24/7 Wall St. Insights
- Guided-missile destroyers revolutionized warfare in 1960.
- These versatile ships serve multiple roles in today’s navies.
- The top leaders on this list are the U.S., China, and Japan (but read on to see who’s first!)
- Also: Discover the Next Nvidia
The USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG-2) is widely considered the first guided-missile destroyer built for its purposes. Launched in late 1959 into 1960, this guided-missile destroyer carried and deployed long-range missiles to assist with military needs. The advent of the guided-missile destroyer actually marks a huge change in naval warfare. Before this time, long-range missiles could only be carried by larger ships. So, this maritime innovation allowed naval fleets to travel farther with greater protection against air-based attacks. (However, there may be nowhere to hide when missile ranges can reach 9,500 miles.)
Air defense is, in fact, one of the main functions of guided-missile destroyers. Some of the newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyers being fielded by the United States Navy are equipped with the highly sophisticated Aegis Combat Systems, which allow them to track and intercept multiple aerial threats, including aircraft, drones, and missiles. This also provides cover for other naval vessels in the near vicinity.
But these ships are incredibly versatile, allowing for strong offensive capabilities as well. Guided-missile destroyers are armed with a variety of weaponry, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, which enable precision strikes over long distances. They are also outfitted to play a role in anti-submarine warfare to detect and destroy any underwater threats. (These are the submarines and underwater military tech that make up the Navy’s hidden arsenal.)
To identify the countries with the most guided-missile destroyers, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked on the total number of destroyer-class ships in their fleet. We included supplemental information regarding the total naval vessels, submarines, as well as each country’s overall military strength score.
Why Are We Covering This?
Guided-missile destroyers are important in maintaining naval superiority and security on the world stage. Their roles in air defense, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and humanitarian missions highlight this importance and underscore their versatility. The amount of guided-missile destroyers a country has suggests its naval power and overall military presence, as well as how two countries might fare if facing each other in battle.
Learn about the countries with the most guided-missile destroyers:
14. Pakistan
- Total destroyers: 2
- Total naval vessels: 114
- Total submarines: 8
- Total corvettes: 2
- Military strength score: 0.1711 – #9 out of 145
13. Australia
- Total destroyers: 3
- Total naval vessels: 43
- Total submarines: 6
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.2515 – #16 out of 145
12. Argentina
- Total destroyers: 4
- Total naval vessels: 41
- Total submarines: 2
- Total corvettes: 9
- Military strength score: 0.3823 – #28 out of 145
11. Taiwan
- Total destroyers: 4
- Total naval vessels: 93
- Total submarines: 4
- Total corvettes: 2
- Military strength score: 0.3302 – #24 out of 145
10. Italy
- Total destroyers: 4
- Total naval vessels: 309
- Total submarines: 8
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.1863 – #10 out of 145
9. Mexico
- Total destroyers: 5
- Total naval vessels: 194
- Total submarines: 0
- Total corvettes: 4
- Military strength score: 0.4274 – #31 out of 145
8. United Kingdom
- Total destroyers: 6
- Total naval vessels: 117
- Total submarines: 10
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.1443 – #6 out of 145
7. France
- Total destroyers: 10
- Total naval vessels: 128
- Total submarines: 9
- Total corvettes: 0
- Military strength score: 0.1878 – #11 out of 145
6. India
- Total destroyers: 12
- Total naval vessels: 294
- Total submarines: 18
- Total corvettes: 18
- Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145
5. South Korea
- Total destroyers: 13
- Total naval vessels: 200
- Total submarines: 22
- Total corvettes: 5
- Military strength score: 0.1416 – #5 out of 145
4. Russia
- Total destroyers: 14
- Total naval vessels: 781
- Total submarines: 65
- Total corvettes: 83
- Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145
3. Japan
- Total destroyers: 36
- Total naval vessels: 155
- Total submarines: 23
- Total corvettes: 6
- Military strength score: 0.1601 – #7 out of 145
2. China
- Total destroyers: 49
- Total naval vessels: 730
- Total submarines: 61
- Total corvettes: 72
- Military strength score: 0.0706 – #3 out of 145
1. United States
- Total destroyers: 75
- Total naval vessels: 472
- Total submarines: 64
- Total corvettes: 23
- Military strength score: 0.0699 – #1 out of 145
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