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United Arab Emirates Military Strength 2026

Rank #35 of 145

United Arab Emirates is ranked #35 of 145 nations on the Warfare Institute Strength Index, with a provisional score of 2.9 / 100. The comparable baseline weighs air power, land and naval forces, active manpower and financials, adjusted for equipment quality and readiness.

Category scores

Air Superiority3.2
Air DefenseNot scored
Long-Range StrikeNot scored
Land Forces2.2
Naval Forces2.1
Logistics2.5
Manpower7.2
Financials2.8

Key figures

Active personnel
65,000
Reserve personnel
130,000
Total aircraft
581
Fighters
99
Attack helicopters
30
Tanks
354
Armored vehicles
8,982
Self-propelled artillery
165
Rocket artillery (MLRS)
49
Naval vessels
47
Aircraft carriers
0
Submarines
0
Defense budget
$23.5B
Population
10,032,213

What the ranking shows

United Arab Emirates scores 2.9 out of 100. Its highest category score is Manpower (7.2); its lowest is Naval Forces (2.1). Category scores compare this country with the strongest inventory in each category, rather than measuring the probability of winning a war.

The inventory reports 65,000 active personnel, 99 fighters, 354 tanks and 47 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

Model-level dates are not available for this country. The 2026 label identifies the ranking edition; individual observations may refer to earlier periods. Figures are public-source estimates.

Model-level citations have not yet been assigned for this profile.

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.

Nearby in the ranking

Compare United Arab Emirates