Egypt and Algeria stand as the leading military powers in Africa, particularly when it comes to armored vehicle strength. Both countries have invested heavily in tanks, artillery, and armored personnel carriers in general. Considering this and the investment in their air forces and navies, these two militaries are some of the most powerful on the continent.
Egypt is home to one of the largest armored forces in the world, surpassing a number of NATO countries in just tank numbers alone. However, this also extends to its military vehicles in general. (These are the 30 most mass-produced tanks since WWII ended.)
One of the main components of Egypt’s armored force is the M1 Abrams main battle tank. There are over 1,000 of these units under Egypt’s command. In addition to the Abrams, Egypt’s armored forces also include older models like the Soviet-era T-62 and T-55 tanks. Further complementing these, Egypt boasts a number of towed and self-propelled artillery, outside of basic military vehicles.
Algeria rivals Egypt in terms of armored forces as a result of its strategic military partnership with Russia. While Egypt may have favorable relations with the U.S., Algeria’s relations with Russia have proven fruitful too. (Which countries support Russia in the conflict with Ukraine.)
The Algerian army fields over 500 T-90SA tanks, which are some of the most advanced tanks in the world, according to Russian President Vladmir Putin. Algeria also has a number of T-72 tanks, complementing its fleet of armored personnel carriers. At the same time, Algeria has a number of artillery systems, such as the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher.
Both of these countries are at the top of their game in terms of armored vehicles. Some other nations on the African continent have formidable forces, while others do not measure up.
24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the arsenals of African nations. To identify the African countries with the most military vehicles, 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 vehicles in their arsenal. We included supplemental information regarding the total tanks, artillery and MLRS units, as well as each country’s overall military strength score.
Here is a look at the African countries with the most military vehicles:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding the military dynamics of Africa is important due to the continent’s strategic geopolitical significance. The continent is known for some instability, and military power is one way of ensuring stability both political and economical. Many of these African nations are growing rapidly and the continued stability of this region is crucial.
Military strength score and world rank: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
1. Egypt
Total military vehicles: 77,596
Total tanks: 5,340
Total artillery: 3,046
Total MLRS: 1,119
Military strength score and world rank: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
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