The goal of the Global Firepower Index is to stir debate about “the biggest, baddest nations out there” and according to its 2015 list, the U.S. is the most powerful military force on Earth.
For the 2015 index, Global Firepower ranked 126 countries including 30 in Africa. One African country made the top 18 and three made the top 32.
Each country on the list was assigned a power index score, with zero being the perfect score. No one scored a zero. Geography, reliance on oil, and number of weapons at a country’s disposal were some of the factors taken into consideration in the index. Landlocked countries were not penalized for lack of a standing Navy. Smaller, technologically advanced countries were able to compete against larger ones with less developed military forces due to built-in guards against bias, according to Global Firepower.
GFP considered more than 50 factors in determining each nation’s power index score. “At the very least, this list can be used to stir healthy debate,” Global Firepower said in the intro to its rankings..
The values shown below are Global Firepower’s rankings. A perfect score is
0.0000 which it says is realistically unattainable.
In this list, we’ve included each country’s total population and portion of it fit for military service; number of active personnel; total aircraft and naval strength; oil production and consumption (despite advances in battlefield technology, oil remains the lifeblood of any fighting force, according to Global Firepower); defense budget; total land area and length of coastline.
Here are the 15 biggest, baddest, most powerful militaries in Africa in 2015.
DRC, Power Index: 2.4897
The DRC military is dealing with internal issues as well as involved against rebel groups.
Total Population: 75,507,308
Fit for Service: 20,499,951
Active Frontline Personnel: 152,000
Total Aircraft: 42
Total Naval Strength: 20
Oil Production: 20,000 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 15,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $162 million US
Serviceable Airports: 198
Land Area: 2,344,858 square kilometers
Coastline: 37 kilometers
Ivory Coast, Power Index: 2.4641
The military of the Ivory Coast is threatened as much from within as from without.
Total Population: 22,848,945
Fit for Service: 6,556,120
Total Aircraft: 5
Total Naval Strength: 10
Oil Production: 40,000 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 24,650 barrels per day
Defense budget: $440 million US
Serviceable Airports: 27
Land Area: 322,463 square kilometers
Coastline: 515 kilometers
Zimbabwe, Power Index: 2.3968
Recent funding support from the European Union has placed the emphasis on political reforms in Zimbabwe.
Total Population: 13,771,721
Fit for Service: 3,174,207
Active Frontline Personnel: 29,000
Total Aircraft: 94
Oil Production: 120 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 19,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $95 million
Serviceable Airports:
Land Area: 390,757 square kilometers
Chad, Power Index: 2.3587
Chad is one of several African countries under the threat of Islamist terror group Boko Haram.
Total Population: 11,412,107
Fit for Service: 2,579,053
Active Frontline Personnel: 30,350
Total Aircraft: 34
Oil Production: 104,500 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 125,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $120 million US
Serviceable Airports: 59
Land Area: 1,284,000 square kilometers
Uganda, Power Index: 2.3122
Uganda relies on foreign products to stock its military force because it doesn’t have its own military industrial base.
Total Population: 35,918,915
Fit for Service: 8,513,969
Active Frontline Personnel: 45,000
Total Aircraft: 46
Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 15,500 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $280 million US
Serviceable Airports: 47
Land Area: 241,038 square kilometers
Niger, Power Index: 2.0079
Niger is another African nation targeted by the terrorist group Boko Haram.
Total Population: 17,466,172
Fit for Service: 4,413,986
Active Frontline Personnel: 5,300
Total Aircraft: 15
Oil Production: 20,000 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 80,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $85 million US
Serviceable Airports: 30
Land Area: 1,267,000 square kilometers
Angola Power Index: 1.8579
Angola has teamed up with several regional neighbors to benefit local trade and security.
Total Population: 19,088,106
Fit for Service: 3,039,089
Active Frontline Personnel: 87,000
Total Aircraft: 269
Total Naval Strength: 55
Oil Production: 1,875,000 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 80,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $4.15 billion US
Serviceable Airports: 176
Land Area: 1,246,700 square kilometers
Coastline: 1,600 kilometers
Kenya, Power Index: 1.6835
The modern Kenyan military is stocked with a mix of new and old military systems.
Total Population: 45,010,056
Fit for Service: 12,468,138
Active Frontline Personnel: 24,120
Total Aircraft: 127
Total Naval Strength: 19
Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 80,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $595 million US
Serviceable Airports: 197
Land Area: 580,367 square kilometers
Coastline: 536 kilometers
Tunisia, Power Index: 1.4449
Tunisia’s revolution sparked the Arab Spring revolutions elsewhere, leading to a spotlight being shone on the militaries in countries across North Africa.
Total Population: 10,937,521
Fit for Service: 4,881,813
Active Frontline Personnel: 40,500
Total Aircraft: 138
Total Naval Strength: 50
Oil Production: 91,500 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 90,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $550 million US
Serviceable Airports: 29
Land Area: 163,610 square kilometers
Coastline: 1,148 kilometers
Morocco, Power Index: 1.2431
The Moroccan military uses a mix of old and new equipment while having several hundred thousand active and reserve personnel (150,000) on call.
Total Population: 32,987,206
Fit for Service: 14,403,061
Active Frontline Personnel: 195,800
Total Aircraft: 282
Total Naval Strength: 121
Oil Production: 5,057 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 210,000 barrels per day
Defense budget: $3.4 billion US
Serviceable Airports: 55
Land area: 446,550 square kilometers
Coastline: 2362 kilometers
Ethiopia, Power Index: 1.2009
The Ethiopian military inventory is mostly Soviet-era equipment.
Total Population: 96,633,458
Fit for Service: 24,757,344
Active Frontline Personnel: 182,500
Total Aircraft: 81
Oil Production: 100 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 52,000 barrels per day
Serviceable Airports: 57
Defense Budget: $340 million US
Land Area: 1,104,300 square kilometers
Nigeria, Power Index: 1.1597
Nigeria is battling gains by the terrorist group Boko Haram — a factor that played a part in the recent presidential election.
Total Population: 177,155,754
Fit for Service: 40,707,659
Active Frontline Personnel: 130,000
Total Aircraft: 98
Total Naval Strength: 75
Oil Production: 2,525,000 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 280,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $2.33 billion US
Serviceable Airports: 54
Land Area: 923,768 square kilometers
Coastline: 853 kilometers
South Africa, Power Index: 0.9233
The South African military is one of the most modern fighting forces on the continent. It has its own local military industry and exports arms.
Total Population: 48,375,645
Fit for Service: 14,093,327
Active Frontline Personnel: 88,565
Total Aircraft: 209
Total Naval Strength: 30
Oil Production: 192,000 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 591,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $4.61 billion US
Serviceable Airports: 566
Land Area: 1,219,090 square kilometers
Coastline: 2,798 kilometers
Algeria, Power Index: 0.8695
Algeria’s military is large, powerful and continually modernizing.
Total Population: 38,813,722
Fit for service: 17,249, 199
Active Frontline Personnel: 512,000
Total Aircraft: 448
Total Naval Strength: 60
Oil Production: 1,900,000 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 320,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $10.57 billion US
Serviceable Airports: 157
Land Area: 2,381,741 square kilometers
Coastline: 998 kilometers
Egypt, Power Index: 0.6214
Egypt remains committed to fighting extremism within its borders, and is still plagued by internal instability.
Total Population: 86,895,099
Fit for service: 35,305,381
Active Frontline Personnel: 468,500
Total Aircraft: 1,107
Total Naval Strength: 245
Oil Production: 680,500 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 820,000 barrels per day
Defense Budget: $4.4 billion US
Serviceable Airports: 83
Land Area: 1,001,450 square kilometers
Coastline: 2,450 kilometers