Military

Why Egypt Ranks as the Strongest Military Force in Africa

gr33ndata / Flickr

24/7 Wall St. Insights

  • Egypt is home to the strongest military on the African continent.
  • It has over 1,000 M1 Abrams tanks at its disposal.
  • Egypt has over 1,000 aircraft including advanced fighter jets like the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
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Egypt consistently ranks as the strongest military force in Africa on multiple fronts. As one of the region’s most heavily militarized nations, Egypt boasts the largest air force and standing army on the continent. Although it does not have the largest navy, it comes in at a close second to Algeria. Overall, Egypt’s forces are massive, enough to rank fairly high on the world stage as well.

On land, Egypt is home to one of the largest tank fleets in the world. In fact, Egypt has more tanks in its arsenal than any single NATO nation. There are over 1,00 M1 Abrams tanks at Egypt’s disposal. These are considered some of the most advanced tanks on the planet. Also Egypt has a large number of Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), such as the BM-21 Grad and more modern systems like the American M270. (These are the African countries with the biggest tank armies.)

In terms of its naval assets, Egypt has a number of advanced frigates, corvettes, and patrol vessels. Egypt is also one of the few African nations to possess military submarines. All of these help to protect Egypt’s strategic interests along its coast in the Mediterranean Sea and through the Suez Canal.

The Egyptian Air Force is the largest in Africa and further solidifies its military dominance in the region. It operates over 1,000 aircraft, including advanced fighter jets like the F-16 Fighting Falcon, Mirage 2000, and the newer Rafale. (This is the fastest military stealth plane ever.)

Overall, Egypt’s combination of land, sea, and air forces make it a force to be reckoned with. All of these military assets and the soldiers that man them solidify Egypt’s position as the strongest military in Africa.

24/7 Wall St. is taking a look at other African militaries as well. To identify the countries with the strongest militaries in Africa, 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.

Here is a look at the strongest militaries in Africa:

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.

38. Somalia

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 15,000
  • Total military aircraft: 0
  • Total military vehicles: 1,856
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 11
  • Military strength score and world rank: 3.9006 – #142 out of 145

37. Benin

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 4,750
  • Total military aircraft: 3
  • Total military vehicles: 150
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 7
  • Military strength score and world rank: 3.8912 – #141 out of 145

36. Liberia

  • Active military personnel: 1,500
  • Total military aircraft: 0
  • Total military vehicles: 325
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 6
  • Military strength score and world rank: 3.7262 – #140 out of 145

35. Sierra Leone

  • Active military personnel: 13,000
  • Total military aircraft: 4
  • Total military vehicles: 100
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 10
  • Military strength score and world rank: 3.5433 – #138 out of 145

34. Central African Republic

  • Active military personnel: 10,000
  • Total military aircraft: 6
  • Total military vehicles: 228
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 3.5316 – #137 out of 145

33. Madagascar

  • Active military personnel: 13,500
  • Total military aircraft: 5
  • Total military vehicles: 232
  • Total tanks: 12
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 8
  • Military strength score and world rank: 3.0655 – #133 out of 145

32. Gabon

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 4,800
  • Total military aircraft: 24
  • Total military vehicles: 848
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 5
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.9517 – #132 out of 145

31. Mauritania

  • Active military personnel: 31,540
  • Total military aircraft: 24
  • Total military vehicles: 1,000
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 5
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.9277 – #131 out of 145

30. Senegal

usairforce / Flickr
  • Active military personnel: 17,000
  • Total military aircraft: 39
  • Total military vehicles: 1,104
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 4
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.9117 – #130 out of 145

29. Burkina Faso

39955793@N07 / Flickr
  • Active military personnel: 12,000
  • Total military aircraft: 21
  • Total military vehicles: 1,112
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.8501 – #127 out of 145

28. Botswana

  • Active military personnel: 21,000
  • Total military aircraft: 46
  • Total military vehicles: 587
  • Total tanks: 20
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.8353 – #126 out of 145

27. Namibia

Allexxandar / iStock via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 13,000
  • Total military aircraft: 32
  • Total military vehicles: 2,674
  • Total tanks: 7
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 8
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.7652 – #124 out of 145

26. Republic of the Congo

  • Active military personnel: 8,500
  • Total military aircraft: 14
  • Total military vehicles: 519
  • Total tanks: 32
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 6
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.7282 – #122 out of 145

25. Niger

  • Active military personnel: 25,000
  • Total military aircraft: 24
  • Total military vehicles: 912
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.5988 – #121 out of 145

24. South Sudan

  • Active military personnel: 185,000
  • Total military aircraft: 16
  • Total military vehicles: 1,920
  • Total tanks: 55
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.4376 – #119 out of 145

23. Eritrea

Solomon Debre / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 120,000
  • Total military aircraft: 20
  • Total military vehicles: 3,512
  • Total tanks: 1,756
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 23
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.4152 – #117 out of 145

22. Uganda

  • Active military personnel: 45,000
  • Total military aircraft: 55
  • Total military vehicles: 3,162
  • Total tanks: 130
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.2405 – #114 out of 145

21. Ghana

  • Active military personnel: 15,500
  • Total military aircraft: 20
  • Total military vehicles: 1,656
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 27
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.2358 – #113 out of 145

20. Mali

39955793@N07 / Flickr
  • Active military personnel: 40,000
  • Total military aircraft: 42
  • Total military vehicles: 647
  • Total tanks: 20
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.1115 – #106 out of 145

19. Cameroon

  • Active military personnel: 40,000
  • Total military aircraft: 35
  • Total military vehicles: 850
  • Total tanks: 0
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 65
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.0599 – #104 out of 145

18. Tanzania

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 27,000
  • Total military aircraft: 39
  • Total military vehicles: 712
  • Total tanks: 21
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 12
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.0587 – #103 out of 145

17. Zimbabwe

EA / iStock via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 29,000
  • Total military aircraft: 90
  • Total military vehicles: 2,412
  • Total tanks: 20
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 2.0352 – #101 out of 145

16. Ivory Coast

  • Active military personnel: 22,000
  • Total military aircraft: 9
  • Total military vehicles: 476
  • Total tanks: 10
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 7
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.9869 – #98 out of 145

15. Zambia

Bob Adams / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 15,150
  • Total military aircraft: 99
  • Total military vehicles: 506
  • Total tanks: 38
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.9851 – #97 out of 145

14. Chad

Chad tanks | War in the desert, Sahara
Franz Aberham / Photographer's Choice RF via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 33,250
  • Total military aircraft: 41
  • Total military vehicles: 1,568
  • Total tanks: 90
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.8607 – #93 out of 145

13. Mozambique

Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 11,200
  • Total military aircraft: 21
  • Total military vehicles: 872
  • Total tanks: 60
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 8
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.8377 – #92 out of 145

12. Kenya

yoh4nn / iStock via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 50,000
  • Total military aircraft: 158
  • Total military vehicles: 4,856
  • Total tanks: 188
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 19
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.7629 – #89 out of 145

11. Libya

Libya tanks | A T-55 tank destroyed by NATO forces in the desert north of Ajadabiya, Libya.
Stocktrek Images/Andrew Chittock / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 32,000
  • Total military aircraft: 132
  • Total military vehicles: 2,890
  • Total tanks: 300
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 7
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.4449 – #79 out of 145

10. Sudan

David Degner / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 92,000
  • Total military aircraft: 170
  • Total military vehicles: 3,648
  • Total tanks: 233
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 12
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.4119 – #76 out of 145

9. Tunisia

njnationalguard / Flickr
  • Active military personnel: 89,800
  • Total military aircraft: 155
  • Total military vehicles: 6,400
  • Total tanks: 140
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 52
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.2881 – #74 out of 145

8. Democratic Republic of Congo

  • Active military personnel: 166,580
  • Total military aircraft: 46
  • Total military vehicles: 458
  • Total tanks: 210
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 16
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.2491 – #73 out of 145

7. Morocco

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 195,800
  • Total military aircraft: 255
  • Total military vehicles: 13,710
  • Total tanks: 1,564
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 121
  • Military strength score and world rank: 1.0081 – #61 out of 145

6. Angola

AlexLMX / iStock via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 107,000
  • Total military aircraft: 297
  • Total military vehicles: 5,500
  • Total tanks: 310
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 40
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.8702 – #55 out of 145

5. Ethiopia

Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 162,000
  • Total military aircraft: 91
  • Total military vehicles: 10,028
  • Total tanks: 680
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.7938 – #49 out of 145

4. Nigeria

EngrgeneralG / Wikimedia Commons
  • Active military personnel: 230,000
  • Total military aircraft: 147
  • Total military vehicles: 6,404
  • Total tanks: 343
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 133
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.5619 – #39 out of 145

3. South Africa

my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
  • Active military personnel: 71,235
  • Total military aircraft: 194
  • Total military vehicles: 12,140
  • Total tanks: 195
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 47
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.4632 – #33 out of 145

2. Algeria

DancingMan / iStock via Getty Images
  • Active military personnel: 325,000
  • Total military aircraft: 605
  • Total military vehicles: 35,990
  • Total tanks: 1,632
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 213
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145

1. Egypt

  • Active military personnel: 440,000
  • Total military aircraft: 1,080
  • Total military vehicles: 77,596
  • Total tanks: 5,340
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 140
  • Military strength score and world rank: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145

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