A defense pact (Commonwealth spelling: defence pact) is a type of treaty or military alliance in which the signatories promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other.Volker Krause, J. David Singer "Minor Powers, Alliances, And Armed Conflict: Some Preliminary Patterns", in "Small States and Alliances and addons conductory", 2001, pp 15–23, (Print) (Online) Generally, the signatories point out the threats and concretely prepare to respond to it together.Fulvio Attinà "State aggregation in defense pacts: systemic explanations", Jean Monnet Working Papers, University of Catania, nr. 56, November 2004, ISSN 2281-9029
+ Current mutual defence treaties and alliances Year in force Name Member states Treaty name Also known as Present members Former / suspended members 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance Rio TreatyTIAR (1982–present)
(1967–present)
(1948–2019, 2020–present) (1948–2015, 2019–present) (1948–1962; suspended) (1948–2014) (1948–2016) (1948–2004) (1948–2014) 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Washington TreatyNATO (2009)
(2004)
(2009) (1999)
(2004) (2023)
(1955; as West Germany; reunified territory covered from 1990) (1952) (1999)
(2004) (2004)
(2017)
(2020)
(1999)
(2004) (2004) (2004) (1982) (2024) (1952)
1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (United States–Philippines) 1951 ANZUS Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty
1953 Mutual Defense Treaty (United States–South Korea) 1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan 1961 Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty Sino-North Korean Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance 1962 Thanat–Rusk communiqué 1992 Collective Security Treaty Organization CSTOCollective Security Treaty
(1994–1999) (1994–1999) (1994–1999, 2006–2012) 2008 South African Development Community (SADC) Mutual Defence Pact
2009 Treaty of Lisbon (Common Security and Defence Policy provisions) CSDPEuropean Union mutual defence clause (Article 42.7 TEU)
(left the EU in 2020) 2010 Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Mutual Support 2021 Franco-Greek defence agreement 2021 AUKUS
2023 Alliance of Sahel States AES
2024 North Korean–Russian Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership 2025 Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement SMDA 2025 Pukpuk Treaty Papua New Guinea–Australia Mutual Defence Treaty 2026 Ocean of Peace Alliance Veitacini Treaty 2026 Mecca Joint Defence Agreement Makkah Joint Defence Agreement
Historical treaties YearTreaty nameMember States1778–1798Treaty of Alliance Kingdom of France ( French First Republic from 1792) United States1873–1887League of the Three Emperors German Empire Austria-Hungary Russian Empire1921–1938Little Entente
1934–1941Balkan Pact
1950–1979Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance China Soviet Union1954–1977Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Australia France New Zealand Pakistan (withdrew in 1973) Philippines Thailand United Kingdom United States1955–1979Central Treaty Organization Iran Iraq (withdrew in 1959) Pakistan Turkey United Kingdom1955–1979Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty Taiwan United States1955–1991Warsaw Pact Albania (withdrew in 1968) Bulgaria Czechoslovakia East Germany Hungary Poland Romania Soviet Union
See also Military alliance List of military alliances
References