Paramilitary 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
Africa
Egypt
Mauritius
Nigeria
Sudan
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
China (People's Republic of China)
Taiwan (Republic of China)
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
South Korea (Republic of Korea)
Malaysia
Nepal
Pakistan
Paramilitary forces under the Ministry of Defense
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Vietnam
Europe
Albania
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
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
India
Hindutva
Islamism
Khalistan
Northeast India
NaxaliteâÂÂMaoist
Indonesia
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Pakistan
Kashmir
Balochistan
Europe
Kosovo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
- UstaÃ
¡e Militia acted as a para-military unit, an auxiliary part of the WW2 Croatian Nazi Puppet State's Armed Forces
- HOS-Hrvatske obrambene snage right wing para-military organisation, later absorbed in regular Croatian military during homeland war for independence 1991-1995.
Georgia
Ireland
- ÃÂglaigh na hÃÂireann (OnH) (2006âÂÂ09): Small dissident Irish republican group, split from the Continuity IRA.
- ÃÂglaigh na hÃÂireann (OnH) (2009âÂÂ): 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 group
- Red Hand Commando (RHC): Ulster loyalist paramilitary group, linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force
- Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF): Ulster loyalist group, split from the UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade.
- Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) (1974âÂÂ): Split from the Official IRA in opposition to the OIRA's 1972 ceasefire. Mainly in Northern Ireland
- Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO) (1986âÂÂ92): 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) (2006âÂÂ): 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 (1913âÂÂ16) Set up to counter the Ulster Volunteers but was shut down after the Easter Rising and formed the I.R.A. (1917âÂÂ22)
- Irish Republican Army (1917âÂÂ22): The original IRA, which was the official defence force of the Irish Republic and fought in the Irish War of Independence.
- Irish Republican Army (1922âÂÂ69): 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) (1969âÂÂ72): 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 MarxistâÂÂLeninist principles.
- Provisional IRA (PIRA) (1969âÂÂ2005): 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) (1986âÂÂ): Split from the Provisional IRA when that group dropped its policy of abstentionism in relation to Dáil ÃÂireann.
- Real IRA (RIRA) (1997âÂÂ): 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
- 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
References