This Country Relies Heavily on Its Frigate Warships

24/7 Wall St. Insights

Frigates are warships that have been used since the 1700s.
These ships are central to the defense strategy of countries like Taiwan.

Frigates are defined as war ships with mixed armaments. They were created in the 18th century by the French, with the express purpose to aid in convoy escorts. These ships played a major role in the Napoleonic Wars. Several navies around the world continue to employ these vessels.

Today, frigates are outfitted with a wide range of sensors, stealth features, and weapons. These massive watercrafts protect other ships, such as merchant marine ships, defending them against threats. They are especially useful at defending against foreign submarines.

To identify the countries with the most frigates, 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 frigate warships in their fleet. We included supplemental information regarding the total naval vessels, submarines, as well as each country’s overall military strength score.

Near the top of the list is China, which has rapidly expanded its naval capabilities in recent years with a substantial number of modern frigates. These ships are central to China’s strategy of protecting its interests in the South China Sea and projecting power even further.

Notably, the United States does not have any frigates in its Navy. Instead, it operates a fleet of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which tend to fill similar roles due to their size and armament. The U.S. Navy is developing the Constellation-class as a frigate, but these ships are not due out for some time.

Why We Are Covering This

Frigates 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 their necessity and underscore their versatility.

Here is a look at the countries that have the most frigate warships:

23. Chile

Total frigates: 8
Total naval vessels: 130
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 4
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.8128 – #52 out of 145

22. Australia

Total frigates: 8
Total naval vessels: 43
Total destroyers: 3
Total submarines: 6
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.2515 – #16 out of 145

21. Algeria

Total frigates: 8
Total naval vessels: 213
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 6
Total corvettes: 16
Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145

20. Indonesia

Total frigates: 8
Total naval vessels: 333
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 4
Total corvettes: 25
Military strength score: 0.2251 – #13 out of 145

19. Denmark

Total frigates: 9
Total naval vessels: 91
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 0
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.7743 – #48 out of 145

18. Colombia

USNS+Choctaw+County+T-EPF-2 | USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) leads a formation of U.S. and European Union ships in the Gulf of Aden.

Total frigates: 9
Total naval vessels: 237
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 4
Total corvettes: 2
Military strength score: 0.7347 – #44 out of 145

17. Pakistan

Total frigates: 9
Total naval vessels: 114
Total destroyers: 2
Total submarines: 8
Total corvettes: 2
Military strength score: 0.1711 – #9 out of 145

16. Vietnam

Total frigates: 9
Total naval vessels: 97
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 6
Total corvettes: 14
Military strength score: 0.3158 – #22 out of 145

15. Spain

Total frigates: 11
Total naval vessels: 168
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 3
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.2882 – #20 out of 145

14. United Kingdom

Total frigates: 11
Total naval vessels: 117
Total destroyers: 6
Total submarines: 10
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.1443 – #6 out of 145

13. France

Total frigates: 11
Total naval vessels: 128
Total destroyers: 10
Total submarines: 9
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.1878 – #11 out of 145

12. Mexico

Total frigates: 11
Total naval vessels: 194
Total destroyers: 5
Total submarines: 0
Total corvettes: 4
Military strength score: 0.4274 – #31 out of 145

11. Canada

Total frigates: 12
Total naval vessels: 67
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 4
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.3813 – #27 out of 145

10. Germany

Total frigates: 12
Total naval vessels: 64
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 6
Total corvettes: 5
Military strength score: 0.2847 – #19 out of 145

9. India

Total frigates: 12
Total naval vessels: 294
Total destroyers: 12
Total submarines: 18
Total corvettes: 18
Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145

8. Russia

Total frigates: 12
Total naval vessels: 781
Total destroyers: 14
Total submarines: 65
Total corvettes: 83
Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145

7. Greece

Total frigates: 13
Total naval vessels: 187
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 11
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.4349 – #32 out of 145

6. Italy

Total frigates: 13
Total naval vessels: 309
Total destroyers: 4
Total submarines: 8
Total corvettes: 0
Military strength score: 0.1863 – #10 out of 145

5. Egypt

Total frigates: 13
Total naval vessels: 140
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 8
Total corvettes: 7
Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145

4. Turkey

Total frigates: 16
Total naval vessels: 186
Total destroyers: 0
Total submarines: 12
Total corvettes: 9
Military strength score: 0.1697 – #8 out of 145

3. South Korea

Total frigates: 17
Total naval vessels: 200
Total destroyers: 13
Total submarines: 22
Total corvettes: 5
Military strength score: 0.1416 – #5 out of 145

2. Taiwan

Total frigates: 22
Total naval vessels: 93
Total destroyers: 4
Total submarines: 4
Total corvettes: 2
Military strength score: 0.3302 – #24 out of 145

1. China

Total frigates: 42
Total naval vessels: 730
Total destroyers: 49
Total submarines: 61
Total corvettes: 72
Military strength score: 0.0706 – #3 out of 145

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