Corvette warships are small, fast naval vessels that typically weigh anywhere from 500 to 2,000 tons. They play important roles in patrolling coastal regions, anti-submarine warfare and as escorts. Also, as smaller warships, corvettes can navigate littoral zones and coastal areas much easier than larger classes of ships.
One of the main advantages of corvettes is their cost-effectiveness. Compared to larger warships like destroyers and frigates, corvettes are less expensive to build and maintain. Accordingly, more nations can afford to have these warships in their fleets. (These are the newest aircraft carriers in US Navy history.)
Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at what countries have the most corvette warships in their navies. To identify the countries with the most corvette warships, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked on the total number of corvette warships in their fleet. We included supplemental information regarding the total naval vessels, submarines, as well as each country’s overall military strength score.
One country that has a formidable fleet of corvette warships is India. This South Asian nation has invested heavily in corvettes as part of its strategy to secure its massive coastline. The Indian Navy operates a number of corvettes, including the Kamorta-class and the Khukri-class.
These warships are indispensable for modern navies because of their cost-effectiveness and versatility. Countries like India, Russia, and China are just some of the countries that host sizable fleets of corvettes. (These are the most powerful militaries in the world.)
Here’s a look at the countries with the largest fleets of corvette warships:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: navalsurfaceforces / Flickr
Corvette warships are important in maintaining naval superiority and security on the world stage. Their roles in air defense, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and humanitarian missions highlight this importance and underscore their versatility.
22. Ecuador
![Nigeria+navy | P21 - Irish Navy Ship LÃÂ Emer [Now Operated By The Nigerian Navy As The NNS Prosperity]-123689](https://a673b.bigscoots-temp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/imageForEntry9-XPa.jpg)
Source: infomatique / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 27
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 2
- Total submarines: 2
- Military strength score: 1.2388 – #72 out of 145
21. Malaysia
Source: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 101
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 2
- Total submarines: 2
- Military strength score: 0.5992 – #42 out of 145
20. Norway
Source: Photo Beto / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 25
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 4
- Total submarines: 6
- Military strength score: 0.5664 – #41 out of 145
19. Bangladesh
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 117
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 7
- Total submarines: 2
- Military strength score: 0.5419 – #37 out of 145
18. Singapore
Source: rcp / iStock via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 43
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 6
- Total submarines: 7
- Military strength score: 0.4087 – #30 out of 145
17. Thailand
Source: NickolayV / iStock via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 293
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 7
- Total submarines: 0
- Military strength score: 0.3389 – #25 out of 145
16. Japan
Source: national_museum_of_the_us_navy / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 155
- Total destroyers: 36
- Total frigates: 4
- Total submarines: 23
- Military strength score: 0.1601 – #7 out of 145
15. Romania
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 20
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 3
- Total submarines: 0
- Military strength score: 0.7712 – #47 out of 145
14. Sweden
Source: Fotonen / iStock via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 353
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 5
- Military strength score: 0.4009 – #29 out of 145
13. Israel
Source: svarshik / iStock via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 67
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 5
- Military strength score: 0.2596 – #17 out of 145
12. Egypt
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 140
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 13
- Total submarines: 8
- Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
11. Peru
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Total corvettes: 8
- Total naval vessels: 69
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 7
- Total submarines: 4
- Military strength score: 0.8475 – #53 out of 145
10. United Arab Emirates
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 9
- Total naval vessels: 79
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 0
- Military strength score: 0.8083 – #51 out of 145
9. Turkey
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Total corvettes: 9
- Total naval vessels: 186
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 16
- Total submarines: 12
- Military strength score: 0.1697 – #8 out of 145
8. Argentina
Source: Naval Gazer / Wikimedia Commons
- Total corvettes: 9
- Total naval vessels: 41
- Total destroyers: 4
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 2
- Military strength score: 0.3823 – #28 out of 145
7. Vietnam
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 14
- Total naval vessels: 97
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 9
- Total submarines: 6
- Military strength score: 0.3158 – #22 out of 145
6. Algeria
Source: public domain/flickr
- Total corvettes: 16
- Total naval vessels: 213
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 8
- Total submarines: 6
- Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
5. India
Source: Oleksii Hlembotskyi / iStock via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 18
- Total naval vessels: 294
- Total destroyers: 12
- Total frigates: 12
- Total submarines: 18
- Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145
4. United States
Source: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com
- Total corvettes: 23
- Total naval vessels: 472
- Total destroyers: 75
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 64
- Military strength score: 0.0699 – #1 out of 145
3. Indonesia
Source: HHakim / E+ via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 25
- Total naval vessels: 333
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 8
- Total submarines: 4
- Military strength score: 0.2251 – #13 out of 145
2. China
Source: rhk111 / Flickr
- Total corvettes: 72
- Total naval vessels: 730
- Total destroyers: 49
- Total frigates: 42
- Total submarines: 61
- Military strength score: 0.0706 – #3 out of 145
1. Russia
Source: Dovapi / iStock via Getty Images
- Total corvettes: 83
- Total naval vessels: 781
- Total destroyers: 14
- Total frigates: 12
- Total submarines: 65
- Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145
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