Uzbekistan’s Armed Forces Rise to 53rd Place in Global Firepower Military Ranking

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Global Firepower analytical center has published its annual ranking of the world’s strongest militaries. Uzbekistan’s Armed Forces ranked 53rd out of 145 countries, climbing five positions compared to last year, when the country was 58th.

According to Global Firepower, Uzbekistan has a total population exceeding 36.5 million, of which nearly 19 million fall into the category of available labor and mobilization pool. More than 15.9 million people are deemed fit for military service, placing Uzbekistan 32nd among 145 countries by this measure.

The active military personnel number approximately 120,000, with the majority serving in the Ground Forces (about 95,000), and the remainder in the Air Force. The country’s aviation fleet comprises 159 aircraft, 87 of which are combat-ready.

The Uzbek Air Force operates 101 helicopters, representing over 63% of the aviation fleet, including 34 attack helicopters, 19 of which are ready for combat.

Ground forces possess 470 tanks, with 259 considered combat-ready, and a total of 8,692 armored vehicles, 4,781 of which are operationally ready.

Artillery units include 177 self-propelled guns (97 combat-ready), 236 towed guns (130 ready), and 108 multiple launch rocket systems.

Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan has the strongest military, followed by Kazakhstan (58th), Turkmenistan (78th), Tajikistan (100th), and Kyrgyzstan (109th).

As in previous years, the United States remains the global leader in the ranking, followed by Russia in second place and China in third.