×

Military Stats: compare key data on Libya & Syria

Compare vs for  

Definitions

  • Air force > Combat aircraft: Number of fighter aircrafts (fixed wing aircrafts with combat capability).
  • Army > Main battle tanks: Number of main battle tanks.
  • Battle-related deaths > Number of people: Battle-related deaths (number of people). Battle-related deaths are deaths in battle-related conflicts between warring parties in the conflict dyad (two conflict units that are parties to a conflict). Typically, battle-related deaths occur in warfare involving the armed forces of the warring parties. This includes traditional battlefield fighting, guerrilla activities, and all kinds of bombardments of military units, cities, and villages, etc. The targets are usually the military itself and its installations or state institutions and state representatives, but there is often substantial collateral damage in the form of civilians being killed in crossfire, in indiscriminate bombings, etc. All deaths--military as well as civilian--incurred in such situations, are counted as battle-related deaths.
  • Budget: Annual defense budget in billion USD.
  • Global Peace Index: The Global Peace Index is comprised of 22 indicators in the three categories ongoing domestic or international conflicts; societal safety; and security and militarization. A low index value indicates a peaceful and safe country.
  • Military service age and obligation: This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of service obligation.
  • Navy > Aircraft carriers: Number of aircraft carriers.
  • Navy > Corvette warships: Number of corvettes.
  • Navy > Submarines: Number of patrol boats (includes minesweepers).
  • Paramilitary personnel: Paramilitary.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Personnel > Per capita: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Service age and obligation: This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of sevice obligation.
  • WMD > Missile: A description of the nation's situation with regards to the possession and manufacture of missile weapons of mass destruction
  • WMD > Nuclear: A description of the nation's situation with regards to the possession and manufacture of nuclear weapons
  • War deaths: Battle-related deaths are deaths in battle-related conflicts between warring parties in the conflict dyad (two conflict units that are parties to a conflict). Typically, battle-related deaths occur in warfare involving the armed forces of the warring parties. This includes traditional battlefield fighting, guerrilla activities, and all kinds of bombardments of military units, cities, and villages, etc. The targets are usually the military itself and its installations or state institutions and state representatives, but there is often substantial collateral damage in the form of civilians being killed in crossfire, in indiscriminate bombings, etc. All deaths--military as well as civilian--incurred in such situations, are counted as battle-related deaths."
  • Armed forces personnel: Total armed forces (2000)
  • Military expenditures: This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). For countries with no military forces, this figure can include expenditures on public security and police.
  • Military branches: This entry lists the service branches subordinate to defense ministries or the equivalent (typically ground, naval, air, and marine forces).
  • Expenditures > Percent of GDP: Current military expenditures as an estimated percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
  • Armed forces personnel > Total: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organisation, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces."
  • Personnel: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.
  • Navy > Frigates: Number of frigates.
  • Expenditures > Dollar figure per capita: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
  • Branches: The names of the ground, naval, air, marine, and other defense or security forces
  • Battle-related deaths > Number of people per million: Battle-related deaths (number of people). Battle-related deaths are deaths in battle-related conflicts between warring parties in the conflict dyad (two conflict units that are parties to a conflict). Typically, battle-related deaths occur in warfare involving the armed forces of the warring parties. This includes traditional battlefield fighting, guerrilla activities, and all kinds of bombardments of military units, cities, and villages, etc. The targets are usually the military itself and its installations or state institutions and state representatives, but there is often substantial collateral damage in the form of civilians being killed in crossfire, in indiscriminate bombings, etc. All deaths--military as well as civilian--incurred in such situations, are counted as battle-related deaths. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical weapons possession:

    Status of possession of chemical weapons of countries that either declared chemical weapon stockpiles, are suspected of secretly stockpiling them, or are running chemical weapons research programs.

  • Military expenditure > Current LCU: Military expenditures data from SIPRI are derived from the NATO definition, which includes all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agencies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, if these are judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions of military personnel and social services for personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the donor country). Excluded are civil defense and current expenditures for previous military activities, such as for veterans' benefits, demobilisation, conversion, and destruction of weapons. This definition cannot be applied for all countries, however, since that would require much more detailed information than is available about what is included in military budgets and off-budget military expenditure items. (For example, military budgets might or might not cover civil defense, reserves and auxiliary forces, police and paramilitary forces, dual-purpose forces such as military and civilian police, military grants in kind, pensions for military personnel, and social security contributions paid by one part of government to another.)"
  • Manpower reaching military age annually > Males: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching military age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
  • Expenditures > Dollar figure: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies
  • Armed forces personnel per 1000: Total armed forces (2000). Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males: The number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft-age young adults.
  • Personnel per 1000: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Expenditure > Current LCU: Military expenditures data from SIPRI are derived from the NATO definition, which includes all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agencies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, if these are judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions of military personnel and social services for personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the donor country). Excluded are civil defense and current expenditures for previous military activities, such as for veterans' benefits, demobilization, conversion, and destruction of weapons. This definition cannot be applied for all countries, however, since that would require much more detailed information than is available about what is included in military budgets and off-budget military expenditure items. (For example, military budgets might or might not cover civil defense, reserves and auxiliary forces, police and paramilitary forces, dual-purpose forces such as military and civilian police, military grants in kind, pensions for military personnel, and social security contributions paid by one part of government to another.)
  • Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical Weapons Convention ratification: Date of ratification of the Chemical Weapon Convention (CWC) of countries who either declared chemical weapon stockpiles, are suspected of secretly stockpiling them, or are running chemical weapons research programs.
  • Nuclear weapons > Non-Proliferation treaty sign date: Signed.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Conscription: A description of the status of conscription in the nation in 1997.
  • Armed forces growth: Growth in the number of armed forces personnel from 1985 (index = 100) to 2000. 100 means no growth, 50 means it halved and 200 means it doubled.
  • Imports > USD: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services."
  • Arms imports > Constant 1990 US$: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services.
  • WMD > Biological: A description of the nation's situation with regards to the possession and manufacture of biological weapons of mass destruction
  • Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical weapons destruction deadline: Date by which certain member states of the Chemical Weapon Convention (CWC) have contractually agreed to destroy their declared stockpile of chemical weapons.
  • Military expenditures > Percent of GDP: This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). For countries with no military forces, this figure can include expenditures on public security and police.
  • Expenditures > Dollar figure > Per $ GDP: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies Per $ GDP figures expressed per 1,000 $ gross domestic product
  • WMD > Chemical: A description of the nation's situation with regards to the possession and manufacture of chemical weapons of mass destruction
  • Weapon holdings per 1000: . Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Arms > Exports > Constant 1990 US$: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services.
  • Exports > USD: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services."
  • Manpower reaching military age annually > Males per thousand people: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching military age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Expenditures > Dollar figure > Per capita: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
  • Manpower > Military age: The minimum age at which an individual may volunteer for military service or be subject to conscription.
  • Manpower reaching military service age annually > Males age 18-49: This entry gives the number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft-age young adults.
  • Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Males: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
  • Arms imports > Constant 1990 US$ per capita: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
  • Arms > Exports > Constant 1990 US$ > Per capita: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Manpower > Availability > Males age 15-49: The total numbers of males aged 15-49. This statistic assumes that every individual is fit to serve.
  • Arms imports > Constant 1990 US$ > Per capita: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
  • Manpower reaching military age annually > Females per thousand people: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching military age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Manpower reaching military age annually > Females: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching military age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
  • Manpower > Availability > Males age 15-49 per 1000: The total numbers of males aged 15-49. This statistic assumes that every individual is fit to serve. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Manpower > Fit for military service > Males age 15-49: The number of males aged 15-49 fit for military service. This is a more refined measure of potential military manpower availability which tries to correct for the health situation in the country and reduces the maximum potential number to a more realistic estimate of the actual number fit to serve.
  • Manpower reaching military service age annually > Males age 18-49 per 1000: This entry gives the number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft-age young adults. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Expenditures > Dollar figure, % of GDP: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies. Figures expressed as a proportion of GDP for the same year
  • Manpower > Fit for military service > Males age 15-49 > Per capita: The number of males aged 15-49 fit for military service. This is a more refined measure of potential military manpower availability which tries to correct for the health situation in the country and reduces the maximum potential number to a more realistic estimate of the actual number fit to serve. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
  • Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Females > Per capita: Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Manpower > Availability > Males age 15-49 > Per capita: The total numbers of males aged 15-49. This statistic assumes that every individual is fit to serve. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
  • Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males > Per capita: The number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft-age young adults. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Iraqi insurgency > Foreign fighter nationality distribution > Number per million: Foreign Insurgents captured in Iraq in the 7-month period April–October 2005:. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Manpower > Fit for military service > Males age 15-49 per 1000: The number of males aged 15-49 fit for military service. This is a more refined measure of potential military manpower availability which tries to correct for the health situation in the country and reduces the maximum potential number to a more realistic estimate of the actual number fit to serve. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Iraqi insurgency > Foreign fighter nationality distribution > Number: Foreign Insurgents captured in Iraq in the 7-month period April–October 2005:
  • Military expenditure > % of GDP: Military expenditures data from SIPRI are derived from the NATO definition, which includes all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agencies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, if these are judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions of military personnel and social services for personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the donor country). Excluded are civil defense and current expenditures for previous military activities, such as for veterans' benefits, demobilisation, conversion, and destruction of weapons. This definition cannot be applied for all countries, however, since that would require much more detailed information than is available about what is included in military budgets and off-budget military expenditure items. (For example, military budgets might or might not cover civil defense, reserves and auxiliary forces, police and paramilitary forces, dual-purpose forces such as military and civilian police, military grants in kind, pensions for military personnel, and social security contributions paid by one part of government to another.)"
  • Manpower > Availability > Males per 1000: . Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Males per thousand people: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Manpower > Fit for military service > Females per 1000: . Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Armed forces personnel > % of total labor force: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organisation, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organisation's definition of the economically active population."
  • Expenditure > % of GDP: Military expenditures data from SIPRI are derived from the NATO definition, which includes all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agencies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, if these are judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions of military personnel and social services for personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the donor country). Excluded are civil defense and current expenditures for previous military activities, such as for veterans' benefits, demobilization, conversion, and destruction of weapons. This definition cannot be applied for all countries, however, since that would require much more detailed information than is available about what is included in military budgets and off-budget military expenditure items. (For example, military budgets might or might not cover civil defense, reserves and auxiliary forces, police and paramilitary forces, dual-purpose forces such as military and civilian police, military grants in kind, pensions for military personnel, and social security contributions paid by one part of government to another.)
  • Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males per 1000: The number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft-age young adults. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Females: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
  • Arms > Exports > Constant 1990 US$ per capita: Arms transfers cover the supply of military weapons through sales, aid, gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships designed for military use. Excluded are transfers of other military equipment such as small arms and light weapons, trucks, small artillery, ammunition, support equipment, technology transfers, and other services. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
  • Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Females per 1000: . Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Personnel > % of total labor force: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.
  • Manpower > Fit for military service > Males per 1000: . Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Manpower > Availability > Females per 1000: . Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Females per thousand people: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Conscription status: Whether countries prescribe mandatory military services as of 1997.
STAT Libya Syria HISTORY
Air force > Combat aircraft 385
Ranked 4th. 15% more than Syria
335
Ranked 1st.
Army > Main battle tanks 1,085
Ranked 11th.
3,500
Ranked 1st. 3 times more than Libya
Battle-related deaths > Number of people 1,928
Ranked 3rd. 2 times more than Syria
842
Ranked 8th.
Budget 1.3 US$ BN
Ranked 31st.
1.85 US$ BN
Ranked 1st. 42% more than Libya
Global Peace Index 2.6
Ranked 18th.
3.39
Ranked 3rd. 30% more than Libya

Military service age and obligation 18 years of age for mandatory or voluntary service 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment obligation 5 years, with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45 (NCOs)
Navy > Aircraft carriers 0.0
Ranked 70th.
0.0
Ranked 1st.
Navy > Corvette warships 3
Ranked 19th.
7
Ranked 1st. 2 times more than Libya
Navy > Submarines 3
Ranked 17th. The same as Syria
3
Ranked 1st.
Paramilitary personnel 0.0
Ranked 140th.
108,000
Ranked 12th.
Personnel > Per capita 12.98 per 1,000 people
Ranked 21st.
21.84 per 1,000 people
Ranked 8th. 68% more than Libya

Service age and obligation 17 years of age 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy); women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve
WMD > Missile Libya first acquired Scud-B missiles in the early 1970s from the Soviet Union. In the early 1980s, Libya accelerated its efforts to obtain a longer-range ballistic missile with the al-Fatah, reportedly with a range of 950km. Germany and China allegedly provided technical and material assistance to the al-Fatah program. The al-Fatah missile system has not been completed and remains untested. In November 2000, as part of a $600 million agreement, Libya allegedly acquired the first shipment of a total of 50 North Korean Nodong ballistic missiles, including launch capabilities. North Korea also allegedly provided more than 10 scientists to work on the Libyan missile program. This complemented other missile component shipments that reportedly began in 1999. Also, after the lifting of the 1999 sanctions, reports of increased technical and structural assistance from countries like Iran, North Korea, China, India, and Russia have raised concerns over Libya's growing ability to manufacture ballistic missiles. In 2003, US experts were given access to Libya's missile arsenal and to a number of missile research facilities. In December 2003, Libya pledged to eliminate ballistic missiles capable of traveling more than 300km with payloads of 500kg. Libya is not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). In April 2004, Libya told American officials that it plans to convert hundreds of its Scud-B missiles into short-range defensive weapons and discontinue all military trade with North Korea. In October, the US State Department announced that it had verified the complete dismantling of Libya's WMD programs, including MTCR-class missiles. Syria's missile program began in the early 1970s as a means to counter Israel’s superior conventional military capabilities; since that time, the missile program has grown in tandem with the development of chemical weapons (CW). Syria now has one of the largest arsenals of ballistic missiles in the region, made up of hundreds of Scud-derived missile systems. In the 1970s and 1980s, Syria relied on Soviet technology and support for its missile program and imported the Soviet FROG-7, Scud-Bs, and the solid-fueled Scarab SS-21 missiles. In the 1990s, Syria looked to other states to supply it with missile technology and found willing partners in Iran and North Korea. Iran provided Syria with technical assistance for solid-fueled rocket motor production, while North Korea supplied it with equipment and technical assistance for liquid-fueled missile production. Syria, however, has had difficulty creating an indigenous production capability and has had to rely on continued imports from countries such as North Korea and China. Syria reportedly purchased 150 Scud-C missiles from North Korea in 1991. In September 2000, Syria tested a North Korean, 700 km-range Scud-D, revealing its commitment to expanding its missile capability. Syria is not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
WMD > Nuclear In its 19 December 2003 announcement that it was eliminating all materials, equipment and programs proscribed by the international community, Libya took the unusual step of first publicly revealing its nuclear weapons program, then renouncing it. Libya then invited the IAEA to verify the elimination of nuclear weapon related activities in-country. According to International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, who led a December 2003 inspection team to Libya, Libya's nuclear weapons program is in the very initial stages, about three to seven years away from producing a nuclear weapon. Libya admitted having secretly imported raw uranium and the necessary equipment to convert it for enrichment into weapons-grade material but added that the enrichment plan had been dismantled and that no highly enriched uranium had been produced over the past decade. IAEA inspectors did not find either, though they did find imported equipment and technology at a number of previously secret nuclear facilities in and around Tripoli. It has been revealed that Abdul Qadeer Khan of Pakistan is responsible for providing Libya with its nuclear warhead plans, raw uranium and enrichment centrifuges through his black market network. In his 19 December 2003 announcement, Qadhafi pledged to adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which Libya ratified in 1975, and to sign the Additional Protocol, which it did on 10 March 2004. IAEA chief El Baradei indicated that signing the Protocol would ensure IAEA oversight over Libya’s nuclear transition from weapons creation to peaceful purposes. Previously, Libya signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in November 2001 and ratified it in January 2004. In 1996, it had signed the Treaty of Pelindaba, which established a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Africa. Besides previously secret nuclear sites disclosed in late 2003, Libya possesses a Soviet-supplied 10MW research reactor in Tajura. With the lifting of UN sanctions in 1998, Russia renewed its nuclear cooperation with Libya, providing funding for renovations to the Tajura nuclear complex. As of October 2004, the IAEA continues to investigate the clandestine network through which Libya supplied its nuclear weapons program. North Korea and several South African, German, and Swiss nationals have been implicated in providing restricted training and technologies to Libya. Although the Israeli and U.S. governments have expressed concerns about Syrian nuclear weapons aspirations, there is little convincing evidence of such an objective. Syria signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1968 and ratified the document one year later; its 30 KW nuclear research reactor in Dayr al Jajar, provided by China, is under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. In 1998, the Syrian Atomic Energy Commission began discussions with Russia about expanding its nuclear infrastructure, as prior negotiations with Argentina and China had proved unsuccessful. In May 1999, Moscow and Damascus signed an agreement in which the former will provide at least one light water nuclear reactor, which will be subject to IAEA safeguards. At this time, Syria has neither the infrastructure nor the financial resources to pursue an indigenous nuclear weapons program. Following revelations regarding the nuclear technology proliferation network of Pakistan's A.Q. Khan in 2003, some have evinced concern that Syria may have been a client. In a September 2004 interview, IAEA Secretary General ElBaradei stated that there are "no indications" of such a relationship.
War deaths 0.0
Ranked 170th.
0.0
Ranked 127th.

Armed forces personnel 76,000
Ranked 47th.
316,000
Ranked 13th. 4 times more than Libya
Military expenditures 3.1% of GDP
Ranked 14th.
3.6% of GDP
Ranked 4th. 16% more than Libya
Military branches note - in transition; government attempting to staff a new national army with anti-QADAFI militia fighters and former members of QADAFI's military Syrian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (includes Air Defense Forces)
Expenditures > Percent of GDP 3.9%
Ranked 26th.
5.9%
Ranked 11th. 51% more than Libya

Manpower fit for military service > Males age 16-49 None None
Armed forces personnel > Total 76,000
Ranked 57th.
401,000
Ranked 16th. 5 times more than Libya

Personnel 76,000
Ranked 63th.
416,000
Ranked 17th. 5 times more than Libya

Navy > Frigates 1
Ranked 28th.
5
Ranked 1st. 5 times more than Libya
Expenditures > Dollar figure per capita $255.26
Ranked 3rd. 5 times more than Syria
$52.41
Ranked 10th.
Branches Armed Peoples on Duty (APOD, Army), Libyan Arab Navy, Libyan Arab Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriya al-Arabia al-Libyya, LAAF) Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air and Air Defense Forces (includes Air Defense Command)
Battle-related deaths > Number of people per million 315.9
Ranked 1st. 8 times more than Syria
38.34
Ranked 6th.
Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical weapons possession Known Known
Military expenditure > Current LCU 1.35 billion
Ranked 104th.
101.46 billion
Ranked 28th. 75 times more than Libya

Manpower reaching military age annually > Males 59,547
Ranked 98th.
256,698
Ranked 46th. 4 times more than Libya

Expenditures > Dollar figure $1.30 billion
Ranked 9th. 52% more than Syria
$858.00 million
Ranked 7th.
Weapon holdings 4.83 million
Ranked 21st.
11.9 million
Ranked 5th. 2 times more than Libya
Armed forces personnel per 1000 14.68
Ranked 12th.
19.3
Ranked 8th. 31% more than Libya
Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males 61,305
Ranked 102nd.
215,734
Ranked 51st. 4 times more than Libya

Manpower available for military service > Males age 16-49 None None
Personnel per 1000 13.58
Ranked 20th.
22.9
Ranked 7th. 69% more than Libya

Expenditure > Current LCU 740000000 77800000000
Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical Weapons Convention ratification January 6, 2004 (acceded) No
Nuclear weapons > Non-Proliferation treaty sign date 18 Jul 1968 (L) 19 Jul 1968 (W) 23 Jul 1968 (M) 1 Jul 1968 (M)
Conscription <a href=/graph-T/mil_con>Conscription</a> exists (<a href=/encyclopedia/artificial-intelligence>AI</a>). <a href=/graph-T/mil_con>Conscription</a> exists (<a href=/encyclopedia/artificial-intelligence>AI</a>).
Armed forces growth 4%
Ranked 64th.
-21%
Ranked 92nd.
Imports > USD 3 million
Ranked 90th.
81 million
Ranked 42nd. 27 times more than Libya

Arms imports > Constant 1990 US$ 74 million constant 1990 US$
Ranked 41st. 6 times more than Syria
13 million constant 1990 US$
Ranked 68th.

WMD > Biological In 2003, Libya admitted its previous intentions to acquire equipment needed to produce biological weapons (BW). In October and December 2003, Libyan officials took US and UK experts to a number of medical and agricultural research centers that had the potential to be used in BW research. The country acceded to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention on 19 January 1982. There are allegations that the alleged chemical weapon (CW) plants at Rabta and Tarhunah could contain BW research facilities as well. Prior to Libya's 19 December 2003 announcement to abandon its WMD programs, US intelligence agencies alleged that Qadhafi had attempted to recruit South African scientists to assist in the acquisition of BW, and that Libya had started to develop pathogens and toxins for weapons use. There is very limited open-source information regarding Syria's biological warfare (BW) capability. German and Israeli sources have asserted that Syria possesses Bacillus anthracis (which causes anthrax), botulinum toxin, and ricin. Other independent assessments, however, maintain there is no evidence that the country has progressed past the research and development phase of a BW capability. Syria has a pharmaceutical infrastructure that could support a limited BW program, and it engages in extensive trade of dual-use equipment and goods with companies in Western Europe, Russia, and North Korea. Damascus ratified the Geneva Protocol in 1968 and signed the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) on April 14, 1972, but has yet to ratify it.
Expenditures 3.9% of GDP
Ranked 13th.
5.9% of GDP
Ranked 4th. 51% more than Libya
Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical weapons destruction deadline 29 April 2012 (pledged by 2016) first half of 2014 (Executive Council Decision)
Military expenditures > Percent of GDP 3.9% of GDP
Ranked 12th.
5.9% of GDP
Ranked 5th. 51% more than Libya
Expenditures > Dollar figure > Per $ GDP $42.64 per 1,000 $ of GDP
Ranked 2nd.
$44.40 per 1,000 $ of GDP
Ranked 3rd. 4% more than Libya
WMD > Chemical There is a significant amount of open-source literature concerning Libya's acquisition and use of chemical weapons (CW); it is well documented that Libya employed Iranian-supplied mustard gas bombs against Chad, its southern neighbor, in 1987. In documentation provided to US and UK authorities in 2003, Libya revealed a "significant quantity" of mustard agent produced more than 10 years ago at a facility near Rabta, located in the Sahara Desert about 120km southwest of Tripoli, along with chemical munitions and equipment needed to establish a second CW production facility. In December 2003, Libya pledged to eliminate all chemical weapons stocks and munitions and accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention "without delay." Syria is suspected of having one of the most advanced chemical warfare (CW) capabilities in the Middle East and among developing countries worldwide. Syria allegedly received initial chemical warfare assistance and supplies, including weaponized chemical agents, from Egypt prior to the October War against Israel in 1973. Analysts claim that the country now has an indigenous capability to produce and weaponize nerve (e.g., sarin) and blister (e.g., mustard) agents. There are numerous highly inconsistent reports that Syria has successfully produced and weaponized VX nerve agent. There are some allegations that Syria received Russian assistance in developing this agent in the 1990s but these reports remain substantially unconfirmed in the open sources. Syria appears to remain dependent on the acquisition of imported dual-use technology, equipment and precursors. In the past Syria has acquired many of these items from various European countries and India. Despite the widespread belief that Syria has an active chemical weapons program it is still able to obtain access to many dual-use chemicals used by its oil and chemical industries. As export controls have tightened Syria has increasingly turned to imports from countries outside international export control regimes such as Egypt and North Korea for the provision of certain precursor chemicals. Syria is still able to meet many of its more general bulk chemical needs from its traditional European and Indian suppliers. Syria possesses Scud-B and Scud-C ballistic missiles capable of being fitted with chemical warheads, and in 1999 it allegedly tested a Scud-B carrying a warhead designed to disperse VX. The quality of Syrian weaponization efforts is not clear from open-sources and it remains unclear how effective the use of Scud missiles would be against Israeli defenses. In addition to this long range capability Syria is believed to possess a significant tactical chemical weapons capability centered around artillery shells and rockets. Open sources assert that there are at least three Syrian facilities currently engaged in producing CW, located near Damascus, Hama, and Safira village (in the Aleppo area). Beginning in early 2003 officials in the united States and Israel began to suggest that Syria had received shipments of chemical weapons and other WMD from Iraq. These allegations increased in frequency as the absence of WMD in Iraq became more apparent. To date the available information suggests that these allegations are at best speculative and at worst malicious. Given the claims that Syria has the most advanced CW capability in the middle-east it is difficult to find a convincing rationale for Syria receiving illicit Iraqi WMD stocks. Since late 2002 Syria has been confronted by an aggressive United States using WMD possession as a justification for pre-emptive military action. Since April 2003 Syria has been effectively surrounded by the United States and its allies and has come under increasing political and military pressures. Damascus ratified the Geneva Protocol in 1968, but so far has declined to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). In 2004 Syrian officials met with the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). In the absence of information on the content of the discussions the significance of this development remains unclear.
Weapon holdings per 1000 918.29
Ranked 3rd. 29% more than Syria
712.83
Ranked 7th.
Manpower fit for military service > Females age 16-49 None 4884151
Arms > Exports > Constant 1990 US$ 38 million constant 1990 US$
Ranked 25th. The same as Syria
38 million constant 1990 US$
Ranked 21st.

Exports > USD 9 million
Ranked 30th. 3 times more than Syria
3 million
Ranked 39th.

Manpower reaching military age annually > Males per thousand people 9.68
Ranked 91st.
11.46
Ranked 32nd. 18% more than Libya

Expenditures > Dollar figure > Per capita $249.87 per capita
Ranked 3rd. 5 times more than Syria
$51.03 per capita
Ranked 9th.
Manpower > Availability > Males 1.68 million
Ranked 101st.
5.25 million
Ranked 52nd. 3 times more than Libya

Manpower > Military age 17 years of age 19 years of age
Manpower reaching military service age annually > Males age 18-49 62,034
Ranked 81st.
225,113
Ranked 40th. 4 times more than Libya
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Males 59,547
Ranked 98th.
256,698
Ranked 46th. 4 times more than Libya
Manpower available for military service > Females age 16-49 1714194 None
Arms imports > Constant 1990 US$ per capita 13.44 constant 1990 US$
Ranked 18th. 18 times more than Syria
0.735 constant 1990 US$
Ranked 75th.

Arms > Exports > Constant 1990 US$ > Per capita 6,751.16 constant 1990 US$ per 1
Ranked 15th. 2 times more than Syria
2,716.76 constant 1990 US$ per 1
Ranked 23th.

Manpower > Fit for military service > Males 1.44 million
Ranked 88th.
4.24 million
Ranked 49th. 3 times more than Libya

Manpower > Availability > Females 1.61 million
Ranked 94th.
4.97 million
Ranked 49th. 3 times more than Libya

Manpower > Availability > Males age 15-49 1.55 million
Ranked 100th.
4.72 million
Ranked 53th. 3 times more than Libya

Arms imports > Constant 1990 US$ > Per capita 12.89 constant 1990 US$ per c
Ranked 19th. 18 times more than Syria
0.7 constant 1990 US$ per c
Ranked 75th.

Manpower reaching military age annually > Females per thousand people 9.45
Ranked 98th.
11.36
Ranked 43th. 20% more than Libya
Manpower reaching military age annually > Females 57,070
Ranked 98th.
244,712
Ranked 47th. 4 times more than Libya
Manpower > Fit for military service > Females 1.38 million
Ranked 85th.
4.22 million
Ranked 46th. 3 times more than Libya

Manpower > Availability > Males age 15-49 per 1000 276.42
Ranked 33th. 6% more than Syria
259.55
Ranked 57th.

Manpower > Fit for military service > Males age 15-49 914,649
Ranked 108th.
2.63 million
Ranked 55th. 3 times more than Libya

Manpower reaching military service age annually > Males age 18-49 per 1000 10.73
Ranked 39th.
11.51
Ranked 25th. 7% more than Libya
Expenditures > Dollar figure, % of GDP 4.26%
Ranked 2nd.
4.44%
Ranked 3rd. 4% more than Libya
Manpower > Fit for military service > Males age 15-49 > Per capita 0.163 per capita
Ranked 99th. 12% more than Syria
0.146 per capita
Ranked 116th.

Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Females > Per capita 9.52 per 1,000 people
Ranked 109th.
10.29 per 1,000 people
Ranked 88th. 8% more than Libya

Manpower > Availability > Males age 15-49 > Per capita 0.277 per capita
Ranked 42nd. 6% more than Syria
0.262 per capita
Ranked 73th.

Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males > Per capita 9.93 per 1,000 people
Ranked 110th.
10.93 per 1,000 people
Ranked 79th. 10% more than Libya

Iraqi insurgency > Foreign fighter nationality distribution > Number per million 1.25
Ranked 6th.
3.63
Ranked 1st. 3 times more than Libya
Manpower > Fit for military service > Males age 15-49 per 1000 163.49
Ranked 89th. 13% more than Syria
144.72
Ranked 110th.

Iraqi insurgency > Foreign fighter nationality distribution > Number 7
Ranked 10th.
66
Ranked 2nd. 9 times more than Libya
Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Females 58,788
Ranked 102nd.
203,106
Ranked 52nd. 3 times more than Libya

Military expenditure > % of GDP 1.18%
Ranked 97th.
4.16%
Ranked 11th. 4 times more than Libya

Manpower > Availability > Males per 1000 286.24
Ranked 21st. 11% more than Syria
258.13
Ranked 72nd.

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Males per thousand people 9.92
Ranked 83th.
11.43
Ranked 22nd. 15% more than Libya
Manpower > Fit for military service > Females per 1000 235.15
Ranked 14th. 13% more than Syria
207.34
Ranked 60th.

Armed forces personnel > % of total labor force 3.31%
Ranked 14th.
5.96%
Ranked 4th. 80% more than Libya

Expenditure > % of GDP 1.88%
Ranked 58th.
6.22%
Ranked 8th. 3 times more than Libya

Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males per 1000 10.43
Ranked 87th.
10.6
Ranked 79th. 2% more than Libya

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Female 57070 244712
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Females 57,070
Ranked 98th.
244,712
Ranked 47th. 4 times more than Libya
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Male 59547 256698
Arms > Exports > Constant 1990 US$ per capita 7.01 constant 1990 US$
Ranked 15th. 3 times more than Syria
2.8 constant 1990 US$
Ranked 23th.

Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Females per 1000 10
Ranked 87th. About the same as Syria
9.98
Ranked 88th.

Personnel > % of total labor force 3.25%
Ranked 17th.
5.49%
Ranked 9th. 69% more than Libya

Manpower > Fit for military service > Males per 1000 245.02
Ranked 15th. 18% more than Syria
208.51
Ranked 53th.

Manpower > Availability > Females per 1000 274.13
Ranked 18th. 12% more than Syria
244.09
Ranked 73th.

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually > Females per thousand people 9.45
Ranked 97th.
11.36
Ranked 43th. 20% more than Libya
Conscription status Yes Yes

SOURCES: Wikipedia: List of countries by level of military equipment (List); Uppsala Conflict Data Program, http://www.pcr.uu.se/research/UCDP/.; http://www.visionofhumanity.org/#/page/indexes/global-peace-index, Global Rankings. Vision of Humanity.; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; Wikipedia: List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel (The list); World Development Indicators database; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; The Nuclear Threat Initiative; Uppsala Conflict Data Program, http://www.pcr.uu.se/research/ucdp/.; IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies). 2001. The Military Balance 2001-2002. Oxford: Oxford University Press; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance.; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Uppsala Conflict Data Program, http://www.pcr.uu.se/research/UCDP/. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Chemical warfare (Efforts to eradicate chemical weapons); Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security.; Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC); IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies). 2001. The Military Balance 2001-2002. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; World Development Indicators database. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Chemical weapon proliferation; Wikipedia: List of parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Ratified or acceded states); Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland, 1997. Data collected from the nations concerned, unless otherwise indicated. Acronyms: Amnesty International (AI); European Council of Conscripts Organizations (ECCO); Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC); International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHFHR); National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors (NISBCO); Service, Peace and Justice in Latin America (SERPAJ); War Resisters International (WRI); World Council of Churches (WCC); calculated on the basis of data on armed forces from IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies). 2001. The Military Balance 2001-2002. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Wikipedia: Chemical Weapons Convention (Progress of destruction); Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; CIA World Factbook, 14 June, 2007; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; CIA World Factbook, 14 June, 2007. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008. GDP figures sourced from World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.; Alan B. Krueger: The National Origins of Foreign Fighters in IraqPrinceton University and NBER, 30 December 2006. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Alan B. Krueger: The National Origins of Foreign Fighters in IraqPrinceton University and NBER, 30 December 2006.

Citation

Adblocker detected! Please consider reading this notice.

We've detected that you are using AdBlock Plus or some other adblocking software which is preventing the page from fully loading.

We don't have any banner, Flash, animation, obnoxious sound, or popup ad. We do not implement these annoying types of ads!

We need money to operate the site, and almost all of it comes from our online advertising.

Please add www.nationmaster.com to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software.

×