Military Strength: 
United Arab Emirates vs 
Russia
Russia (ranked #3 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than United Arab Emirates (#27) on the ATLAS Index. Russia fields 1,454,000 active troops — 23:1 United Arab Emirates's 63,000, backed by 1,500,000 reserves and 559,000 paramilitary. Russia's $152B defense budget is 6.9:1 that of United Arab Emirates ($22B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
United Arab EmiratesWorld #27
39.9
ATLAS Index / 100
Russia leads on 6 of 6 pillars
RussiaWorld #3
82.8
United Arab Emirates
Russia
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
| United Arab Emirates | Russia | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $22B | $152B | 🇷🇺 6.9× |
| – share of GDP | 4.0% | 7.0% | 🇷🇺 1.8× |
| Active personnel | 63,000 | 1,454,000 | 🇷🇺 23× |
| Combat aircraft | 175 | 1,481 | 🇷🇺 8.5× |
| Warships | 83 | 456 | 🇷🇺 5.5× |
| – submarines | 0 | 56 | 🇷🇺 |
| Main battle tanks | 354 | 5,750 | 🇷🇺 16× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 5,420 | 🇷🇺 |
Show full breakdown · 13 more rowsHide the 13 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 130,000 | 1,500,000 | 🇷🇺 12× |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 559,000 | 🇷🇺 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 626 | 5,345 | 🇷🇺 8.5× |
| – helicopters | 250 | 1,604 | 🇷🇺 6.4× |
| – bombers | 0 | 120 | 🇷🇺 |
| Deployed warheads | 0 | 1,796 | 🇷🇺 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $2,011 | $1,060 | 🇦🇪 1.9× |
| Population | 11M | 143.5M | 🇷🇺 13× |
| GDP | $552B | $2.2T | 🇷🇺 3.9× |
| GDP per capita | $50,274 | $15,145 | 🇦🇪 3.3× |
| Land area | 83,600 km² | 16,378,410 km² | 🇷🇺 196× |
| Coastline | 1,318 km | 37,653 km | 🇷🇺 29× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history United Arab Emirates ×1.0 · Russia ×2.5 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, United Arab Emirates or Russia?
Russia has approximately 1,454,000 active military personnel compared to United Arab Emirates's 63,000, giving Russia a 23:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Russia?
Russia operates 1,481 combat aircraft compared to United Arab Emirates's 175. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, United Arab Emirates or Russia?
Russia has a larger navy with 456 vessels compared to United Arab Emirates's 83 ships. United Arab Emirates operates 0 submarines while Russia has 56.
Which country spends more on defense, United Arab Emirates or Russia?
Russia has a larger defense budget at $152.2 billion (6.9:1 more) compared to United Arab Emirates's $22.1 billion annually.
Do United Arab Emirates and Russia have nuclear weapons?
Russia possesses nuclear weapons with approximately 5,420 warheads, while United Arab Emirates does not have nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of United Arab Emirates and Russia compare?
Russia operates 5,750 main battle tanks compared to United Arab Emirates's 354. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.