Asia, best known for being the world’s biggest continent, is home to some of the biggest military powers as well. While the United States may rank as the most powerful nation, militarily speaking, Russia, India, and China each can hold their own with their impressive militaries.
One common thread between the most powerful militaries on the Asian continent is their air power. Russia, India and China each boast some of the strongest air forces in the world which exert dominance over their respective territories. However, there are a number of other smaller nations on the continent that do not fully exert military dominance on the world stage, instead they fall into a hierarchy of power within different regions, each of these countries exhibiting different strengths and weaknesses. (These are the world’s largest air forces.)
To determine the countries with the strongest military might in Asia, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation’s theoretical conventional fighting capability is. We included supplemental information regarding active military personnel, military aircraft, vehicles, and naval power as well.
Over recent decades, China has vastly improved its military capabilities on different levels. From developing new fifth generation fighter aircraft to expanding its navy, the People’s Liberation Army has greatly improved China’s standing on the world stage as a global superpower.
Comparatively, Russia draws much of its military strength from the Cold War era where it saw a massive expansion of its military to fit its global ambitions. Despite the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Russia has still maintained much of its military strength and is even exerting much of it now in Ukraine. (Here is how Russia and NATO’s military capabilities compare.)
Here is a look at the strongest militaries in Asia:
45. Bhutan
- Military strength score: 6.3704
- Active military personnel: 7,500
- Total military aircraft: 2
- Total military vehicles: 108
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
44. Nepal
- Military strength score: 2.8962
- Active military personnel: 95,000
- Total military aircraft: 15
- Total military vehicles: 2,216
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
43. Lebanon
- Military strength score: 2.4283
- Active military personnel: 60,000
- Total military aircraft: 81
- Total military vehicles: 4,522
- Total navy ships and submarines: 69
42. Afghanistan
- Military strength score: 2.2715
- Active military personnel: 0
- Total military aircraft: 17
- Total military vehicles: 6,555
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
41. Laos
- Military strength score: 2.2071
- Active military personnel: 100,000
- Total military aircraft: 34
- Total military vehicles: 1,880
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
40. Cambodia
- Military strength score: 2.1725
- Active military personnel: 221,000
- Total military aircraft: 24
- Total military vehicles: 4,094
- Total navy ships and submarines: 31
39. Tajikistan
- Military strength score: 2.1265
- Active military personnel: 9,500
- Total military aircraft: 25
- Total military vehicles: 4,650
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
38. Mongolia
- Military strength score: 2.1079
- Active military personnel: 35,000
- Total military aircraft: 11
- Total military vehicles: 3,600
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
37. Armenia
- Military strength score: 2.0583
- Active military personnel: 57,500
- Total military aircraft: 64
- Total military vehicles: 736
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
36. Kyrgyzstan
- Military strength score: 2.0057
- Active military personnel: 23,000
- Total military aircraft: 6
- Total military vehicles: 2,772
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
35. Bahrain
- Military strength score: 1.7163
- Active military personnel: 18,400
- Total military aircraft: 120
- Total military vehicles: 2,598
- Total navy ships and submarines: 58
34. Georgia
- Military strength score: 1.6969
- Active military personnel: 55,000
- Total military aircraft: 52
- Total military vehicles: 5,256
- Total navy ships and submarines: 19
33. Turkmenistan
- Military strength score: 1.4906
- Active military personnel: 36,500
- Total military aircraft: 90
- Total military vehicles: 8,312
- Total navy ships and submarines: 44
32. Yemen
- Military strength score: 1.4692
- Active military personnel: 66,700
- Total military aircraft: 177
- Total military vehicles: 4,800
- Total navy ships and submarines: 38
31. Jordan
- Military strength score: 1.4651
- Active military personnel: 100,500
- Total military aircraft: 265
- Total military vehicles: 24,148
- Total navy ships and submarines: 27
30. Oman
- Military strength score: 1.4448
- Active military personnel: 42,600
- Total military aircraft: 128
- Total military vehicles: 5,019
- Total navy ships and submarines: 22
29. Kuwait
- Military strength score: 1.4261
- Active military personnel: 72,000
- Total military aircraft: 144
- Total military vehicles: 4,409
- Total navy ships and submarines: 123
28. Sri Lanka
- Military strength score: 1.3459
- Active military personnel: 346,000
- Total military aircraft: 86
- Total military vehicles: 3,708
- Total navy ships and submarines: 270
27. Uzbekistan
- Military strength score: 1.1069
- Active military personnel: 48,000
- Total military aircraft: 191
- Total military vehicles: 5,526
- Total navy ships and submarines: 0
26. Qatar
- Military strength score: 1.0789
- Active military personnel: 66,550
- Total military aircraft: 228
- Total military vehicles: 5,544
- Total navy ships and submarines: 123
25. Syria
- Military strength score: 1.0026
- Active military personnel: 170,000
- Total military aircraft: 452
- Total military vehicles: 14,550
- Total navy ships and submarines: 47
24. Azerbaijan
- Military strength score: 0.9934
- Active military personnel: 126,400
- Total military aircraft: 144
- Total military vehicles: 29,312
- Total navy ships and submarines: 24
23. Kazakhstan
- Military strength score: 0.9495
- Active military personnel: 110,000
- Total military aircraft: 243
- Total military vehicles: 6,012
- Total navy ships and submarines: 18
22. United Arab Emirates
- Military strength score: 0.8083
- Active military personnel: 65,000
- Total military aircraft: 560
- Total military vehicles: 12,253
- Total navy ships and submarines: 79
21. Iraq
- Military strength score: 0.7441
- Active military personnel: 193,000
- Total military aircraft: 371
- Total military vehicles: 39,872
- Total navy ships and submarines: 68
20. Malaysia
- Military strength score: 0.5992
- Active military personnel: 113,000
- Total military aircraft: 143
- Total military vehicles: 13,965
- Total navy ships and submarines: 101
19. Bangladesh
- Military strength score: 0.5419
- Active military personnel: 163,000
- Total military aircraft: 216
- Total military vehicles: 13,100
- Total navy ships and submarines: 117
18. North Korea
- Military strength score: 0.5313
- Active military personnel: 1,320,000
- Total military aircraft: 951
- Total military vehicles: 24,696
- Total navy ships and submarines: 505
17. Myanmar
- Military strength score: 0.5251
- Active military personnel: 150,000
- Total military aircraft: 293
- Total military vehicles: 8,139
- Total navy ships and submarines: 227
16. Philippines
- Military strength score: 0.4691
- Active military personnel: 150,000
- Total military aircraft: 195
- Total military vehicles: 7,562
- Total navy ships and submarines: 111
15. Singapore
- Military strength score: 0.4087
- Active military personnel: 51,000
- Total military aircraft: 247
- Total military vehicles: 8,318
- Total navy ships and submarines: 43
14. Thailand
- Military strength score: 0.3389
- Active military personnel: 360,850
- Total military aircraft: 501
- Total military vehicles: 14,040
- Total navy ships and submarines: 293
13. Taiwan
- Military strength score: 0.3302
- Active military personnel: 215,000
- Total military aircraft: 750
- Total military vehicles: 19,868
- Total navy ships and submarines: 93
12. Saudi Arabia
- Military strength score: 0.3235
- Active military personnel: 257,000
- Total military aircraft: 914
- Total military vehicles: 20,694
- Total navy ships and submarines: 57
11. Vietnam
- Military strength score: 0.3158
- Active military personnel: 600,000
- Total military aircraft: 226
- Total military vehicles: 18,578
- Total navy ships and submarines: 97
10. Israel
- Military strength score: 0.2596
- Active military personnel: 170,000
- Total military aircraft: 612
- Total military vehicles: 43,407
- Total navy ships and submarines: 67
9. Iran
- Military strength score: 0.2269
- Active military personnel: 610,000
- Total military aircraft: 551
- Total military vehicles: 65,765
- Total navy ships and submarines: 101
8. Indonesia
- Military strength score: 0.2251
- Active military personnel: 400,000
- Total military aircraft: 474
- Total military vehicles: 11,604
- Total navy ships and submarines: 333
7. Pakistan
- Military strength score: 0.1711
- Active military personnel: 654,000
- Total military aircraft: 1,434
- Total military vehicles: 50,523
- Total navy ships and submarines: 114
6. Turkey
- Military strength score: 0.1697
- Active military personnel: 355,200
- Total military aircraft: 1,069
- Total military vehicles: 55,104
- Total navy ships and submarines: 186
5. Japan
- Military strength score: 0.1601
- Active military personnel: 247,150
- Total military aircraft: 1,459
- Total military vehicles: 37,662
- Total navy ships and submarines: 155
4. South Korea
- Military strength score: 0.1416
- Active military personnel: 600,000
- Total military aircraft: 1,576
- Total military vehicles: 66,492
- Total navy ships and submarines: 200
3. India
- Military strength score: 0.1023
- Active military personnel: 1,455,550
- Total military aircraft: 2,296
- Total military vehicles: 151,248
- Total navy ships and submarines: 294
2. China
- Military strength score: 0.0706
- Active military personnel: 2,035,000
- Total military aircraft: 3,304
- Total military vehicles: 174,300
- Total navy ships and submarines: 730
1. Russia
- Military strength score: 0.0702
- Active military personnel: 1,320,000
- Total military aircraft: 4,255
- Total military vehicles: 161,382
- Total navy ships and submarines: 781
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