Spanish Armed Forces

Spanish Armed Forces
Fuerzas Armadas de España
Founded20 January 1479
(547 years, 56 days)
Service branches
HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
Leadership
Monarch Felipe VI
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
Minister of Defence Margarita Robles
Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral General
Teodoro Esteban López Calderón
Personnel
Military age18
ConscriptionNo
Active personnel121,802 (2023)
Reserve personnel24,033 (2023)
Expenditure
Budget€33.123 billion (2025)
Percent of GDP2% (2025)
Industry
Domestic suppliersAirbus
Santa Bárbara
Navantia
Indra
Gamesa
Abengoa
Instalaza
UROVESA
Foreign suppliers France
Germany
United States
 Switzerland
Canada
Annual importsUS$112 million (2014–2022)
Annual exportsUS$752 million (2014–2022)
Related articles
HistoryMilitary history of Spain
Warfare directory of Spain
Wars involving Spain
Battles involving Spain
RanksMilitary ranks of Spain

The Spanish Armed Forces are in charge of guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Spain, defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order, according to the functions entrusted to them by the Constitution of 1978. They are composed of: the Army, the Air and Space Force, the Navy, the Royal Guard, and the Military Emergencies Unit, as well as the so-called Common Corps.

Spain occupies a prominent position in the structure of NATO, which it joined in 1982. Nevertheless, it spends less than the minimum of 2% of GDP on defence recommended by NATO.

Spain has the oldest Marine Infantry in the world and the oldest permanent military units in the world: the Infantry Regiment "Inmemorial del Rey" No. 1 and the Infantry Regiment "Soria" No. 9.