WARFARE INSTITUTE Military Strength Index
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North Korea Military Strength 2026

Rank #16 of 145

North Korea is ranked #16 of 145 nations on the Warfare Institute Strength Index, with a provisional score of 6.5 / 100. The comparable baseline weighs air power, land and naval forces, active manpower and financials, adjusted for equipment quality and readiness.

Category scores

Air Superiority1.1
Air DefenseNot scored
Long-Range StrikeNot scored
Land Forces9.2
Naval Forces2.8
Logistics0.6
Manpower35
Financials0.6

Key figures

Active personnel
1,320,000
Reserve personnel
560,000
Total aircraft
837
Fighters
341
Attack helicopters
20
Tanks
4,895
Armored vehicles
47,792
Self-propelled artillery
1,300
Rocket artillery (MLRS)
1,500
Naval vessels
264
Aircraft carriers
0
Submarines
24
Defense budget
$4.8B
Population
26,298,666

What the ranking shows

North Korea scores 6.5 out of 100. Its highest category score is Manpower (35.0); its lowest is Financials (0.6). Category scores compare this country with the strongest inventory in each category, rather than measuring the probability of winning a war.

The inventory reports 1,320,000 active personnel, 341 fighters, 4,895 tanks and 264 naval vessels. Geography, alliances, logistics and deployment conditions affect how those forces can be used. Inventory totals and readiness estimates are explained in the methodology.

Data dates and sources

Dated model records range from 2026-07 to 2026-07. The 2026 label identifies the ranking edition; individual observations may refer to earlier periods. Figures are public-source estimates.

These citations identify the source families assigned to the model records; they do not imply every aggregate figure has been independently verified. See the source registry and corrections process.

Equipment by model

Model counts are estimates and may be reconciled to aggregate totals. — means undisclosed.

North Korea equipment inventory
ModelCategoryIn serviceData dateSource tag
Shenyang F-5Fighter902026-07SIPRI-AT
Shenyang J-6Fighter822026-07SIPRI-AT
MiG-23Fighter-bomber482026-07SIPRI-AT
MiG-29Multirole302026-07SIPRI-AT
Su-25Attack292026-07SIPRI-AT
Chengdu J-7Fighter252026-07SIPRI-AT
MiG-21Fighter222026-07SIPRI-AT
Su-7Fighter-bomber152026-07SIPRI-AT
Saetbyol-4HALE recon UAV—Not datedNot assigned
Saetbyol-9MALE UCAV—Not datedNot assigned
AI loitering dronesLoitering munition—Not datedNot assigned
Mi-24 HindAttack helicopter132026-07SIPRI-AT
Other attack helicopters (north-korea)Attack helicopter72026-07IISS-MB26
Mi-8/17Utility helicopter1202026-07SIPRI-AT
Other helicopters (north-korea)Utility helicopter652026-07IISS-MB26
An-26 / An-12 transportsTransport12026-07SIPRI-AT
Other submarines (north-korea)Submarines242026-07NAVAL-NEWS
Other destroyers (north-korea)Destroyers22026-07NAVAL-NEWS
Other frigates (north-korea)Frigates22026-07NAVAL-NEWS
Other corvettes (north-korea)Corvettes82026-07NAVAL-NEWS
T-54/55Legacy MBT2,4482026-07IISS-MB26
T-62 / Type 59Legacy MBT1,2242026-07IISS-MB26
Other tanks legacy (north-korea)tank1,2232026-07IISS-MB26
BMP-1/2IFV11,4702026-07SIPRI-AT
BTR-60/70/80APC13,3822026-07IISS-MB26
M113 / Type 63 APCAPC8,6032026-07IISS-MB26
Other vehicles mixed (north-korea)armored vehicle14,3372026-07IISS-MB26
2S1 Gvozdika / 2S3 AkatsiyaSPG5852026-07SIPRI-AT
Other self-propelled artillery mixed (north-korea)self-propelled artillery7152026-07IISS-MB26
D-30 / M-46 / D-20Towed artillery4552026-07IISS-MB26
Other towed artillery legacy (north-korea)towed artillery2452026-07IISS-MB26
BM-21 GradMLRS1,0502026-07IISS-MB26
Other rocket artillery mixed (north-korea)rocket artillery4502026-07IISS-MB26
KN-23/KN-24 SRBM TELsstrike90Not datedNot assigned
Hwasong-5/6/7 Scud-Nodong TELsstrike180Not datedNot assigned
North Korean long-range cruise missilesstrike40Not datedNot assigned
North Korean OWA drone salvo depthstrike80Not datedNot assigned
S-200 / KN-06 Pongae SAM networkLong-range SAM8Not datedNot assigned

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