America’s Secret Empire: 800+ Hidden Bases Worldwide

The United States maintains an extensive global network of military bases and installations, with estimates ranging from around 750 to 877 overseas sites spread across approximately 80–95 countries and territories as of 2025–2026.

These include major hubs in Japan (hosting the most, with over 50,000 troops and key sites like Yokota Air Base and Camp Humphreys in South Korea as the largest by area), Germany (around 35,000 troops at facilities like Ramstein Air Base), South Korea, Italy, the United Kingdom, and others in Europe, the Middle East (such as Al Udeid in Qatar and bases in Bahrain), the Indo-Pacific (including the Philippines and Guam), and smaller presences in Africa, Australia, and beyond.

This vast footprint—accounting for the majority of the world’s foreign military bases—supports strategic alliances like NATO, deterrence against threats, rapid response capabilities, training, logistics, and power projection, with over 170,000–240,000 U.S. personnel stationed abroad at any given time, though exact numbers fluctuate due to rotations, classified sites, and evolving agreements.