Military

These 22 Countries Have the Most Corvette Warships, See Where the US Ranks

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

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?

Navy+Seaman+Apprentice+SA | 190709-N-DQ787-1051
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 LÉ Emer [Now Operated By The Nigerian Navy As The NNS Prosperity]-123689
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

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

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

Naval Surface Warriors / CC BYU-SA 2.0 / 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

US Destroyer | USS Stockdale (DDG-106) US Navy Destroyer
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

russian frigate | missile frigate of Russian fleet
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

Aegis+Combat+System | 330-CFD-DN-SD-04-09221
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

USNS+Choctaw+County+T-EPF-2 | USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) leads a formation of U.S. and European Union ships in the Gulf of Aden.
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

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

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

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

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

Bulgaria+navy | USS Carney and Bulgarian Navy conducts an exercise in the Black Sea.
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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