Trending

South Africa’s military strength vs the world in 2017

Staff Writer

 ·4 Sep 2017

As tension between the US and North Korea continues to escalate amid continued nuclear testing by the latter country, the Global Firepower list for 2017 puts the military powers of the world into full perspective.

Data from Global Firepower (GFP) ranks the military strength of 133 countries around the world, including South Africa – ranked 46th.

The ranking relies on over 50 factors to determine a given nation’s PowerIndex (‘PwrIndx’) score. The group said its formula allows smaller, though more technologically-advanced, nations to compete with larger, lesser-developed ones.

Ranking does not simply rely on the total number of weapons available to any one country but rather focuses on weapon diversity within the number totals to provide a better balance of firepower available (i.e. fielding 100 minesweepers does not equal the strategic and tactical value of fielding 10 aircraft carriers).

Nuclear stockpiles are not taken into account but recognized/suspected nuclear powers receive a bonus, while geographical factors, logistical flexibility, natural resources and local industry influence the final ranking.

The US ranks ahead of Russia, China and India in the rankings, with North Korea ranking 23rd on the list, while neighboring South Korea, which is also embroiled in a a tug of war between the US and North Korea, is ranked 12th.

Africa’s largest military power, Egypt has climbed the rankings, into the top 10, while Algeria is ranked 25th on the list, followed by Nigeria (43rd), and South Africa (46th).

South Africa’s total military personnel has increased to 94,050, from 89,000 previously, with active personnel at 78,050 and reserve personnel at 16,000 – down from 17,100 before.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was allocated R46.8 billion in the 2017/18 national budget, versus the US budget of $587 billion.

World’s top 10 military powers

South Africa’s military forces are broken down as follows:

ManPower: “Going beyond military equipment totals and perceived fighting strength is the actual manpower that drives a given military. Wars of attrition favor those with more,” Global Firepower.

Land Systems: Tank value includes Main Battle Tanks, light tanks and tank destroyers, either wheeled or tracked. AFV value includes Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).

Air Power: Includes both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft from all branches of service.

Naval Power: Aircraft Carrier value includes dedicated “helicopter carrier” vessels. Total naval strength includes all known auxiliaries as well.

Read: The world’s 20 biggest military spenders in 2016