Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries
https://www.rozen-bakher.com/alliances/foreign-military-presence
Published Date: 11 June 2025
Monitoring Alliances by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher
Monitoring Military, Political, Economic and Trade Alliances that Have an Impact on Global Order and Geopolitics
Monitoring Alliances by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher https://www.rozen-bakher.com/monitoring-alliances
Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher
A Researcher in International Relations with a Focus on Security, Political and Economic Risks for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and International Trade
For the Differences Between Military Defence Treaty versus Military Support Treaty versus Military Cooperation:
The Difference Between Military Defence Treaty versus Military Support Treaty versus Military Cooperation https://www.rozen-bakher.com/alliances/military
The Importance of Political, Economic, and Trade Alliances:
Rozen-Bakher, Z. (2021). Restrictions on International Trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Nationalism-Mercantilism versus Trade Liberalism. Research Paper, PD9. https://www.rozen-bakher.com/research-papers/pd9
Rozen-Bakher, Z. (2021). The Chess Game of Forming International Trade Agreements: Shaping Global Economic and Political Power. Research Paper, PD10. https://www.rozen-bakher.com/research-papers/pd10
Rozen-Bakher, Z. (2021). Is the World Trade Organization (WTO) has a Future under the Mechanism of Consensus in Decision-Making?: A New Framework for Achieving Successful Rounds. Research Paper, PD11. https://www.rozen-bakher.com/research-papers/pd11
Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries
The data presented below regarding Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries refers to a formal army that has Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Combat Forces (Land, Air, Navy) that carry out Military Operations and Military Exercises for operational readiness, so it excluded Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Training or Research or Logistics or Testing. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between Military Training and Military exercise. Thereby, a Military Training aims to acquire new military skills, while a Military Exercise is the daily routine of combat troops that stationed in military bases in order to keep military readiness, especially when military operations do not exist, still, keep in mind that there are military bases and military installations that are used both for training and exercises and even for military operations. Importantly, the Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries can be based on a Defence Treaty or Agreement or Leased Land or Arrangement. Moreover, in the case of Colony/Territory, it refers to the army of the sovereign country or foreign country that was sent to the Colony/Territory and stationed there.
Maps of Home Countries with Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries, 10 June 2025
Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries refers to a formal army that has Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Combat Forces (Land, Air, Navy) that carry out Military Operations and Military Exercises for operational readiness, so it excluded Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Training or Research or Logistics or Testing. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between Military Training and Military exercise. Thereby, a Military Training aims to acquire new military skills, while a Military Exercise is the daily routine of combat troops that stationed in military bases in order to keep military readiness, especially when military operations do not exist, still, keep in mind that there are military bases and military installations that are used both for training and exercises and even for military operations. Importantly, the Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries can be based on a Defence Treaty or Agreement or Leased Land or Arrangement. Moreover, in the case of Colony/Territory, it refers to the army of the sovereign country or foreign country that was sent to the Colony/Territory and stationed there.
Note, it is impossible to see small countries or small colonies on the maps below, so for full details, please see the tables below. Besides, the maps below do not include the home countries: Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain due to the inability to see small countries and small colonies on these maps.
Table I. Home Countries with Foreign Military Presence by Number of Host Countries, 10 June 2025
Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries refers to a formal army that has Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Combat Forces (Land, Air, Navy) that carry out Military Operations and Military Exercises for operational readiness, so it excluded Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Training or Research or Logistics or Testing. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between Military Training and Military exercise. Thereby, a Military Training aims to acquire new military skills, while a Military Exercise is the daily routine of combat troops that stationed in military bases in order to keep military readiness, especially when military operations do not exist, still, keep in mind that there are military bases and military installations that are used both for training and exercises and even for military operations. Importantly, the Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries can be based on a Defence Treaty or Agreement or Leased Land or Arrangement. Moreover, in the case of Colony/Territory, it refers to the army of the sovereign country or foreign country that was sent to the Colony/Territory and stationed there.
Table II. Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries: List of Countries and Colonies by a-b, 10 June 2025
Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries refers to a formal army that has Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Combat Forces (Land, Air, Navy) that carry out Military Operations and Military Exercises for operational readiness, so it excluded Foreign Military Bases or Foreign Military Installations with Training or Research or Logistics or Testing. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between Military Training and Military exercise. Thereby, a Military Training aims to acquire new military skills, while a Military Exercise is the daily routine of combat troops that stationed in military bases in order to keep military readiness, especially when military operations do not exist, still, keep in mind that there are military bases and military installations that are used both for training and exercises and even for military operations. Importantly, the Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries can be based on a Defence Treaty or Agreement or Leased Land or Arrangement. Moreover, in the case of Colony/Territory, it refers to the army of the sovereign country or foreign country that was sent to the Colony/Territory and stationed there.
Stay Tuned for the Foreign Military Presence in Host Countries sorted by 2025 Global Survival Rank by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher
From Newspapers
Ecuador’s National Assembly approves the establishment of foreign military bases
Senegal president says no more 'foreign military presence from 2025'
Senegal to close foreign military bases, cuts ties to ex-colonial power France
Djibouti: The tiny valuable nation hosting the world’s military giants
Foreign Military Involvement in Libya: Interview with Imen Chaanbi
Why France should close its permanent military bases in Africa
Any foreign military presence in Ukraine is threat to Russia: spokesperson
U.S. Forces in the Middle East: Mapping the Military Presence
Foreign military presence threatens Persian Gulf security: IRGC Navy chief
Ukraine 'progresses meaningfully' in talks on foreign troop presence, Zelensky says
Sen. Dan Sullivan pushes for stronger Aleutian military presence amid growing foreign competition (U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan's efforts to strengthen Alaska's military system and reopen the naval base on a remote Aleutian Island)
Trump addresses troops at US’s largest Middle East military base
Steller 2025 exercise shows Philippine attempts to expand foreign military presence in SCS: expert
Reclaiming Sovereignty: Ghana’s Path to Security Without Foreign Military Presence
A new Haiti? Daniel Noboa asks for foreign troops to enter Ecuador
Protest in Lithuania: Saying NO to foreign military bases in Belarus
Ecuador president proposes constitutional reform permitting establishment of foreign military bases
Tunisia denies of presence foreign military bases on its soil
Germany Celebrates First Foreign Military Base Since World War II
The Only Foreign Military Presence in Cuba is at Gtmo US Naval Base
Protecting Peace or Power?: The Persistent Presence of Foreign Forces in the Middle East
From Scientific Literature - Research Papers and Research Books
Bases abroad: The global foreign military presence Harkavy, R. E. (1989). Bases abroad: The global foreign military presence. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The foreign military presence in the Horn of Africa region Melvin, N. (2019). The foreign military presence in the Horn of Africa region.
Foreign military presence and the changing practice of sovereignty: A pragmatist explanation of norm change Schmidt, S. (2014). Foreign military presence and the changing practice of sovereignty: A pragmatist explanation of norm change. American Political Science Review, 108(4), 817-829.
Terrorist attacks targeting the police: the connection to foreign military presence Gibbs, J. C. (2018). Terrorist attacks targeting the police: the connection to foreign military presence. Police Practice and Research, 19(3), 222-240.
The significance of foreign military bases as instruments of spheres of influence Klin, T. (2020). The significance of foreign military bases as instruments of spheres of influence. Croatian International Relations Review, 26(87), 120-144.
Outside the wire: US military deployments and public opinion in host states Allen, M. A., Flynn, M. E., Machain, C. M., & Stravers, A. (2020). Outside the wire: US military deployments and public opinion in host states. American Political Science Review, 114(2), 326-341.
US military presence in the Gulf: Challenges and prospects Hajjar, S. G. (2002). US military presence in the Gulf: Challenges and prospects.
The politics of overseas military bases Yeo, A. I. (2017). The politics of overseas military bases. Perspectives on Politics, 15(1), 129-136.
US global military deployments, 1950–2020 Allen, M. A., Flynn, M. E., & Martinez Machain, C. (2022). US global military deployments, 1950–2020. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 39(3), 351-370.
China's soft military presence in the Middle East Degang, S. (2018). China’s soft military presence in the Middle East (Vol. 31). King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS).
US foreign military bases and military colonialism: Personal and analytical perspectives Gerson, J. (2009). US foreign military bases and military colonialism: Personal and analytical perspectives. The bases of empire: The global struggle against US military posts, 47-70.
US Foreign Military Bases: The Edge and Essence of Empire Lutz, C. (2015). US Foreign Military Bases: The Edge and Essence of Empire. In Rethinking America (pp. 15-30). Routledge.
Beyond the target state: Foreign military intervention and neighboring state stability Peksen, D., & Lounsbery, M. O. (2012). Beyond the target state: Foreign military intervention and neighboring state stability. International Interactions, 38(3), 348-374.
United States military forces and installations in Europe Duke, S. (1989). United States military forces and installations in Europe. Oxford University Press.
Armed guests: Territorial sovereignty and foreign military basing Schmidt, S. (2020). Armed guests: Territorial sovereignty and foreign military basing. Oxford University Press.
US military deployment and host-nation economic growth Heo, U., & Ye, M. (2019). US military deployment and host-nation economic growth. Armed Forces & Society, 45(2), 234-267.
The architecture of imperialism: military bases and the evolution of foreign policy in Egypt's New Kingdom Morris, E. (2021). The architecture of imperialism: military bases and the evolution of foreign policy in Egypt's New Kingdom (Vol. 22). Brill.
US military bases and facilities in the Middle East Wallin, M. (2022). US military bases and facilities in the Middle East. American Security Project.
China's military base in Djibouti: A microcosm of China's growing competition with the United States and new bipolarity Cabestan, J. P. (2021). China's military base in Djibouti: A microcosm of China's growing competition with the United States and new bipolarity. In China’s Big Power Ambition under Xi Jinping (pp. 169-185). Routledge.
Base towns: Local contestation of the US Military in Korea and Japan Kim, C. J. (2023). Base towns: Local contestation of the US Military in Korea and Japan. Oxford University Press.
The militarization of Turkish foreign policy Mehmetcik, H., & Çelik, A. C. (2022). The militarization of Turkish foreign policy. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 24(1), 24-41.
