The phrase Defence Force(s) (or Defense Force(s) in US English - see spelling differences) is in the title of the armed forces of certain countries and territories.
Federal Defence Forces of Germany.
the unified armed forces of the Kingdom of Denmark
Syrian pro-government militia
Paramilitary Force in Sudan. Disbanded in 2019, reactivated in 2023 due to the ongoing civil war.
provides emergency services in Singapore
Air Force of Kazakhstan
Part of the Algerian People's National Armed Forces
At the start of the Cold War, the United States Air Force had established the Aerospace Defense Command. It was broken into three different regions:
(1949-1960)
(1951-1960)
(1949-1960)
Regular force of British Ceylon (1881-1949)
A unit of former British Army soldiers and Irish Volunteers organised by Ireland during the Irish Civil War (1922)
(1991-1993)
(1974-1981)
Wehrmacht translated to defence forces (1935-1945)
A short-lived Wehrmacht-backed Lithuanian military unit made to defend Lithuania against the Soviet Army (1944)
(1951-2006)
(1917-1920)
(1944)
Liberian Rebel Group (1993-1996)
(1968-1989)
South Vietnamese militia (1968-1975)
(1960s-1970)
(2011-2015)
(1957-1994)
(1983-2006)
(1918-1992)
(1924-1955)
(1990-1992)
(1969-1992)
Predecessor to the South African Defence Force (1912-1957)
(1997-2008)
(1914-????)
In South Africa under apartheid the nominally independent Bantustans had their own forces, separately from the South African Defence Force:
(1977-1994)
(1981-1994)
(1981-1994)
(1979-1994)
Within the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, several different rebel groups have declared themselves "defense forces":
A number of football clubs related to defence forces are also named such, for example: