Strongest Military in Africa 2023: Global Firepower

Right after the second world war in 19, every nation of the world has started building its artillery and personnel, with the mission of becoming the best, the most formidable, and the strongest military force in Africa

If on the global scene, the United States and Russia might be reckoned as the world’s strongest military based on their armory, the number of personnel and strategies they had in their possession, What countries in the African continent have the best military force in Africa in terms of weaponry? Which country has the Strongest Army in Africa? – the WMD’s, armory, tanks, fighter jet, Nuclear weapons possessions, sophisticated ammunitions, among others. – the annual budget and personnel, according to the Global Fire Power (GFP) ranking.

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The Global Fire Power (GFP) ranking rate every countries’ military capacities in the globe annually and pass a Power Index Number (PIN) based on these following criteria:

  1. The number of serving military members, the naval force.
  2. Fuel availability for military operations. 
  3. The number of jet fighters. 
  4. The defence budget. 
  5. Logistics flexibility.  

This article further iterates the strongest military in Africa based on these factors above. 

List of the Top 10 Strongest Military in Africa 

Below is the list of the top 10 most powerful military force in Africa.

  • Egypt
  • Algeria
  • South Africa
  • Nigeria
  • Ethiopia 
  • Angola 
  • Morocco 
  • Sudan 
  • Kenya 
  • Libya 
most powerful military force in africa

Top 10 Most Powerful Militaries in Africa 2023

Below we have an extensive explanation on the best military in Africa, stating their names, rank, military world ranking, budgets, military PIN index and other things to know about each country;

1. Egypt – (Egyptian Armed Forces)

Egyptian Armed Forces
The Egyptian Armed Forces are rated as the strongest military in Africa

African ranking: 1
Word Ranking: 12
Budget: $7.85 billion
PIN Index: 0.2283

Egyptian Armed Forces are rated by the GFP as best, most powerful, and the strongest military nation in Africa, among other African countries, kudos of the size of its armed forces. 

According to Egyptian military rank on GFP, their armed force had in possession 4,767 armor tanks and over 1,000 aircraft, 211 jet fighters, making them the ninth world’s airpower, with a total naval strength of 237. The Egyptian soldiers are periodically trained and equipped, yet lesser in terms of weaponry and training quality to the Israeli soldiers, but outstanding in their home continent.

Regarding personnel, the Egyptian Armed forces possess more than 440,000 active personnel, over 800,000 in reserve, and over 400,000 paramilitaries. Little wonder they are the African military giant, with the world’s largest budgetary allocation estimated at $7.85 billion – the highest budgetary allocation so far in the continent.

2. Algeria – (Algerian People’s National Armed Forces)

Algerian People's National Armed Forces - 2nd Strongest military in Africa
The Algerian People’s National Armed Forces is rated as the second most powerful military force in Africa

African ranking: 2
Word Ranking: 27
Budget: $10.57 billion
PIN Index: 0.4551

With the active front-line personnel of 120,000 and the nation’s budgetary allocation for the national defense, estimated at $10.57 billion, the Algerian Military Force Ranking according to GFP is rated as a formidable force, being strongest in Africa Militia Force.

This budgetary allocation positioned them to be one of the most equipped militaries in Africa with about 1,500 armored fighting vehicles at their disposal and placed them among the best military power in African countries 

3. South Africa – (South African National Defence Force)

South Africa Military - best military in africa
The South Africa Military is rated as the 3rd most powerful military in Africa

African ranking: 3
Word Ranking: 32
Budget: $5 billion
PIN Index: 0.5405

Cruising the latest war aircraft and well-equipped technology-driven naval vessels, with an estimated budgetary defense allocation of about $5 billion with over 65,000 active military personnel, and 17,000 in their reserve personnel, 191 amour tanks, 213 warcraft, and 30 naval strength, which make the GFP consider them as the 3rd most powerful military in Africa 2023.

4. Nigeria – (The Nigerian Armed Forces)

The Nigerian Armed Forces - One of the strongest military in Africa
The Nigerian Armed Forces is rated as the 4th most powerful in Africa.

African ranking: 4
Word Ranking: 44
Budget: $2.4 billion
PIN Index: 0.7007

Nigeria Military Force is ranked 4th most powerful military force in Africa, despite the political and leadership fluctuations and non-continuity, corruption, and lack of sophisticated gadgets to combat insurgency and terrorism in the country. 

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Despite these setbacks, the Armed Forces of Nigeria boost of military strength encompassing close to 1,400 armored vehicles, over 350 armored tanks, 6,000 logistical vehicles, 300 warcraft, 25 high-powered naval vessels, with an estimated budgetary defense allocation of about $2.4 billion, which makes her ranked fourth-best military in Africa.

5. Ethiopia – (Ethiopian National Defense Force) 

Ethiopian National Defense Force
Ethiopian Force is rated as the 5th Africa Most Powerful Military Force

African ranking: 5
Word Ranking: 47
Budget: $340 million
PIN Index: 0. 7361

The Number five strongest military force in the continent, Ethiopia, boost of an annual budgetary defense of $340 million, 140,000 ground forces personnel, 3,300 air force personnel, 550 armored tanks, and 85 warcraft.

Their military strength can be accrued to its noticeable active personnel and their rich arsenal.

6. Angola – (Angolan Armed Forces)

Angolan Armed Forces

African ranking: 6
Word Ranking: 58
Budget: $1.5 million
PIN Index: 0.8154

Apart from the over 3 million of their citizens, certified fit for military service in Angola, Angola presently boosts of 107,000 active front-line military personnel and 100,000 paramilitary service members. Based on their weaponry, Angola is proud of 140 armored tanks and 270 warcraft, making them ranked 6th best military personnel and the most extensive air forces personnel in Africa and 58 globally.

Based on alliance the Angolan government have with the Russian, most of their weaponry is procured mostly from the Soviet Union, acquired back in the 80s during prevalent civil war ravaging predominantly African countries and neighborhood.

7. Morocco – (Royal Moroccan Armed Forces)

Royal Moroccan Armed Forces

African ranking: 7
Word Ranking: 61
Budget: $3.4 billion
PIN Index: 0.8244

Morocco is the 7th strongest military force in Africa, with the active personnel of 195,800 and an annual budgetary defense of $3.4 billion. The weaponry commands 1,348 armored tanks and 323 warcraft, making them the 61st best military in the world.

8. Sudan – (Sudanese Armed Forces)

Sudan Military - Sudanese Armed Forces
The Sudanese Armed Forces

African ranking: 8
Word Ranking: 69
Budget: $595 million 
PIN Index: 1.0051

The civil war-prone country commands some level of command with regards to being one of the top ten best and powerful military in Africa. Despite the havoc, Sudan’s annual budgetary defense is of an estimate of $595 million, with over 24,000 active front-line military personnel and a large chunk of weaponry in their arsenal.

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9. Kenya – (Kenya Defence Forces)

Kenya Defence Forces

African ranking: 9
Word Ranking: 72
Budget: $550 million
PIN Index: 1.0631

Poor annual budgetary of $550 million for the Kenya Defense Sector does not delimit them from the list of African top 10 powerful military forces. They are reckoned as the 72nd best military in the world, with active military personnel of over 36,000, 350 armored tanks, and 140 warcraft in their arsenal, which ranked Kenya as the 9th country in Africa with the strongest military. 

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10. Libya – (Libyan Armed Forces)

Libyan Armed Forces

African ranking: 10
Word Ranking: 77
Budget: $3 billion
PIN Index: 1.2349

Libyan Military force experienced the first civil war in 2011, which bring a halt to the reign of the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, which caused havoc, and therefore, restructuring to the country’s military infrastructure that was affected during the war. Despite an annual budgetary allocation of $3 billion, Libya is still the 10th strongest national military force in Africa. 

Libya’s military personnel of 76,000 spans across the ground forces, the air force and the navy officer, with over 400 armored tanks and 50 warcraft, safeguarding over 6 million Libyan.

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