Military Strength: 
United Arab Emirates vs 
Indonesia
United Arab Emirates (ranked #19 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Indonesia (#29) on the ARMS Index. Indonesia fields 676,000 active troops — 11:1 United Arab Emirates's 63,000, backed by 400,000 reserves and 290,200 paramilitary. United Arab Emirates allocates $22B to defense compared to $11B for Indonesia.
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
United Arab EmiratesWorld #19
51.2
ARMS Index / 100
United Arab Emirates leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 pillars
IndonesiaWorld #29
47.2
United Arab Emirates
Indonesia
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.15 vs ×0.98 · Methodology
Key figures
| United Arab Emirates | Indonesia | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $22B | $11B | 🇦🇪 2.0× |
| – share of GDP | 4.0% | 0.8% | 🇦🇪 5.0× |
| Active personnel | 63,000 | 676,000 | 🇮🇩 11× |
| Combat aircraft | 135 | 65 | 🇦🇪 2.1× |
| Warships | 79 | 345 | 🇮🇩 4.4× |
| – submarines | 0 | 4 | 🇮🇩 |
| Main battle tanks | 354 | 331 | 🇦🇪 1.1× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 130,000 | 400,000 | 🇮🇩 3.1× |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 290,200 | 🇮🇩 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 548 | 467 | 🇦🇪 1.2× |
| – helicopters | 264 | 220 | 🇦🇪 1.2× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $2,011 | $39 | 🇦🇪 51× |
| Population | 11M | 283.5M | 🇮🇩 26× |
| GDP | $552B | $1.4T | 🇮🇩 2.5× |
| GDP per capita | $50,274 | $4,925 | 🇦🇪 10× |
| Land area | 83,600 km² | 1,811,569 km² | 🇮🇩 22× |
| Coastline | 1,318 km | 54,716 km | 🇮🇩 42× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history United Arab Emirates ×1.0 · Indonesia ×1.3 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, United Arab Emirates or Indonesia?
Indonesia has approximately 676,000 active military personnel compared to United Arab Emirates's 63,000, giving Indonesia a 11:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Indonesia?
United Arab Emirates operates 135 combat aircraft compared to Indonesia's 65. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, United Arab Emirates or Indonesia?
Indonesia has a larger navy with 345 vessels compared to United Arab Emirates's 79 ships. United Arab Emirates operates 0 submarines while Indonesia has 4.
Which country spends more on defense, United Arab Emirates or Indonesia?
United Arab Emirates has a larger defense budget at $22.1 billion (2.0:1 more) compared to Indonesia's $11.2 billion annually.
Do United Arab Emirates and Indonesia have nuclear weapons?
Neither United Arab Emirates nor Indonesia currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of United Arab Emirates and Indonesia compare?
United Arab Emirates operates 354 main battle tanks compared to Indonesia's 331. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.