Editing Army of North Macedonia (section)

== History ==
The Republic of Macedonia became a sovereign and independent state in 1991, following the [[1991 Macedonian independence referendum|8 September referendum]]. On 17 November, the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia was promulgated, which established that the armed forces of the Republic are responsible for protecting its territorial integrity and independence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Одлука за прогласување на Уставот на Република Македонија |url=https://www.sobranie.mk/content/Odluki%20USTAV/Odluka%20za%20proglasuvanje%20na%20Ustavot%20na%20RM.pdf |website=sobranie.mk}}</ref> On 15 February 1992, the Defense Law entered into force.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 February 1992 |title=Закон за одбрана |url=https://www.slvesnik.com.mk/Issues/AFDDD975DB0641B4BF93019D794ED5ED.pdf |website=slvesnik.com.mk}}</ref> Until this law was adopted, the armed forces consisted of the units, commands and headquarters of the [[Territorial Defense (Yugoslavia)|Territorial Defense]] of the Republic of Macedonia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Устав на Република Македонија со амандманите на Уставот I - XXXII |url=https://www.slvesnik.com.mk/content/Ustav%20na%20RM%20-%20makedonski%20-%20FINALEN%202011.pdf |website=slvesnik.com.mk}}</ref> These forces had a wartime strength of roughly 100,000 manpower, according to a March 1991 [[CIA]] estimate,<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 1991 |title=Yugoslavia: Military Dynamics of a Potential Civil War |url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/1991-03-01.pdf |website=cia.gov |page=14}}</ref> and were inherited from the [[Yugoslav People's Army]].

Macedonia remained at peace while other republics of Yugoslavia were at [[Yugoslav Wars|war]]. When the Defense Law entered into force, the JNA was still present in Macedonia. A week later, on 21 February 1992, an agreement was reached for the dislocation of the JNA, signed by President [[Kiro Gligorov]] and [[Blagoje Adžić]], Acting [[Federal Secretary of People's Defense of Yugoslavia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Историја – Армија на Република Северна Македонија |url=https://mil.mk/istorija/#1495112068914-791ca5e3-0abb |website=mil.mk}}</ref> The JNA took all of its equipment with it, stripping the facilities bare, and mining them. In some cases, even army apartments were stripped of wire and plumbing. The Belgrade newspaper Vreme estimated at the time that the JNA had removed equipment worth between $14 billion and $20 billion. It wrote that the weapons taken from Macedonia could have armed up to 30,000 troops. Macedonian officials argued that the republic had been contributing to the federal army budget since 1945, therefore most of the equipment belonged to Macedonia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stojanovic |first1=Dusan |title=Macedonia's Peaceful But Troubled Road To Independence |url=https://apnews.com/article/46c5f783725d5d268149914839a32bf1 |access-date=10 July 2022 |website=Associated Press |quote=}}</ref> The JNA withdrawal formally ended on 27 March 1992, when President Gligorov and JNA General Nikola Uzelac signed an agreement, after the previous day, the last and largest military facility, the Marshal Tito barracks in [[Skopje]], today named Ilinden, was taken over.<ref name=":0" /> The first recruit of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia reported to the barracks in [[Ohrid]] on 13 April 1992, two days before the appointed date.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 April 2022 |title=Воениот рок го отслужив без ден отсуство, вели првиот регрут на АРМ, Панче Јамандиев |work=Сакам Да Кажам |url=https://sdk.mk/index.php/magazin/voeniot-rok-go-otsluzhiv-bez-den-otsustvo-veli-prviot-regrut-na-arm-panche-jamandiev/}}</ref>

In 1995, the government passed the military academy law and became the 27th member of the NATO "Partnership and peace" initiative.

In 1996, for the first time a Macedonian army unit participated in a multinational exercise called "Peace Eagle 96" in Albania.

In 1999, the first class of 64 sergeants were presented in the Goce Delčev barracks to had started and finished their schooling in the new military academy of Macedonia "[[Mihailo Apostolski]]".

In 2001, Macedonia struggled with an [[2001 insurgency in Macedonia|ethnic insurgency]]. The insurgency was a short-lived civil conflict between [[Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia|ethnic Albanian]] militants of the [[National Liberation Army (Macedonia)|NLA]] and special police and military forces of the Republic of Macedonia. The conflict, which ended with the disarmament of the Albanian militia.

In 2006, the Macedonian army became a fully professional force and the Second Mechanized Infantry Brigade was formed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Армија на Република Македонија – историја, структура и чинови, одбранбена доктрина и законодавно-правни аспекти |url=https://akademik.mk/armija-na-republika-makedonija-istorija-struktura-i-chinovi-odbranbena-doktrina-i-zakonodavno-pravni-aspekti/ |website=akademik |date=17 August 2014 |access-date=10 July 2022}}</ref>

=== Participation in international operations ===

==== War in Afghanistan ====
[[File:Macedonian Soldiers in Kabul.jpg|thumb|right|Macedonian soldiers in Kabul]]

The then-Republic of Macedonia began its participation in the [[NATO]]-led [[ISAF]] operation in August 2002, with the allocation of two officers to the Turkish contingent. On 8 September, independence day of the Republic of Macedonia, the Macedonian flag was flown for the first time in Kabul. In March 2003, the Army of the Republic of Macedonia increased its contribution in the ISAF mission by sending one section from the 2nd Infantry Brigade as part of the German contingent. As a result of the successful execution of the mission and the high marks received for participation in ISAF, from August 2004 until the end of 2006, it participated with one mechanized infantry platoon from the Leopard unit. At the same time, in August 2005 medical personnel was sent in ISAF as part of the Combined Medical Team in the A3 format (Macedonia, Albania, Croatia), which successfully carried out tasks at the Kabul airport, firstly in the composition of the Greek Field Hospital, and later in the composition of the Czech Field Hospital.

Based on the assessments of the Alliance in the part of the declared units from the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, which achieved the required strict standards in the field of training and operational procedures, and in line with the Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC), the Army in June 2006 sent also one mechanized infantry company, part of the first mechanized infantry brigade, in the composition of the British contingent in ISAF. The trust shown from the United Kingdom towards the ninety "Scorpions" from the first infantry brigade, was justified in full.

The high marks from the highest command structures for the work of the unit as well as the learned lessons are only an imperative for continuing the successful mission. In the second rotation of the company for securing the ISAF command, the Republic of Macedonia increased the participation from ninety to one hundred and twenty seven participants, and from January 2008 it sent three staff officers in the ISAF Command in Kabul.

As a support to the efforts for self-sustainability of the Afghanistan National Army (ANA), beginning from March 2008, the Republic of Macedonia sent two soldiers (one officer and one NCO) as part of the Combined Multinational [[Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team]] (OMLT) in [[Mazar-i-Sharif]] while, beginning from December 2008, in cooperation with the Kingdom of Norway, a Macedonian medical team is included through one Surgical team in the organizational structure of the surgical unit of the Norwegian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Meymanah, Afghanistan.

==== EUFOR Althea ====
[[File:Macedonian Air Force Mi-17.jpg|thumb|right|Macedonian Mi-8 in EUFOR Althea Mission in BiH]]

North Macedonia has reaffirmed its strategic commitment for attaining membership to the EU by its resolute political commitment to support the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CSFP) and by declaring a concrete contribution to the civilian and military operations in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
The participation of the then-Republic of Macedonia in the EU crisis management military operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina marked the first in the series of concrete and substantial contributions that the country provided in the framework of the civilian and military CSDP operations aimed at enhancing the EU capacities.
The Agreement with the EU for its participation in Althea was signed on 3 July 2006, in Brussels. The contribution of the Republic of Macedonia to the EU operation Althea has confirmed its progress from a consumer of the first EU military operation (Concordia 2003) into an active contributor to the CSDP (Althea 2006).
The country's first contribution to an EU-led operation began in July 2006, by declaring a helicopter detachment, consisting of two Mi-8/17 helicopters and 21crew.
In November 2006, the Republic of Macedonia enhanced its own contribution to the EU operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina by declaring a medical team composed of 10 personnel for providing Role 1 medical support in Camp Butmir.

==== Iraq War ====
[[File:Macedonian soldiers practice reflexive fire skills at Camp Taji, Iraq (April 2008).jpg|thumb|right|Macedonian soldiers in 2008 during the Iraq War]]
[[File:Soldiers say goodbye to Macedonian friends DVIDS97161.jpg|thumb|A Macedonian soldier saluting on behalf of his men during a performance of the [[Macedonian national anthem]] in 2008]]

With the political consensus of all political entities in the RM as well as the overall Macedonian public in terms of the support of the Coalition in the "fight against terrorism", the Republic of Macedonia took active participation by sending its units in the Iraqi Freedom Mission. Based on all legal authorizations, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia adopted decisions for sending its units to the Iraqi Freedom Mission in the period between June 2003 and December 2008 for each mission separately every 6 months during the term of the mission. The Mission started by sending two officers in the US Central Command in Tampa, in March 2003. Upon the completion of the major combat operations, the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime, and the adoption of Resolution 1546 of the United Nations Security Council, in June 2003 on sending a special task platoon that executed the tasks as part of the 4th infantry division of the Multi-National Force Iraq. In 2008, participation in the Iraqi Freedom Mission was increased by an additional platoon. A total of 11 rotations were conducted between June 2003 and December 2008. The eleventh rotation was the last, which completed participation in the Iraqi Mission. The overall number of personnel that participated in this mission is 490.

==== Support for KFOR ====
Having in mind the priorities in the part of logistics not only in national terms, but even more in proportion with the requirements and requests of the Alliance, the Host Nation Support Coordination Centre began to work in April 2005 as part of the NATO HQ in Skopje, a project implemented for the first time with a member nation from the Partnership for Peace. The project at the beginning was implemented on proposal of General Blease, who at that time was the Commander of NATO forces in Skopje. At the beginning, the project included 11 officers from the Army, who successfully completed the training for the obligations related to giving support from the host nation. Promoting the personal professionalism and achievements, in 2006 these officers became the basis of the Coordination Centre, which gradually began the preparations for undertaking the tasks for support to KFOR.

In June 2007, having in mind the large meaning and the projected goals, the Coordination Centre was included in the formation of the Logistics Support Command in the General Staff of the Army. In this manner as an addition to the participation in the mission in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Lebanon, the Army participates also in the mission for support to Kosovo.

==== UNIFIL ====
Macedonia participated in the peacekeeping mission of the United Nations in Lebanon, UNIFIL.

The security and prosperity in global terms depend more and more on the effective multilateral system. The strategic partnership with the Organization of the United Nations, whose Treaty represents the fundamental framework of the international relations, are the priority of the European Union and NATO on the international security scene. Hence, the contribution of the Republic of Macedonia in the military part with respect to the missions led by the Organization of the United National is a confirmation of the effective membership of the Republic of Macedonia in the Organization and its strategic determinations.

=== 2020– ===
Over the next thirteen months, all of NATO's 29 member states ratified the protocol. The accession protocol entered into force on 19 March 2020, allowing North Macedonia to deposit its instrument of accession and thereby become NATO's 30th member state on 27 March 2020. On 27 March 2020, North Macedonia became the 30th member of NATO.