Royal Canadian Mounted Police Emergency Response Team officers detain a role player aboard the survey research vessel R-V Strait Hunter, which was simulating a migrant vessel during exercise Frontier Sentinel 2012 in Sydney, Nova Scotia 120508-N-IL267-013Paramilitary is a military force that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Though a paramilitary is, by definition, not a military , it is usually equivalent to a light infantry or special forces in terms of strength, firepower, and organizational structure. Paramilitaries use combat-capable kit/equipment (such as internal security /SWAT vehicles ), or even actual military equipment (such as long guns and armored personnel carriers ; usually military surplus resources), skills (such as battlefield medicine and bomb disposal ), and tactics (such as urban warfare and close-quarters combat ) that are compatible with their purpose, often combining them with skills from other relevant fields such as law enforcement , coast guard , or search and rescue . A paramilitary may fall under the command of a military , train alongside them, or have permission to use their resources, despite not actually being part of them.
Governmental paramilitary units SWAT team training with M-16 style riflesAfrica Egypt Libya ( Libyan House of Representatives ) Mauritius Nigeria Sudan Janjaweed (~197x - 2020 but continues in successors units)Rapid Support Forces (2013 partially Janjaweed successor till 2023)Popular Defence Forces Somaliland Americas Canada Costa Rica The Public Force of Costa Rica is responsible for law enforcement duties, acting as both a civilian police force and gendarmerie. In addition to ordinary policing, it is responsible for border patrol, counter-insurgency, riot control, tourism security, and coast guard duties.
Peru The Rondas campesinas are community-based groups in Peru, formed initially to combat cattle rustling and later in response to the Shining Path insurgency. They function primarily as local self-defense and law enforcement entities, especially in rural areas with limited government presence. United States Venezuela Asia Bangladesh Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Bangladesh Ansar 12 February 1948 Gendarmerie Largest paramilitary force in the world 6.4 million Border Guard Bangladesh 29 June 1792 (As Ramgarh Local Battalion) Border surveillance and internal security personnel 70,000 Bangladesh Coast Guard 14 February 1995 Marine border and security personnel 3,339 Bangladesh National Cadet Corps 23 March 1979 Volunteer reserve Provides Basic Military training to students from schools, colleges and universities. 23,968
China (People's Republic of China) Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) People's Armed Police 19 June 1982 Gendarmerie 1.5 million Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps 1954 State-owned enterprise Paramilitary organisation unknown, officially 2.6 million employees Militia of China 1927 Militia for general national defense mobilization8,000,000 Maritime Militia of China 1949-1950 Naval militia Unknown.
Taiwan (Republic of China) Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) National Police Agency 5 July 1972 Law enforcement agency Thunder Squad 1985 Localized Police tactical unit 200 Special Operations Group Elite Paramilitary Special Forces Police tactical unit
Hong Kong Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Civil Aid Service 1952 Emergency Response/Search and Rescue Civil Agency 112 full time; 3,634 adult members and 3,232 cadet members Government Flying Service 1993 Paramilitary Law Enforcement related Air support services 335 Hong Kong Police Force Police force For subdivisions, see Structure of the Hong Kong Police Force . Disciplined officers: 33,210 (2023) Auxiliary officers : 4,501 (2021), Unsworn: 4,735 (2023) Special Duties Unit 23 July 1974 Elite Paramilitary Special Forces Police tactical unit Over 120 Counter Terrorism Response Unit July 2009 Anti-terrorism patrol-type Police tactical unit 141 (2011)
India Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Assam Rifles 1835 Border Guarding and law enforcement force Indo-Myanmmar Border and Internal security 65,678 CRPF 27 July 1937 A central police force whose job is to assist state government, police or other agencies at time of their needs Internal security 313,678 ITBP 1962 Border Guarding and Law enforcement force which operates on the Indo - Chinese borders Border guarding and Himmalyan security 89,432 Sashastra Seema Bal 20 December 1963 Border guarding force of India deployed along its borders with Nepal and Bhutan Border guarding 94,261 BSF 1 December 1965 Largest border guarding force anywhere in the world Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders 290,000 CISF 10 March 1969 Guard Sensitive National Assets Internal protection and security 190,000 NSG 16 October 1984 Counter-terrorism force This force recruits its personnel from the police, paramilitary and Army from all around the India with the maximum service tenure of five years. 10,000
Indonesia Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Detachment 88 30 June 2003(2003-06-30) Police tactical unit 1,300 Mobile Brigade Corps 14 November 1945(1945-11-14) Police tactical unit 34,250 (2008)
Japan Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) National Police Agency 1 July 1954(1954-07-01) Law enforcement agency 7,995 (2020) Special Assault Team 1977 Elite Paramilitary Special Forces Police tactical unit Approx. 300
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) People's Border Guards Border surveillance and internal security personnel Worker-Peasant Red Guards January 1959 Paramilitary militia 5 million
South Korea (Republic of Korea) Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) National Police Agency 1 August 1991 Law enforcement agency 126,227 (2020) Special Operations Unit Elite Paramilitary Special Forces Police tactical unit
Malaysia Nepal Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Armed Police Force 24 October 2001 Counter-insurgency Specialised Police Force 35,000
Pakistan Civil Armed Forces - (Under the Federal Ministry of interior during Peace time but falls under the Ministry of Defense during war time. Led by officers from the Pakistani Military)Pakistan Rangers (Punjab and Sindh)Frontier Corps (Kpk and Balochistan)Gilgit Baltistan Scouts Paramilitary forces under the Ministry of Defense Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) Pakistan Coast Guard Defense Security Force Pakistan National Guard – Mujahid Force and Janbaaz ForceFederal Law Enforcement Agencies (solely under the federal ministry of Interior and led by the officers of the Police Service of Pakistan): Frontier Constabulary Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)Anti-Narcotics Force Airports Security Force National Highways & Motorway Police Pakistan Railways Police Philippines Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit 25 July 1987 Auxiliary unit 60,000 (2007) Special Action Force
Sri Lanka Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Special Task Force 1983 Elite Paramilitary – Special Operations Forces 8000(approx)
Thailand Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Border Patrol Police Marine Paramilitary Task Force Paramilitary Marine Regiment, Royal Thai Navy Also known as Thahan Phran Marines Thahan Phran Also known as Thai Rangers Village Scouts Volunteer Defense Corps 10 February 1954 Security Forces Unknown
Vietnam Europe Albania Estonia Finland France Georgia Italy Name Active Since Type Comments Size Ref(s) Arma dei Carabinieri 13 July 1814 Gendarmerie 110.000 (2023) Guardia di Finanza 1 October 1774 Gendarmerie 68.000 (2015)
Latvia Lithuania Netherlands Poland Portugal Guarda Nacional Republicana Russia Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom The London Metropolitan Police Specialist Firearms Command CO19 . The London Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command - SO15. The London Metropolitan Police Aviation Security Operational Command Unit - SO18. Middle East Iran Iraq Israel Syria Oceania Australia Non-governmental paramilitary units Africa Somalia Sudan Americas Colombia See also Right-wing paramilitarism in Colombia .
Mexico United States Various non-governmental Militia organizations in the United States , that are not associated with the U.S. military , law enforcement agencies , nor state defense forces in any way. There are many others totaling at around 334 militia movement groups as of 2011 See also List of militia organizations in the United States
Asia Cambodia Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) (Cholana Kangtoap Serei Cheat Kampouchea): Rebel group in Cambodia India Hindutva Islamism Khalistan Northeast India Naxalite–Maoist Indonesia Pancasila Youth Free Aceh Movement : Regional separatist group in Aceh , Indonesia . Also known as Aceh Security Disturbance Movement.Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG): Islamic separatist group in the southern Philippines . Also known as Al Harakut Al Islamiyya.Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB): Urban militant group of the Communist Party of the Philippines Bagani : A counter insurgency group operating in Cabanglasan .Ilaga (1971-1979): Christian extremist paramilitary group in the Southern Philippines . They battled against the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front .Alamara: A counterinsurgency operating across the central-eastern side of Mindanao Sri Lanka Thailand Pakistan Kashmir Balochistan Europe Kosovo Bosnia and Herzegovina Green Berets Serbian Honour . A Russian-trained and -funded paramilitary unit acting in support of separatist leader Milorad Dodik .Croatia Ustaše Militia acted as a para-military unit, an auxiliary part of the WW2 Croatian Nazi Puppet State's Armed ForcesHOS-Hrvatske obrambene snage right wing para-military organisation, later absorbed in regular Croatian military during homeland war for independence 1991-1995. Georgia Algeti Wolves : Georgian group which carried out anti-Russian attacks in the 1990sMerab Kostava Society White Eagles Forest Brothers White Legion Ireland Óglaigh na hÉireann (OnH) (2006–09): Small dissident Irish republican group, split from the Continuity IRA.Óglaigh na hÉireann (OnH) (2009–): Dissident Irish republican group, split from the Real IRA due to differences in leadership and factionalism.Russia Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom There are a number of paramilitary organisations in the United Kingdom , most of them operate in and around Northern Ireland and are a continuation of the various paramilitary groups which operated in Northern Ireland during The Troubles . Apart from these, there are a small number of white supremacist paramilitary organisations which operate in the United Kingdom .
Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA): Dissident republican group mainly in Northern Ireland Ulster Defence Association (UDA): Ulster loyalist group formed in September 1971.Ulster Resistance (UR or URM): Ulster loyalist group formed in November 1986, operating in mainly in Northern Ireland Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF): Ulster loyalist group formed in 1966, which is not related to the Ulster Volunteers . Operated mainly in Northern Ireland Combat 18 - British Neo-Nazi groupRed Hand Commando (RHC): Ulster loyalist paramilitary group, linked to the Ulster Volunteer ForceLoyalist Volunteer Force (LVF): Ulster loyalist group, split from the UVF 's Mid-Ulster Brigade .Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) (1974–): Split from the Official IRA in opposition to the OIRA's 1972 ceasefire. Mainly in Northern Ireland Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO) (1986–92): Formed by expelled and disaffected members of the INLA after that group started to reduce operations in the mid 1980s. The group were heavily involved in drug dealing and other criminal activities and were forcibly shut down in 1992 by the Provisional IRA.Irish Republican Liberation Army (IRLA) (2006–): A "self-styled vigilante group" that split from the Continuity IRA. Linked to the Loyalist Volunteer Force according to some sources.The name Irish Republican Army (IRA) has been used by many Irish republican groups in the 20th and 21st centuries. The following names are commonly used by the media and security services, but each group referred to themselves solely as the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and generally rejected the legitimacy of the others. Irish Volunteers (1913–16) Set up to counter the Ulster Volunteers but was shut down after the Easter Rising and formed the I.R.A. (1917–22) Irish Republican Army (1917–22): The original IRA, which was the official defence force of the Irish Republic and fought in the Irish War of Independence . Irish Republican Army (1922–69): The anti-treaty continuation of the original IRA, active during the Irish Civil War , IRA Sabotage Campaign , Northern Campaign , Border Campaign and the Troubles . Official IRA (OIRA) (1969–72): The Official IRA was formed after a split in 1969 between different factions of the 1922 IRA. The OIRA became a more overtly political movement, advocating Marxist–Leninist principles. Provisional IRA (PIRA) (1969–2005): Also known as the Provos, the Provisional IRA was the more militarily active of the two IRAs created out of the 1969 split. Continuity IRA (CIRA) (1986–): Split from the Provisional IRA when that group dropped its policy of abstentionism in relation to Dáil Éireann . Real IRA (RIRA) (1997–): Known in the media as the New IRA since their 2012 merger with Republican Action Against Drugs and other smaller republican militant groups, they split from the Provisional IRA over that group's support for the Irish peace process and the Good Friday Agreement . Middle East Iran Lebanon Palestine Multinational Nordic Strength [citation needed ]Sea Org : Scientology elite group with roots in naval tradition including time spent at Sea in a fleet of ships during the 1960s and 1970s. Became land based in 1975. Dress in uniforms, live communally in barracks, and are organized around naval ranks. Some dispute whether it is paramilitary.See also Footnotes Bowman, Steve (2010). . DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4379-2698-9. International Institute for Strategic Studies (2017). . Routledge. ISBN 9781857439007. Bahl, Taru; Syed, M. H. (2003). . Anmol Publications. ISBN 9788126114191. Shambaugh, David (2002). . University of California Press. ISBN 9780520225077. 
