Military Strength: 
United Arab Emirates vs 
Vietnam
Vietnam (ranked #20 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than United Arab Emirates (#27) on the ATLAS Index. Vietnam fields 522,000 active troops — 8.3:1 United Arab Emirates's 63,000, backed by 5,000,000 reserves and 40,000 paramilitary. United Arab Emirates's $22B defense budget is 2.6:1 that of Vietnam ($8.6B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
United Arab EmiratesWorld #27
39.6
ATLAS Index / 100
Vietnam leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 pillars
VietnamWorld #20
42.4
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
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 | Vietnam | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $22B | $8.6B | 🇦🇪 2.6× |
| – share of GDP | 4.0% | 1.8% | 🇦🇪 2.2× |
| Active personnel | 63,000 | 522,000 | 🇻🇳 8.3× |
| Combat aircraft | 135 | 71 | 🇦🇪 1.9× |
| Warships | 83 | 112 | 🇻🇳 1.3× |
| – submarines | 0 | 6 | 🇻🇳 |
| Main battle tanks | 354 | 1,374 | 🇻🇳 3.9× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 130,000 | 5,000,000 | 🇻🇳 38× |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 40,000 | 🇻🇳 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 592 | 205 | 🇦🇪 2.9× |
| – helicopters | 264 | 42 | 🇦🇪 6.3× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $2,011 | $85 | 🇦🇪 24× |
| Population | 11M | 101M | 🇻🇳 9.2× |
| GDP | $552B | $476B | 🇦🇪 1.2× |
| GDP per capita | $50,274 | $4,717 | 🇦🇪 11× |
| Land area | 83,600 km² | 310,070 km² | 🇻🇳 3.7× |
| Coastline | 1,318 km | 3,444 km | 🇻🇳 2.6× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, United Arab Emirates or Vietnam?
Vietnam has approximately 522,000 active military personnel compared to United Arab Emirates's 63,000, giving Vietnam a 8.3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Vietnam?
United Arab Emirates operates 135 combat aircraft compared to Vietnam's 71. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, United Arab Emirates or Vietnam?
Vietnam has a larger navy with 112 vessels compared to United Arab Emirates's 83 ships. United Arab Emirates operates 0 submarines while Vietnam has 6.
Which country spends more on defense, United Arab Emirates or Vietnam?
United Arab Emirates has a larger defense budget at $22.1 billion (2.6:1 more) compared to Vietnam's $8.6 billion annually.
Do United Arab Emirates and Vietnam have nuclear weapons?
Neither United Arab Emirates nor Vietnam currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of United Arab Emirates and Vietnam compare?
Vietnam operates 1,374 main battle tanks compared to United Arab Emirates's 354. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.