These developing countries are giving Western militaries a run for their money

VaselineSeptember 14, 2024

0 6 minutes read

These developing countries are giving Western militaries a run for their money

24/7 Wall St. Perspectives

The most powerful army in Africa has 440,000 active soldiers.
Although Somalia is known as a hot spot for conflict and fighting, it doesn’t compare to the top country on our list, as Somalia only has 15,000 active military personnel – and no military aircraft.
African military growth has been fueled, in part, by investment from foreign nations.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping recently offered one billion yuan (about $140.5 million) in military aid to the African continent. The offer includes not only aid, but also training for 6,000 soldiers and up to 1,000 policemen. At this time, the countries that would receive aid are not yet known. Jinping’s mission appears to be to expand China’s sphere of influence, win allies in Africa and compete with the United States as the leading global power on the world stage. China has already had its hand in Africa, conducting counter-terrorism exercises and exporting weapons. (Here are China’s 5 biggest military advantages.)

Throughout history, Africa has been in frequent conflict and fighting as different countries seek to establish power and autonomy, and governments and larger powers seek to establish strongholds. While parts of Africa remain in conflict, some of the most prominent nations have secured stable governance through military might. Consequently, countries such as Egypt have reduced conflicts within their own borders by having a considerable military force. Here at 24/7 Wall St. take a closer look at African armies to see which one is the strongest.

To determine the countries with the strongest military power in Africa, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 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 more than 60 measures in categories such as military power, financial power, logistics capability and geography. The lower the PowerIndex value, the stronger a nation’s theoretical conventional combat capability. We have also included additional information on active duty military personnel, military aircraft, vehicles and naval power.

Compared to the rest of the world, only a few African nations are in the upper echelon of global military powers. Much of this is due to the fact that many of these countries have underdeveloped air forces. However, they make up for this with ground troops and military vehicles. (Here are the African countries with the largest tank armies, ranked.)

Why are we covering this?

These developing countries are giving Western militaries a run for their money

African military power is reshaping our understanding of global geopolitics and security. Although Africa’s military power has fluctuated throughout history, we are now seeing much stronger armed forces and military capabilities emerging on the continent. This change comes from changes in technology, economics, and political advances. Understanding how Africa’s militaries are changing, and where these changes are most pronounced, provides a more powerful look at Africa’s impact on international affairs.

Here are the most powerful armies in Africa:

38. Somalia

Military Power Score: 3.9006
Active military personnel: 15,000
Total military aircraft: 0
Total military vehicles: 1,856
Total naval vessels and submarines: 11

37. Benin

Military Power Score: 3.8912
Active military personnel: 4,750
Total military aircraft: 3
Total military vehicles: 150
Total naval vessels and submarines: 7

36. Liberia

Military Power Score: 3.7262
Active military personnel: 1,500
Total military aircraft: 0
Total military vehicles: 325
Total naval vessels and submarines: 6

35. Sierra Leone

Military Power Score: 3.5433
Active military personnel: 13,000
Total military aircraft: 4
Total military vehicles: 100
Total naval vessels and submarines: 10

34. Central African Republic

Military Power Score: 3.5316
Active military personnel: 10,000
Total military aircraft: 6
Total military vehicles: 228
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

33. Madagascar

Madagascar+military | Madagascar. Antsirabe. The Malagasy army, on a march.

Military Power Score: 3.0655
Active military personnel: 13,500
Total military aircraft: 5
Total military vehicles: 232
Total naval vessels and submarines: 8

32. Gabon

Military Power Score: 2.9517
Active military personnel: 4,800
Total military aircraft: 24
Total military vehicles: 848
Total naval vessels and submarines: 5

31. Mauritania

Military Power Score: 2.9277
Active military personnel: 31,540
Total military aircraft: 24
Total military vehicles: 1,000
Total naval vessels and submarines: 5

30. Senegal

Military Power Score: 2.9117
Active military personnel: 17,000
Total military aircraft: 39
Total military vehicles: 1.104
Total naval vessels and submarines: 4

29. Burkina Faso

Military Power Score: 2.8501
Active military personnel: 12,000
Total military aircraft: 21
Total military vehicles: 1,112
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

28. Botswana

Military Power Score: 2.8353
Active military personnel: 21,000
Total military aircraft: 46
Total military vehicles: 587
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

27. Namibia

Military Power Score: 2.7652
Active military personnel: 13,000
Total military aircraft: 32
Total military vehicles: 2,674
Total naval vessels and submarines: 8

26. Republic of Congo

Military Power Score: 2.7282
Active military personnel: 8,500
Total military aircraft: 14
Total military vehicles: 519
Total naval vessels and submarines: 6

25. Niger

Military Power Score: 2.5988
Active military personnel: 25,000
Total military aircraft: 24
Total military vehicles: 912
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

24. South Sudan

Military Power Score: 2.4376
Active military personnel: 185,000
Total military aircraft: 16
Total military vehicles: 1,920
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

23. Eritrea

Military Power Score: 2.4152
Active military personnel: 120,000
Total military aircraft: 20
Total military vehicles: 3,512
Total naval vessels and submarines: 23

22. Uganda

Military Power Score: 2.2405
Active military personnel: 45,000
Total military aircraft: 55
Total military vehicles: 3,162
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

21. Ghana

Military Power Score: 2.2358
Active military personnel: 15,500
Total military aircraft: 20
Total military vehicles: 1,656
Total naval vessels and submarines: 27

20. Mali

Military Power Score: 2.1115
Active military personnel: 40,000
Total military aircraft: 42
Total military vehicles: 647
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

19. Cameroon

Military Power Score: 2.0599
Active military personnel: 40,000
Total military aircraft: 35
Total military vehicles: 850
Total naval vessels and submarines: 65

18. Tanzania

Military Power Score: 2.0587
Active military personnel: 27,000
Total military aircraft: 39
Total military vehicles: 712
Total naval vessels and submarines: 12

17. Zimbabwe

Military Power Score: 2.0352
Active military personnel: 29,000
Total military aircraft: 90
Total military vehicles: 2,412
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

16. Ivory Coast

Military Power Score: 1.9869
Active military personnel: 22,000
Total military aircraft: 9
Total military vehicles: 476
Total naval vessels and submarines: 7

15. Zambia

Military Power Score: 1.9851
Active military personnel: 15,150
Total military aircraft: 99
Total military vehicles: 506
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

14. Chad

Military Power Score: 1.8607
Active military personnel: 33,250
Total military aircraft: 41
Total military vehicles: 1,568
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

13. Mozambique

Military Power Score: 1.8377
Active military personnel: 11,200
Total military aircraft: 21
Total military vehicles: 872
Total naval vessels and submarines: 8

12. Kenya

Military Power Score: 1.7629
Active military personnel: 50,000
Total military aircraft: 158
Total military vehicles: 4,856
Total naval vessels and submarines: 19

11. Libya

Military Power Score: 1.4449
Active military personnel: 32,000
Total military aircraft: 132
Total military vehicles: 2,890
Total naval vessels and submarines: 7

10. Sudan

Military Power Score: 1.4119
Active military personnel: 92,000
Total military aircraft: 170
Total military vehicles: 3,648
Total naval vessels and submarines: 12

9. Tunisia

Tunisia+vehicles | Tunisia-4695 - Be good or else......

Military Power Score: 1.2881
Active military personnel: 89,800
Total military aircraft: 155
Total military vehicles: 6,400
Total naval vessels and submarines: 52

8. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Military Power Score: 1.2491
Active military personnel: 166,580
Total military aircraft: 46
Total military vehicles: 458
Total naval vessels and submarines: 16

7. Morocco

Military Power Score: 1.0081
Active military personnel: 195,800
Total military aircraft: 255
Total military vehicles: 13,710
Total naval vessels and submarines: 121

6. Angola

Military Power Score: 0.8702
Active military personnel: 107,000
Total military aircraft: 297
Total military vehicles: 5,500
Total naval vessels and submarines: 40

5. Ethiopia

Military Power Score: 0.7938
Active military personnel: 162,000
Total military aircraft: 91
Total military vehicles: 10,028
Total naval vessels and submarines: 0

4. Nigeria

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Military Power Score: 0.5619
Active military personnel: 230,000
Total military aircraft: 147
Total military vehicles: 6,404
Total naval vessels and submarines: 133

3. South Africa

Military Power Score: 0.4632
Active military personnel: 71,235
Total military aircraft: 194
Total military vehicles: 12,140
Total naval vessels and submarines: 47

2. Algeria

Military Power Score: 0.3589
Active military personnel: 325,000
Total military aircraft: 605
Total military vehicles: 35,990
Total naval vessels and submarines: 213

1. Egypt

Military Power Score: 0.2283
Active military personnel: 440,000
Total military aircraft: 1,080
Total military vehicles: 77,596
Total naval vessels and submarines: 140

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