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  • World - Africa
  • Updated: December 11, 2022

Ten Strongest Military Powers In Africa

Ten Strongest Military Powers In Africa

A nation's military forces are essential to its safety and security. The military is in charge of defending the nation's territorial integrity in the air, on land, and at sea.

To accomplish this, various nations allot a sizeable portion of their annual budgets to defence.

This money is used for hiring military personnel, and buying equipment and weapons, among other things.

The ten most potent African military forces in the world as of 2022 are listed in this article.

Based on the military strength, the country with the Power Index (‘PwrIndx’) score of 0.000 is considered the strongest. The military strength of countries is compared with this score.

From ascending to descending order, below are the top ten strongest militaries in Africa

 

1. Egypt (PwrIndx Score: 0.187)


The strongest military force in Africa is that of Egypt.

The nation has 214 armed helicopters and 465 combat aircraft as of the time this article was written.

After the US, Israel, and Turkey, Egypt has the fourth-largest F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter fleet in the world with 240 aircraft.

Total military personnel in Egypt number 685,000. Among them, 310,000 people are in the active duty force and 375,000 are in the reserve.

Due to its spending power, extensive combat unit roster, and elite Special Forces, Egypt's military will continue to be the strongest on the continent for the foreseeable future.

With a PwrIndx Score: of 0.187, the Egyptian military is the most powerful in Africa.


2. South Africa (PwrIndx Score: 0.428)


With a PwrIndx Score of 0.428, South Africa's military is the second most potent in Africa.

The country is home to 225 aircraft, including 91 helicopters, 22 transport aircraft, 88 trainer aircraft, 17 fighter aircraft, and 7 special mission aircraft.

Its arsenal also includes 195 combat tanks, 2,565 armoured fighting vehicles, 50 rocket launchers, 43 pieces of self-propelled artillery, and 82 towering pieces of artillery.

The nation has a Navel Strength of 47 as well. South Africa allocated about $2.9 billion for defence in 2022.

Although South Africa is second to Egypt on the continent in terms of military power, it is the most powerful in sub-Saharan Africa.

There are 72,000 active military members and 15,000 reserve personnel in the country.

It is noteworthy that South Africa is known for having strong land forces. The nation's air and naval power have been declining in recent years.

 

3. Algeria (PwrIndx Score: 0.472)

The third-strongest military force in Africa is found in Algeria. There are 130,000 active personnel and 135,000 reserve forces in the country.

Algeria set aside $9.7 billion for defence in 2022, which was the highest defence budget in Africa.

Its aircraft fleet totals 552, including 268 helicopters, 87 trainer aircraft, 9 special mission aircraft, 22 dedicated attack aircraft, and 103 fighter aircraft.

Algeria's land armoury consists of 2,196 tanks, 6,461 armoured vehicles, and 545 self-propelled artillery.

The country also has a 201-ship naval fleet.

Algeria has the third-strongest military force in Africa according to the PwrIndx Score of 0.472.

 

4. Nigeria (PwrIndx Score of 0.575)


With a PwrIndx Score of 0.575, Nigeria has the fourth-strongest military force in Africa.

With over 223,000 active personnel and no reserve personnel, the country has one of the largest uniformed combat services in Africa.

Nigeria allocated $5.9 billion ($2.41 trillion) to defence spending in 2022.

The nation is home to 13, 362 aircraft, including transport and fighter jets, as well as 5,800 tanks, 39,00 armoured fighting vehicles, and 1,197 self-propelled rockets.

Unfortunately, despite its military might, the nation is unable to defeat Boko Haram, which is causing problems in its northern region, as well as the enormous security challenges that have spread to other parts of the nation.

 

5. Morocco (PwrIndx Score of 0.857)

On our list of the top 10 most powerful military forces in Africa, Morocco ranks fifth.

There are 150,000 reserve military personnel and 200 000 active military personnel in the nation.

The country's overall firepower rating is 0.875 and its $6.17 billion military budget for the country was disclosed in 2022.

Morocco has a fleet of 249 aircraft, 3,335 tanks, 3,500 armoured cars, and 517 self-propelled guns. It has 121 naval personnel.


6. Ethiopia (PwrIndx Score: 1.0798)


Ethiopia has one of the strongest military strengths in Africa.

The nation has a military firepower score of 1.080 and over 162,000 active military personnel.

Ethiopia’s military force is the strongest in East Africa.


7. Angola (Pwrlndx score: 1.093)


With over 120.000 active personnel, Angola's military is well-organized.

The country has a power score of 1. 093, placing its armed forces as the seventh strongest in Africa.

The nation's $1.06 billion defence budget was set for 2022.

 

8. Libya (PwrIndx Score: 1.327)


In our ranking of the top 10 militarily-strongest African nations, Libya comes in at number eight.

The military of the country is equipped with 55 rocket launchers, 250 combat tanks, seven attack helicopters, and 450 armoured fighting vehicles.

Libya spent $3.5 billion on defence in 2022.


9. Sudan (PwrIndx Score: 1.338)

The Sudanese military, which is ranked ninth in Africa, is one of the strongest on the continent.

It boasts an effective military force with 210,000 active members.

Sudan also possesses an impressively sizable fleet of tanks, along with a large number of aircraft and attack helicopters.

The Sudanese military is equipped with 12 naval patrol boats, 690 combat tanks, 38 attack aircraft, 43 attack helicopters, and 46 fighter aircraft.

Sudan allocated $2.5 billion for defence spending in 2022.


10. Tunisia (PwrIndx Score: 1.366)

Our list of the top ten militaries in Africa is completed by the Tunisian military. The nation has 48,000 active personnel and a power index of 1.366.

With a $1.18 billion defence budget for 2022, Tunisia will rank among the top African nations in terms of defence spending.

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