapons, MiG-29 fighters and Su-22M4 strike aircraft are still in service.
Despite negotiations on the deployment of elements of the American missile defense system and the Patriot air defense system in Poland, the Polish air defense units are armed with the S-125 air defense systems received from the USSR and modernized in Poland.
Positions of the Polish air defense system S-125
In the Navy, all Soviet-made ships, except for the Project 877E submarine, were replaced by American and Norwegian warships (6 Cobben-class submarines and 2 Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates.
Submarines of the Polish Navy in the naval base Gdansk
Polish missile boats pr.205 and pr.1241 decommissioned
Rocket boats of own construction of project 660 replaced the boats of pr.205 and pr.1241 received from the USSR
Polish missile boat project 660
The rest of the newly admitted to NATO countries of Eastern Europe, in contrast to Poland, take a more moderate position in relation to our country. However, this does not prevent the adoption of Western military equipment and the creation of military bases on their territory. So the Czech Republic and Hungary received JAS-39C / D Gripen fighters from Sweden, and military transport CASA C-295 from Spain.
Fighters "Gripen" at the Czech airfield Kaslav
Czech military transport C-295 at an airfield in the vicinity of Prague
At the same time, the Mi-8, Mi-24 and Mi-35 combat helicopters are still in service in the Czech Republic.
Czech combat helicopters Mi-24
In Slovakia, which was once part of Czechoslovakia, the MiG-29 remains in service.
Structurally, the Slovak Air Force includes air defense units in service with the Russian-made S-300P air defense system.
Slovak SAM S-300P
The backbone of the Bulgarian Air Force continues to form Soviet-made combat aircraft. So, in addition to 15 MiG-29s, 12 MiG-21bis and UM remain in service. 14 Su-25 attack aircraft are intended for air support of ground units.
Bulgarian fighters MiG-29 at the Graf Ignatievo airbase
In the vicinity of the capital of Sofia, the S-200 and S-300P air defense systems, obtained during the Soviet era, are deployed.
In the fighting composition of the Bulgarian fleet there are three rather old Willingen-class frigates transferred by Belgium, one patrol ship of project 1159, two anti-submarine corvettes of project 1241.2E, one missile boat of project 1241.1T, one minesweeper.
Bulgarian warships in the naval base Varna
In the Romanian Air Force, the main combat aircraft is the MiG-21 fighter of the following modifications: LanceR A, LanceR B, LanceR C. The MiG-21M and MiG-21bis fighters, as well as the MiG-21U training aircraft, have been modernized at the enterprises of the Romanian company Aerostar and Israeli Elbit Systems. At the moment, there are about 25 aircraft in operation. Several vehicles were lost in flight accidents after the upgrade.
Romanian MiG-21 at Campia-Turzi airbase
To replace MiGs, 12 used F-16AM and F-16BM fighters were ordered. There are also 20 IAR-99 combat training aircraft, 3 military transport An-26, 5 C-130 and 7 C-27J, about 70 helicopters.
Romanian military transport aircraft at Otopeni airfield, Bucharest
Romania remained the only country in Europe where the Soviet air defense systems S-75M3 "Volkhov" remained in service with air defense units.
Positions of the Romanian air defense system S-75
In parallel with the Soviet-made air defense systems, the Hawk anti-aircraft systems are being operated, received as part of military assistance from NATO allies.
The Romanian naval forces are intended mainly to protect the national interests of the state in the Black Sea and on the river. Danube, as well as actions within the framework of the allied commitments of the North Atlantic Alliance.
The Romanian Navy has one project 877E diesel-electric submarine received in 1986. However, at present, due to financial difficulties, this boat is not combat-ready and is under conservation.
Romanian diesel-electric submarine "Delfinul" in the naval base of Constanta
The Romanian fleet has two former British frigates of type 22 and two frigates of its own construction, the helicopter group is armed with three carrier-based helicopters IAR-330 "Puma". Also in service are four corvettes and three missile boats of Project 1241.
Combat ships of the Romanian Navy in the Constanta naval base
Three river monitors of Project 1316 and several artillery boats are intended for operations on the Danube.
The armed forces of the Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - are a purely decorative attribute of statehood. The land units, air forces and navies of these countries do not represent any real force.
In early 2004, the military-political leadership of the Baltic states made an official request to NATO to protect their airspace from a possible invasion by Russia and Belarus. The members of the alliance, in accordance with their obligations, began to patrol it. This event has been held since March 30, 2004 as part of the Baltic Air Policy operation.
Eurofighter Typhoon fighters at the Lithuanian Siauliai airbase
To this end, tactical fighters of the air forces of NATO member states are deployed on a rotational basis at the Lithuanian airbase Šiauliai. Subdivisions are changed every four months.
When flying over this region, the main official task of the alliance air defense fighters is air patrolling to prevent "aggression from Russia."
Currently, the armed forces of the European members of the North Atlantic Alliance are not able to conduct large-scale offensive military operations without US military assistance.
The basis of NATO ground forces are nine rapid deployment army corps (AK BR): four multinational - German-Dutch AK BR (Munster, FRG), German-Danish-Polish AK BR (Szczecin, Poland), Eurocorps BR (Strasbourg, France), the united AK BR (Innsworth, Great Britain) and five national AK BR NATO - Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Italian and French.
The alliance's ground forces are armed with about 11,000 tanks, about 22,000 armored vehicles, and about 13,000 artillery systems with a caliber of 100 mm or more. The combined air force has over 3,500 combat aircraft and about 1,000 attack helicopters.
The real combat capability of these seemingly impressive forces is not great. The experience of conducting hostilities by European contingents in Afghanistan and Iraq revealed an extremely high sensitivity to losses and low motivation to serve in difficult living conditions.
However, in terms of the number of combat aircraft and helicopters, NATO forces in Europe surpass the Russian Air Force, the percentage of combat-ready aircraft from our "European partners" is also higher. In the waters of the Baltic and Black Seas, there is a significant superiority of the NATO Navy over the Russian fleet.
