List of countries by level of military equipment

This is a list of countries by level of military equipment, including naval ships, fighter aircraft and nuclear weapons. This list is indicative only, as strict comparisons cannot accurately be made.

List

States marked 'TC' are widely considered technologically capable of wielding, operating or developing nuclear weapons, however are signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and are not known to possess any at the current moment. Japan, South Korea and Poland [citation needed] are generally considered de facto nuclear states due to their believed ability to wield nuclear weapons within 1 to 3 years. South Africa produced six nuclear weapons in the 1980s, but dismantled them in the early 1990s. South Africa signed the NPT in 1991.

Combat aircraft by country

Figures sourced from the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Flightglobal.com, unless otherwise noted.

RankCountryFightersBombersAttackTotalSources
1United States (USAF, US Navy)5,2091623435,714
2Russia (Russian Air Force, Russian Naval Aviation)8621815481,591
3China (PLAAF, PLANAF)9221602761,358
4India (Indian Air Force, Indian Naval Air Arm)646227873
5North Korea48440154678
6Pakistan447136583
7Egypt33826496
8South Korea468488
9Israel426426
10Japan380380

Figures sourced from the Lowy Institute

RankCountryNavy VLS CellsSources
1United States (US Navy)9,620
2People's Republic of China (PRC Navy)4,328
3Russia (Russian Navy)1,672
4Japan (Japanese Navy)1,448
5South Korea (South Korean Navy)896
6India (Indian Navy)696
7United Kingdom (Royal Navy)448
8Singapore (Singapore Navy)384
9Italy (Italian Navy)304
10France (French Navy)304
11Spain (Spanish Navy)240
12Australia (Australian Navy)208
13Canada (Canadian Navy)192

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ All data apart from the number of nuclear weapons is taken from The Military Balance (2020).
  2. ↑ Budget is annual.
  3. ↑ Fixed-wing aircraft with combat capability.
  4. ↑ Includes helicopters that have some attacking capabilities i.e. 'multi-role helicopters'.
  5. ↑ Pre-war figures
  6. ↑ Pre-war figures
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 See: NATO nuclear sharing
  8. ↑ Israel neither confirms nor denies possession of nuclear weapons.
  9. ↑ Taiwan's political status is disputed.
  10. ↑ Includes United States Coast Guard Budget.

References

  1. ↑ The Military Balance. Routledge. February 14, 2020. ISBN 9780367466398.
  2. 1 2 "World Air Forces directory 2023". Flight Global. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance". Arms Control Association. July 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Lockheed will complete Australian F-35 deliveries by year-end". Flight Global. March 2, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ "New FAB Gripen fighters are already on their way to Brazil". Aeroflap. November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Çad'da HÜRKUŞ ve ANKA teslimatı töreni | SavunmaSanayiST" (in Turkish). August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance | Arms Control Association". armscontrol.org. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  8. ↑ "China's Defense Spending: The $700 Billion Distraction". September 2, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Aircraft Carriers by Country 2023". Wisevoter. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2024). "The Military Balance 2024". International Institute for Strategic Studies. Routledge: 301–304. ISBN 9781032780047.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  11. ↑ "Romanian Air Force Retires Its MiG-21 LanceR Jets". The Aviationist. May 14, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  12. ↑ "How Powerful Is Russia's Military?". Defense One. November 14, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Russia overtakes all of Europe on defense spending in key metric: IISS military balance". February 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Just how strong is China's military compared to Taiwan?". August 5, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Chapter Four: Europe: Regional trends in 2022 50; Regional defence policy and economics 52; Poland: defence policy 66; Arms procurements and deliveries 69; Armed forces data section 72". The Military Balance. 123 (1): 50–149. December 31, 2023. doi:10.1080/04597222.2023.2162716. ISSN 0459-7222. S2CID 256848925.
  16. ↑ "Budget". Coast Guard Budget in Brief. 2018. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018.
  17. ↑ US Navy sources:
    – "Aircraft Carriers – CVN". United States Navy.
    – "The Gator Navy". United States Navy.
    – "Littoral Combat Ship Class – LCS". United States Navy.
    – "The Submarines". United States Navy.
  18. ↑ "Chapter Three: North America: Regional trends in 2022 16; United States: defence policy and economics 18; Canada: defence policy 28; Arms procurements and deliveries 29; Armed forces data section 32". The Military Balance. 123 (1): 16–49. December 31, 2023. doi:10.1080/04597222.2023.2162715. ISSN 0459-7222. S2CID 256848739.
  19. ↑ "How Many Tanks Does the U.S. Army Have?". April 14, 2025.
  20. ↑ Brumfiel, G. (2004). "We have the technology". Nature. 432 (7016): 432–437. doi:10.1038/432432a. PMID 15565123.
  21. ↑ Karam, Souhail (March 5, 2007). "Saudi defends Gulf Arab atom plans, criticizes Iran". Reuters.
  22. ↑ Shuster, Mike (April 13, 2010). "Nuclear Capabilities And Potential Around The World". NPR.
  23. ↑ "Nuclear Weapons Program (South Africa)". WMD Around the World. Federation of American Scientists Updated: May 31, 2012.
  24. ↑ Nic Von Wielligh & Lydia Von Wielligh-Steyn (2015). The Bomb – South Africa's Nuclear Weapons Programme. Translated by Sandra Mills. Pretoria: Litera. ISBN 978-1-9201-8848-1.
  25. ↑ "The Asian Conventional Military Balance in 2006" (PDF). Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  26. ↑ "The Israeli and Syrian Conventional Military Balance" (PDF). Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  27. ↑ World Air Force 2014 – Flight International, Flightglobal.com, Accessed November 23, 2014
  28. 1 2 "World Air Forces directory 2022". Flight Global. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Maritime Warfare Firpower". Retrieved August 13, 2025.

Bibliography

Further reading