Taiwan ranks #14 of 170 militaries worldwide in 2026, with 169,000 active troops. The Taiwanese Army fields 5,430 ground vehicles, including 1,018 main battle tanks; the Air Force flies 713 aircraft, including 319 combat aircraft; the Navy operates 86 warships, including 4 submarines. Taiwan has no nuclear weapons.
| Domain | Strength | Composition |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of China Air Force | 713 aircraft | 319 combat 239 helicopters 13 air bases +83 on order |
| Republic of China Navy | 86 warships | 29 major combatants 4 submarines 1 naval bases |
| Ground Forces | 5,430 vehicles | 1,018 main battle tanks |
| Personnel | 169,000 active | 1,657,000 reserve 13,000 paramilitary |
| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 10% | 76.2 | Active, reserve & paramilitary personnel |
| Ground forces | 20% | 53.1 | ARMS inventory power: armour & artillery by type and era, attack helicopters, armament |
| Naval power | 20% | 50.1 | SEAS inventory power: hulls by type, size and era, air wing, sustainment, armament |
| Air power | 25% | 48.0 | AIRS inventory power: aircraft by type and generation, enablers, armament |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| Defense budget | 15% | 41.5 | Annual spending, purchasing-power adjusted |
| Availability | modifier | ground ×1.05 · naval ×0.94 · air ×0.90 | Budget per point of each force, from the branch indexes |
| Military budget | $18B (2025) |
| Share of GDP | 2.1% (2025) |
| Share of govt spending | 12.4% (2025) |
| Military spending per capita | $785 (2025) |
| Capital | Taipei |
| Region | Asia |
| Land area | 32,260 km² |
| Coastline | 1,566 km |
| Currency | TWD |
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is situated in the Western Pacific, positioned at the center of the First Island Chain between Japan and the Philippines. The primary security concern is the territorial claim by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the resulting risk of a cross-strait conflict. Taiwan’s defense strategy centers on the Overall Defense Concept (ODC), which prioritizes asymmetric warfare, cost-effectiveness, and the preservation of force through decentralized command. This "porcupine strategy" focuses on denying a successful amphibious invasion by neutralizing the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at its most vulnerable points during transit and landing.
Taiwan lacks formal membership in regional or international military alliances. Security is largely underpinned by the Taiwan Relations Act with the United States, which mandates the provision of defensive weaponry and maintains the capacity of the U.S. to resist any resort to force against Taiwan. In 2025 and 2026, Taiwan has increased informal security cooperation and intelligence sharing with regional partners, including Japan and Australia, particularly concerning maritime domain awareness in the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait.
The Republic of China Armed Forces are organized under the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Communications, Electronic and Information Force. Active personnel number approximately 170,000 to 190,000, supported by a reserve structure undergoing reorganization to improve mobilization timelines and training standards for its 2 million registered reservists.
The Army fields M60A3 Patton and CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks, with the integration of M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks ongoing through 2025 and 2026. Infantry units utilize CM-32 and CM-34 Clouded Leopard 8x8 armored vehicles. Artillery capabilities include M109 self-propelled howitzers and the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system.
The Air Force operates a fleet of F-16V (Block 20 and Block 70) multirole fighters, Mirage 2000-5 interceptors, and the F-CK-1 Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF). Pilot training is transitioning to the T-5 Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer. Air defense is integrated through the Sky Bow (Tien Kung) and Patriot (PAC-3) missile systems.
The Navy maintains a fleet of Kee Lung-class destroyers, Cheng Kung-class (Perry-type) frigates, and Kang Ding-class (Lafayette-type) frigates. The fleet is shifting toward smaller, more survivable assets, including Tuo Chiang-class stealth corvettes and missile-armed fast attack craft. The submarine force consists of older Chien Lung-class boats and the new Hai Kun-class indigenous diesel-electric submarines currently undergoing sea trials and commissioning.
Specialized capabilities include the Information, Communication and Electronic Force Command, which manages cyber defense and electronic warfare. The military also maintains a robust missile inventory, including the Hsiung Feng II and III anti-ship missiles and the Yun Feng supersonic cruise missile for deep-strike operations.
The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) serves as the primary entity for domestic research and development. Taiwan achieves a degree of self-sufficiency in missile technology, producing the Sky Bow surface-to-air, Sky Sword air-to-air, and Hsiung Feng anti-ship missile families. The Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) manages the production and maintenance of indigenous aircraft, including the F-CK-1 IDF and the T-5 Brave Eagle.
Shipbuilding is led by the CSBC Corporation, which is responsible for the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program and the construction of landing platform docks and corvettes. While Taiwan has expanded domestic production, it remains reliant on the United States for critical components, including aircraft engines, advanced radar systems, and submarine combat systems. There are no major export programs, as production is prioritized for domestic requirements.
Defense spending in 2025 and 2026 is maintained at approximately 2.5% of GDP, excluding special budgets for fighter aircraft and anti-ship missile mass production. A major doctrinal shift is the implementation of the one-year mandatory conscription period, which became fully operational for all eligible males in 2025 to address personnel shortages and improve the readiness of the territorial defense force.
Procurement priorities focus on mobile, lethal, and distributed systems. This includes the acquisition of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, loitering munitions, and land-based Harpoon coastal defense systems. The military is also prioritizing hardened infrastructure and redundant communications to counter PRC "gray zone" tactics, which involve frequent air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and across the Taiwan Strait median line. Constraints facing the military include a shrinking recruitment pool due to low birth rates and the logistical challenge of maintaining a diverse fleet of aging and modern equipment.
Taiwan's army fired six 105 mm rounds from the production-standard Cheetah 8x8 gun vehicle at its southern training center in Tainan on September 23, in a media demonstration held before a 178-vehicle production run scheduled to start in 2027.
Taiwan's Cabinet on September 3, 2026 approved a NT$145.7 billion (US$4.6 billion) defense allocation within a NT$607.63 billion supplementary budget, covering two classified programs, three uncrewed-systems programs and the Chiang Kung anti-ballistic missile system, pending a legislative vote.
President Lai Ching-te's government will ask the Legislative Yuan for NT$1.1225 trillion ($35.2 billion) in defense spending for 2027, the first Taiwanese military budget above NT$1 trillion and the first to exceed 3 percent of GDP.
Chinese military aircraft entering Taiwan's air defense identification zone fell 52 percent in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period of 2025, according to Taiwan's daily defense ministry reports — while PLA Navy vessel sightings dropped just 7 percent.
Forty-seven years after entering service, the F-16 remains the most numerous combat aircraft in the world outside China and Russia, with 2,621 airframes active across 27 air forces in GlobalMilitary.net's 2026 inventory data.