Military

African Nations Are Building Up Their MLRS Arsenals

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin via Army.mil

24/7 Wall St. Insights:

  • African nations have been building up their military arsenals with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) units in recent years
  • South Africa developed its own MLRS system based on the Soviet BM-21 Grad
  • Egypt owns one of the more advanced systems in the BM-30 Smerch
  • Also: Discover the next Nvidia

In recent years, African nations have been building up their military arsenals, particularly focusing on modernizing artillery systems. A significant part of this involves incorporating multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), which are used by many of the strongest militaries on the planet. These new weapons systems offer a sizable increase in firepower while not being slowed down by the mobility of traditional artillery units. (These are the 39 most important rocket launchers of the last 100 years.)

South Africa ranks fairly high among African nations for its stock of MLRS. In fact, it has even developed its own variant based on the Soviet BM-21 Grad. South Africa’s BM-21 Valkiri is a 127mm MLRS with a range of roughly 22 miles. What makes this unit impressive is that it is capable of firing 40 rockets in less than 20 seconds.

At the same time, Egypt, one of Africa’s strongest military powers, has incorporated an even more sophisticated Russian system, the BM-30 Smerch. This MLRS can launch 300mm rockets over a distance of up to 56 miles.

Ultimately, the integration of these MLRS allow for untold reach on the battlefield. And it goes without saying that the countries that employ these systems will hold a distinct advantage over their rivals.

African countries like Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, and South Africa are known for their military strength. They owe is in part to their employment of these advanced MLRS systems, giving them enough reach to safeguard their borders. (These are the strongest militaries in Africa.)

24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the military arsenals across Africa. To identify the African countries with the most MLRS units, 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 MLRS in their arsenal. We included supplemental information regarding the total military vehicles, artillery and tanks, as well as each country’s overall military strength score. Nations that do not have any MLRS in their arsenal were excluded.

Here is a look at the African countries with the most MLRS:

Why Are We Covering This?

Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images

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.

26. Burkina Faso

Burkina+Faso+military | 190216-A-XR613-421
39955793@N07 / Flickr
  • Total MLRS: 5
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total artillery: 12
  • Total military vehicles: 1,112
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.8501 – #127 out of 145

25. Senegal

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 6
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total artillery: 20
  • Total military vehicles: 1,104
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.9117 – #130 out of 145

24. Ivory Coast

Ivory+Coast+military | Malawi Defence Force receives vital Combat Life Saver training
usarmyafrica / Flickr
  • Total MLRS: 6
  • Total tanks: 10
  • Total artillery: 4
  • Total military vehicles: 476
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.9869 – #98 out of 145

23. Namibia

tYuruYuriHaZiMaRuYo~u2605 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 7
  • Total tanks: 7
  • Total artillery: 50
  • Total military vehicles: 2,674
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.7652 – #124 out of 145

22. South Sudan

Steve Evans / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 10
  • Total tanks: 55
  • Total artillery: 20
  • Total military vehicles: 1,920
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.4376 – #119 out of 145

21. Uganda

filo / iStock via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 12
  • Total tanks: 130
  • Total artillery: 32
  • Total military vehicles: 3,162
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.2405 – #114 out of 145

20. Mozambique

Mozambique+tanks | N/A
rosino / Flickr
  • Total MLRS: 12
  • Total tanks: 60
  • Total artillery: 104
  • Total military vehicles: 872
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.8377 – #92 out of 145

19. Ghana

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 15
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total artillery: 6
  • Total military vehicles: 1,656
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.2358 – #113 out of 145

18. Botswana

mtcurado / iStock via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 20
  • Total tanks: 20
  • Total artillery: 48
  • Total military vehicles: 587
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.8353 – #126 out of 145

17. Cameroon

Værnsfælles Forsvarskommando / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 20
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total artillery: 70
  • Total military vehicles: 850
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.0599 – #104 out of 145

16. Chad

Chad tanks | War in the desert, Sahara
Franz Aberham / Photographer's Choice RF via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 21
  • Total tanks: 90
  • Total artillery: 25
  • Total military vehicles: 1,568
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.8607 – #93 out of 145

15. Mali

Tyg728 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 25
  • Total tanks: 20
  • Total artillery: 10
  • Total military vehicles: 647
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.1115 – #106 out of 145

14. Gabon

dk_photos / iStock via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 28
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total artillery: 4
  • Total military vehicles: 848
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.9517 – #132 out of 145

13. Zambia

Rawf8 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 35
  • Total tanks: 38
  • Total artillery: 46
  • Total military vehicles: 506
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.9851 – #97 out of 145

12. Nigeria

JeffHower / iStock via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 37
  • Total tanks: 343
  • Total artillery: 371
  • Total military vehicles: 6,404
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.5619 – #39 out of 145

11. Democratic Republic of Congo

Maikel de Vaan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 50
  • Total tanks: 210
  • Total artillery: 135
  • Total military vehicles: 458
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.2491 – #73 out of 145

10. Libya

Bernd.Brincken / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 55
  • Total tanks: 300
  • Total artillery: 75
  • Total military vehicles: 2,890
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.4449 – #79 out of 145

9. Republic of the Congo

Democratic+Republic+of+Congo+military | MEDFLAG 2010, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, September 2010
usarmyafrica / Flickr
  • Total MLRS: 72
  • Total tanks: 32
  • Total artillery: 37
  • Total military vehicles: 519
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.7282 – #122 out of 145

8. Ethiopia

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 79
  • Total tanks: 680
  • Total artillery: 713
  • Total military vehicles: 10,028
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.7938 – #49 out of 145

7. South Africa

Bob Adams / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 101
  • Total tanks: 195
  • Total artillery: 153
  • Total military vehicles: 12,140
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.4632 – #33 out of 145

6. Angola

Angola military | Angolan military force, army or war concept. 3D rendering isolated on white background
AlexLMX / iStock via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 123
  • Total tanks: 310
  • Total artillery: 580
  • Total military vehicles: 5,500
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.8702 – #55 out of 145

5. Morocco

Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 208
  • Total tanks: 1,564
  • Total artillery: 871
  • Total military vehicles: 13,710
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.0081 – #61 out of 145

4. Eritrea

Amod Photography / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 219
  • Total tanks: 1,756
  • Total artillery: 210
  • Total military vehicles: 3,512
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.4152 – #117 out of 145

3. Algeria

US Army Africa / Wikimedia Commons
  • Total MLRS: 236
  • Total tanks: 1,632
  • Total artillery: 707
  • Total military vehicles: 35,990
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145

2. Sudan

David Degner / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Total MLRS: 343
  • Total tanks: 233
  • Total artillery: 200
  • Total military vehicles: 3,648
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.4119 – #76 out of 145

1. Egypt

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin via Army.mil
  • Total MLRS: 1,119
  • Total tanks: 5,340
  • Total artillery: 3,046
  • Total military vehicles: 77,596
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145

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