5 Weakest Militaries in Asia

In this article, we look at the five weakest militaries in Asia. You can read about the trends in defense spending in the continent by heading over to the 10 Weakest Militaries in Asia, where we have also shed light on some of the major conflict flashpoints in the region.

5. Mongolia

GDP (2023): $18.78 billion

Defense Spending (2023): $147.8 million 

Active Manpower: 35,000

Tanks: 470

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 3,600

Military Aircraft: 11

Naval Assets: 0

Overall Score: 5.2

We begin our list with Mongolia, which has one of the weakest militaries in the world, and not just Asia, due to its lack of financial resources and a small inventory of military equipment. The country has no naval assets, and only 11 military aircraft which comprise combat helicopters and transport aircraft. Mongolia spent little over a mere $147 million on defense in 2023, and has an active manpower of 35,000 troops.

4. Tajikistan

GDP (2023): $11.81 billion

Defense Spending (2023): $139.5 million 

Active Manpower: 9,500

Tanks: 80

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 4,650

Military Aircraft: 25

Naval Assets: 0

Overall Score: 4.3

Tajikistan has one of the weakest militaries in Asia, with an active manpower of only 9,500 personnel. The country is without any naval assets, and has a very small fleet of 80 battle tanks. Tajikistan’s 25 military aircraft have no combat jets, and the fleet consists of combat helicopters and transport aircraft only. A main reason why Tajikistan does not have a strong military is that it was among the few countries, unlike other Soviet states, that had no native units to absorb into after the collapse of the USSR. A new military had to be formed, right from the scratch in 1994.