Military Strength: 
United Arab Emirates vs 
Australia
Australia (ranked #18 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than United Arab Emirates (#19) on the ARMS Index. United Arab Emirates fields 63,000 active troops vs 60,000 for Australia, backed by 130,000 reserves. United Arab Emirates allocates $22B to defense compared to $35B for Australia.
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
United Arab EmiratesWorld #19
51.2
ARMS Index / 100
Australia leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 pillars
AustraliaWorld #18
51.5
United Arab Emirates
Australia
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.15 vs ×1.19 · Methodology
Key figures
| United Arab Emirates | Australia | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $22B | $35B | 🇦🇺 1.6× |
| – share of GDP | 4.0% | 2.0% | 🇦🇪 2.0× |
| Active personnel | 63,000 | 60,000 | 🇦🇪 1.1× |
| Combat aircraft | 135 | 96 | 🇦🇪 1.4× |
| Warships | 79 | 44 | 🇦🇪 1.8× |
| – submarines | 0 | 6 | 🇦🇺 |
| Main battle tanks | 354 | 75 | 🇦🇪 4.7× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 130,000 | 33,270 | 🇦🇪 3.9× |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 0 | — |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 548 | 355 | 🇦🇪 1.5× |
| – helicopters | 264 | 95 | 🇦🇪 2.8× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $2,011 | $1,292 | 🇦🇪 1.6× |
| Population | 11M | 27.2M | 🇦🇺 2.5× |
| GDP | $552B | $1.8T | 🇦🇺 3.2× |
| GDP per capita | $50,274 | $64,604 | 🇦🇺 1.3× |
| Land area | 83,600 km² | 7,633,565 km² | 🇦🇺 91× |
| Coastline | 1,318 km | 25,760 km | 🇦🇺 20× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history United Arab Emirates ×1.0 · Australia ×1.3 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, United Arab Emirates or Australia?
United Arab Emirates has approximately 63,000 active military personnel compared to Australia's 60,000.
Which country has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Australia?
United Arab Emirates operates 135 combat aircraft compared to Australia's 96. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, United Arab Emirates or Australia?
United Arab Emirates has a larger navy with 79 vessels compared to Australia's 44 ships. United Arab Emirates operates 0 submarines while Australia has 6.
Which country spends more on defense, United Arab Emirates or Australia?
Australia has a larger defense budget at $35.1 billion (1.6:1 more) compared to United Arab Emirates's $22.1 billion annually.
Do United Arab Emirates and Australia have nuclear weapons?
Neither United Arab Emirates nor Australia currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of United Arab Emirates and Australia compare?
United Arab Emirates operates 354 main battle tanks compared to Australia's 75. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.