North Macedonia’s Defense Industry and Military Procurement Profile: The Tankless Army, Suppliers and the Turkey Framework
This file consolidates North Macedonia’s defense industry and military procurement profile on one page: the budget, the rebuild of an army that gave away its tanks, the main suppliers, the Turkey track deepened by the Military Framework Agreement signed at SAHA EXPO 2024, and the open modernization threads. A living reference, updated as Turkey-North Macedonia contacts develop.
North Macedonia’s Defense Profile at a Glance
- Budget: MKD 23 billion (~$388M) in 2025, 2.4 percent of GDP — up 27.7 percent
- NATO’s 30th member (27 March 2020); roughly 8,000 active troops
- Distinctive feature: a tankless army — the entire T-72 fleet went to Ukraine in 2022
- New force design: wheeled armor (Stryker, JLTV) + unmanned systems
- Turkey status: 23 October 2024 Military Framework Agreement + equipment donations + Baykar interest
- Defense Minister: Vlado Misajlovski (since June 2024)
Budget and Force Structure
North Macedonia joined NATO as its 30th member on 27 March 2020. The 2025 defense budget reached MKD 23 billion (about $388 million) — 2.4 percent of GDP, up 27.7 percent year on year, with 32 percent earmarked for procurement. The roughly 8,000-strong army undertook one of Europe’s most radical inventory transformations: in 2022 it transferred its entire Russian-made T-72 fleet (~30 tanks) to Ukraine, followed by 4 Su-25s and 12 Mi-24 helicopters, and is rebuilding around wheeled armor and unmanned systems instead of tanks.
Main Suppliers and Key Systems
| Supplier | Key systems | Note |
| United States (GDLS, Oshkosh) | 42 Strykers (cut from 54); 96 JLTVs | JLTV: 38 of 96 delivered by mid-2025, rest due end-2025; Stryker deliveries from 2025 |
| Italy (Leonardo) | 4 AW149 + 4 AW169M helicopters | 26 March 2024, ~€250M; deliveries August 2026 to end-2028 |
| France (MBDA) | Mistral MANPADS | Medium-range SAM acquisition in planning |
| Turkey | Donated UAVs, communications, night vision and protective gear; Baykar interest | Chronology below; the Baykar thread is interest-level, no contract |
Defense Relations with Turkey: Chronology
| Date | Development |
| Standing | A large share of senior Macedonian officers trained at Turkish military schools |
| 2023 | Interest in Baykar UAVs; talks reported (no contract) |
| Aug 2024 | Skopje ceremony for Turkish-donated equipment: UAVs, communications, night-vision goggles, protective gear |
| 23 Oct 2024 | SAHA EXPO 2024, Istanbul: Misajlovski and Güler sign the Military Framework Agreement (Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Sashko Lafchiski in the delegation) |
| Mar 2025 | Turkish parliament starts ratification; defense-industrial memorandum reported |
Person file: Vlado Misajlovski explained.
Open Modernization Threads
- Wheeled-armor transition: completing Stryker and JLTV deliveries and converting the brigades — the spine of the force design.
- Unmanned systems: reconnaissance UAVs are being integrated into infantry units; the strike-UAV class remains empty.
- Air defense: a medium-range layer above Mistral is in planning.
- Rotary wing: Leonardo deliveries start August 2026; post-Mi-24 attack capability is an open question.
- Spending growth: a staged climb toward NATO’s new benchmarks runs to 2035.
Possible matches for Turkish industry — this is Envanter Medya’s open-source editorial assessment, not confirmed sales information. The framework agreement lays the legal ground for training and industrial cooperation. The empty strike-UAV class aligns at the technical level with the Baykar interest reported since 2023; the donated reconnaissance UAV, communications and night-vision lines are natural follow-on channels for Turkish product families. No finalized contract on these threads is on public record.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is North Macedonia’s defense budget?
MKD 23 billion (~$388 million) in 2025 — 2.4 percent of GDP, up 27.7 percent.
Why does the army have no tanks?
The whole T-72 fleet was donated to Ukraine in 2022; the new force is built on wheeled armor and unmanned systems.
What was signed with Turkey?
The Military Framework Agreement, signed by Misajlovski and Güler on the margins of SAHA EXPO on 23 October 2024.
What did Turkey donate?
UAVs, communications equipment, night-vision goggles and protective gear, handed over in August 2024.
Has a Baykar UAV been bought?
No — interest and talks have been reported since 2023, but no contract is on public record.
Who are the main suppliers?
The US (Stryker, JLTV), Italy (Leonardo helicopters), France (Mistral); Turkey is the growing partner via training, donations and the framework agreement.
Sources
- North Macedonia MoD, MIA — framework agreement
- Janes, Balkan Defence Monitor — budget and priorities
- Army Recognition, Defence Blog — JLTV deliveries; Janes — Stryker
- The Defense Post, Janes — Leonardo helicopter contract
- The Defense Post, Euromaidan Press, Defense Express — transfers to Ukraine
- Nordic Monitor, AA — donation ceremony, training link, ratification
- Image: Army of North Macedonia JLTV, 3rd NATO anniversary — government release, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Last updated: 18 August 2026 — updated as new meetings, agreements or deliveries emerge.
