This Military Has More Tanks Than Other Armies Have Troops

In February 2022, Russia officially invaded Ukraine – and the war has been raging on ever since. However, in the last few months, the situation seems to have flipped. In fact, Ukraine recently invaded Russia’s Kursk region, highlighting an increase in power and support from other global leaders. Tanks are believed to play an important role in Ukraine’s growing force. The British donated a number of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukrainian forces, allowing Ukraine to capture the Russian town of Sudzha. Should more tanks and other equipment be donated to Ukraine, it could spell trouble for Russia – even though Russia, as you’ll see on this list, has the most tanks of any military by far. (Here is what actually led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.)

Tanks are an armored vehicle that first began being developed during World War II. Initially, tanks were designed to break through enemy lines and join in on special combat situations. Today, tanks have become an integral part of many global militaries, and for good reasons. Tanks can operate in different weather and terrain conditions, offer direct-fire support, and are incredibly sturdy, which means they are great for defense. (These are the 30 most mass-produced tanks since World War II ended.)

To determine which countries across the globe have the most tanks, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed data from Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. We ranked countries by total number of tanks, starting with the least amount first. Additionally, we included information on the overall amount of military vehicles, artillery, and MLRS units, as well as each country’s military strength score. 0.000 would be the perfect military strength score, but this is unachievable. But the closer to 0.0000 a nation’s military strength score is, the more conventionally powerful that country is considered.

Despite the U.S.’s strong advantage around the globe in terms of military power, America did not make first, second, or even third on the list for number of tanks (although it did crack top 5). American military strength relies mainly on its Air Force and Navy, and less on ground forces. However, when the need arises for troops on the ground, the U.S. has the tank power to back them up. Interestingly, North Korea is near the top of the pack, leading the U.S. and many other nations. Yet, it should be noted its arsenal is full of aging tanks, many from the 1950s and 1960s leftover from the Korean War, which may lack some of the firepower and capability of more modern tanks.

Why Are We Writing About Military Tanks?

Libya tanks | A T-55 tank destroyed by NATO forces in the desert north of Ajadabiya, Libya.

The U.S. may not rely on ground tanks as heavily now as it did in the past, but they still play an important role in national defense. Understanding how different militaries around the globe operate helps 24/7 Wall St. readers have insight into the use of military power around the world.

Here is a look at the countries with the most tanks:

30. Belarus

Tanks: 517
Total Military Vehicles: 6,700
Total Artillery Stock: 539
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 206
Military Strength Score: 1.0901 (#64 of 145)

29. Japan

Japan artillery | Military tank driving down a dirt road

Tanks: 518
Total Military Vehicles: 37,662
Total Artillery Stock: 653
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 54
Military Strength Score: 0.1601 (#7 of 145)

28. Poland

Tanks: 612
Total Military Vehicles: 13,956
Total Artillery Stock: 525
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 211
Military Strength Score: 0.2917 (#21 of 145)

27. Thailand

Tanks: 648
Total Military Vehicles: 14,040
Total Artillery Stock: 639
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 26
Military Strength Score: 0.3389 (#25 of 145)

26. Turkmenistan

Tanks: 680
Total Military Vehicles:
Total Artillery Stock: 530
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 160
Military Strength Score: 1.4906 (#83 of 145)

25. Ethiopia

Tanks: 680
Total Military Vehicles: 10,028
Total Artillery Stock: 713
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 79
Military Strength Score: 0.7938 (#49 of 145)

24. Myanmar

Tank on street during the 2021 Myanmar protest movement.

Tanks: 705
Total Military Vehicles: 8,139
Total Artillery Stock: 2,083
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 586
Military Strength Score: 0.5251 (#35 of 145)

23. Iraq

Tanks: 848
Total Military Vehicles: 39,872
Total Artillery Stock: 1,727
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 425
Military Strength Score: 0.7441 (#45 of 145)

22. Azerbaijan

Tanks: 920
Total Military Vehicles: 29,312
Total Artillery Stock: 594
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 218
Military Strength Score: 0.9934 (#59 of 145)

21. Taiwan

Tanks: 1,010
Total Military Vehicles: 19,868
Total Artillery Stock: 1,420
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 223
Military Strength Score:0.3302 (#24 of 145)

20. Jordan

Jordan+tanks | Light 'em Up

Tanks: 1,365
Total Military Vehicles: 24,148
Total Artillery Stock: 283
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 88
Military Strength Score: 1.4651 (#80 of 145)

19. Greece

Tanks: 1,365
Total Military Vehicles: 57,030
Total Artillery Stock: 1,318
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 152
Military Strength Score: 0.4349 (#32 of 145)

18. Israel

Israel Magach | Magach 3 (Patton M48A3) tank is on the Memorial Site near the Armored Corps Museum in Latrun, Israel | Magach 3 (Patton M48A3) tank is on the Memorial Site near the Armored Corps Museum in Latrun, Israel

Tanks: 1,370
Total Military Vehicles: 43,407
Total Artillery Stock: 950
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 150
Military Strength Score: 0.2596 (#45 of 145)

17. Saudi Arabia

Tanks: 1,485
Total Military Vehicles: 20,694
Total Artillery Stock: 3,253
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 490
Military Strength Score: 0.3235 (#23 of 145)

16. Morocco

Cruiser+Tank+Mk+VIII+Cromwell+A27M | Cromwell Cruiser Tank, Bovington Tank Museum - Dorset.

Tanks: 1,564
Total Military Vehicles: 13,710
Total Artillery Stock: 871
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 208
Military Strength Score: 1.0081 (#61 of 145)

15. Algeria

Tanks: 1,632
Total Military Vehicles: 35,990
Total Artillery Stock: 707
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 236
Military Strength Score: 0.3589 (#26 of 145)

14. Eritrea

Tanks: 1,756
Total Military Vehicles: 3,512
Total Artillery Stock: 210
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 219
Military Strength Score: 2.4152 (#117 of 145)

13. Ukraine

Tanks: 1,777
Total Military Vehicles: 22,110
Total Artillery Stock: 2,217
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 491
Military Strength Score: 0.2598 (#18 of 145)

12. Iran

Tanks: 1,996
Total Military Vehicles: 65,765
Total Artillery Stock: 2,630
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 775
Military Strength Score: 0.2269 (#14 of 145)

11. Vietnam

Tanks: 2,029
Total Military Vehicles: 18,578
Total Artillery Stock: 880
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 450
Military Strength Score: 0.3158 (#22 of 145)

10. Turkey

Tanks: 2,231
Total Military Vehicles: 55,104
Total Artillery Stock: 2,785
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 286
Military Strength Score: 0.1697 (#8 of 145)

9. South Korea

Tanks: 2,501
Total Military Vehicles: 66,492
Total Artillery Stock: 8,052
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 581
Military Strength Score: 0.1416 (#5 of 145)

8. Syria

Tanks: 2,720
Total Military Vehicles: 14,550
Total Artillery Stock: 2,695
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 614
Military Strength Score: 1.0026 (#60 of 145)

7. Pakistan

Tanks: 3,742
Total Military Vehicles: 50,523
Total Artillery Stock: 3,990
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 602
Military Strength Score: 0.1711 (#9 of 145)

6. India

Tanks: 4,614
Total Military Vehicles: 151,248
Total Artillery Stock: 3,383
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 702
Military Strength Score: 0.1023 (#4 of 145)

5. United States

Tanks: 4,657
Total Military Vehicles: 360,069
Total Artillery Stock: 2,862
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 694
Military Strength Score: 0.0699 (#1 of 145)

4. China

Tanks: 5,000
Total Military Vehicles: 174,300
Total Artillery Stock: 5,284
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 3,180
Military Strength Score: 0.0706 (#3 of 145)

3. Egypt

Tanks: 5,340
Total Military Vehicles: 77,596
Total Artillery Stock: 3,046
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 1,119
Military Strength Score: 0.2283 (#15 of 145)

2. North Korea

Tanks: 5,845
Total Military Vehicles: 24,696
Total Artillery Stock: 9,000
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 2,920
Military Strength Score: 0.5313 (#36 of 145)

1. Russia

T-80+MBT | Russian Tank T-80 with Gas Turbine ÃÂngine. ÃÂ¢ÃÂ°ÃÂ½ÃÂº ÃÂ¢-80 ÃÂ ÃÂ³ÃÂ°ÃÂ·ÃÂ¾ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ¸ÃÂ½ÃÂ½ÃÂÃÂ¼ ÃÂ´ÃÂ²ÃÂ¸ÃÂ³ÃÂ°ÃÂÃÂµÃÂ»ÃÂµÃÂ¼.

Tanks: 14,777
Total Military Vehicles: 161,382
Total Artillery Stock: 14,564
Total Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS): 3,065
Military Strength Score: 0.0702 (#2 of 145)

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