Frigate warships are used by a number of the world’s top naval powers. They are known for their speed, maneuverability and armament. The very first frigates came about in the 17th century, but the modern iteration is far from its ancestors in many ways with advanced radar, sonar, and electronic warfare systems. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the navies around the world that employ these vessels. (These are the most powerful militaries in the world.)
To identify the countries with the most frigates, 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 frigate warships in their fleet. We included supplemental information regarding the total naval vessels, submarines, as well as each country’s overall military strength score.
Near the top of the list is China, which has rapidly expanded its naval capabilities in recent years with a substantial number of modern frigates. These ships are central to China’s strategy of protecting its interests in the South China Sea and projecting power even further.
Notably, the United States does not have any frigates in its Navy. Instead, it operates a fleet of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers which tend to fill these roles due to their size and armament. However, the U.S. Navy is developing the Constellation-class as a frigate, but these ships are not due out for some time. (These are the newest aircraft carriers in US Navy history.)
Here is a look at the countries that have the most frigate warships:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Frigates 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.
23. Chile
Source: erlucho / iStock via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 8
- Total naval vessels: 130
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 4
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.8128 – #52 out of 145
22. Australia
Source: SCM Jeans / iStock via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 8
- Total naval vessels: 43
- Total destroyers: 3
- Total submarines: 6
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.2515 – #16 out of 145
21. Algeria
Source: public domain/flickr
- Total frigates: 8
- Total naval vessels: 213
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 6
- Total corvettes: 16
- Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
20. Indonesia
Source: Reezky Pradata / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 8
- Total naval vessels: 333
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 4
- Total corvettes: 25
- Military strength score: 0.2251 – #13 out of 145
19. Denmark
- Total frigates: 9
- Total naval vessels: 91
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 0
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.7743 – #48 out of 145
18. Colombia
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total frigates: 9
- Total naval vessels: 237
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 4
- Total corvettes: 2
- Military strength score: 0.7347 – #44 out of 145
17. Pakistan
Source: DefenseImagery.mil
- Total frigates: 9
- Total naval vessels: 114
- Total destroyers: 2
- Total submarines: 8
- Total corvettes: 2
- Military strength score: 0.1711 – #9 out of 145
16. Vietnam
- Total frigates: 9
- Total naval vessels: 97
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 6
- Total corvettes: 14
- Military strength score: 0.3158 – #22 out of 145
15. Spain
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total frigates: 11
- Total naval vessels: 168
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 3
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.2882 – #20 out of 145
14. United Kingdom
Source: Sitikka / iStock via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 11
- Total naval vessels: 117
- Total destroyers: 6
- Total submarines: 10
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.1443 – #6 out of 145
13. France
Source: JLV-Photos / iStock via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 11
- Total naval vessels: 128
- Total destroyers: 10
- Total submarines: 9
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.1878 – #11 out of 145
12. Mexico
Source: Russavia / Wikimedia Commons
- Total frigates: 11
- Total naval vessels: 194
- Total destroyers: 5
- Total submarines: 0
- Total corvettes: 4
- Military strength score: 0.4274 – #31 out of 145
11. Canada
- Total frigates: 12
- Total naval vessels: 67
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 4
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.3813 – #27 out of 145
10. Germany
Source: Brasil2 / E+ via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 12
- Total naval vessels: 64
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 6
- Total corvettes: 5
- Military strength score: 0.2847 – #19 out of 145
9. India
Source: Oleksii Hlembotskyi / iStock via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 12
- Total naval vessels: 294
- Total destroyers: 12
- Total submarines: 18
- Total corvettes: 18
- Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145
8. Russia
Source: NickolayV / iStock via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 12
- Total naval vessels: 781
- Total destroyers: 14
- Total submarines: 65
- Total corvettes: 83
- Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145
7. Greece
- Total frigates: 13
- Total naval vessels: 187
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 11
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.4349 – #32 out of 145
6. Italy
- Total frigates: 13
- Total naval vessels: 309
- Total destroyers: 4
- Total submarines: 8
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.1863 – #10 out of 145
5. Egypt
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Total frigates: 13
- Total naval vessels: 140
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 8
- Total corvettes: 7
- Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
4. Turkey
Source: vale_t / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total frigates: 16
- Total naval vessels: 186
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total submarines: 12
- Total corvettes: 9
- Military strength score: 0.1697 – #8 out of 145
3. South Korea
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Total frigates: 17
- Total naval vessels: 200
- Total destroyers: 13
- Total submarines: 22
- Total corvettes: 5
- Military strength score: 0.1416 – #5 out of 145
2. Taiwan
- Total frigates: 22
- Total naval vessels: 93
- Total destroyers: 4
- Total submarines: 4
- Total corvettes: 2
- Military strength score: 0.3302 – #24 out of 145
1. China
Source: rhk111 / Flickr
- Total frigates: 42
- Total naval vessels: 730
- Total destroyers: 49
- Total submarines: 61
- Total corvettes: 72
- Military strength score: 0.0706 – #3 out of 145
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