Loading the evidence…
Preparing your view.
Preparing your view.
NATIONAL FORCES · COMPARISON
Bangladesh vs Maldives
| Overview | Bangladesh | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
Active personnel DefinitionFull-time active military personnel; exclude reserves and paramilitary unless explicitly identified. | 173,650Estimate · people · November 2025 IISS assessmentSingle sourceNational full-time active military personnel; the separately reported reserve, gendarmerie and paramilitary totals are excluded. | 4,000Estimate · people · November 2025 IISS assessmentSingle sourceNational full-time active military personnel; the separately reported reserve, gendarmerie and paramilitary totals are excluded. |
Defence spending DefinitionAnnual military expenditure in current US dollars. State fiscal year, coverage and conversion basis in notes. | US$3.25bnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS defence budget forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceSource-reported annual official defence budget/appropriation in current US dollars; it is a budget figure, not an assertion of final expenditure or readiness. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 3.25bn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. | US$193mEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS defence budget forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceSource-reported annual official defence budget/appropriation in current US dollars; it is a budget figure, not an assertion of final expenditure or readiness. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 193m. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. |
GDP DefinitionAnnual nominal GDP in current US dollars, not purchasing-power parity. | US$519bnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS nominal GDP forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceAnnual nominal GDP at current market prices, in source-reported current US dollars. Excludes purchasing-power-parity GDP and real GDP growth. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 519bn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. | US$8.22bnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS nominal GDP forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceAnnual nominal GDP at current market prices, in source-reported current US dollars. Excludes purchasing-power-parity GDP and real GDP growth. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 8.22bn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. |
Population DefinitionTotal resident population; retain the source's reference year. | 175,686,899people · 2025 annual observationSingle source2025 annual observation. Midyear resident population estimate. | 529,676people · 2025 annual observationSingle source2025 annual observation. Midyear resident population estimate. |
Reserve personnel DefinitionReported reserve personnel, with mobilisation and training definitions stated in notes. | 0Estimate · people · 2024 source edition; census date not statedSingle sourceMilitary reserve personnel in the 2024 IISS source edition cited by this Wikipedia row. Reservists are not normally kept under arms and are available for mobilisation. Excludes the separately reported Active military and Paramilitary columns. This is the cited edition year, not an exact census date. | 0Estimate · people · 2024 source edition; census date not statedSingle sourceMilitary reserve personnel in the 2024 IISS source edition cited by this Wikipedia row. Reservists are not normally kept under arms and are available for mobilisation. Excludes the separately reported Active military and Paramilitary columns. This is the cited edition year, not an exact census date. |
Armed forces personnel DefinitionActive-duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces whose training, organisation, equipment and control allow them to support or replace regular forces. This is not an active-regular-only count. | 227,000people · 2020 annual observationSingle source2020 annual observation. Active-duty military personnel, including qualifying paramilitary forces; not an active-regular-only count. | —Not yet documented |
Combat aircraft DefinitionIn-service fixed-wing combat aircraft; exclude stored, retired and ordered aircraft. In service does not establish readiness. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Main battle tanks DefinitionIn-service main battle tanks; exclude storage and orders. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Major surface combatants DefinitionCommissioned cruisers, destroyers and frigates. Exclude patrol craft and support vessels. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Nuclear warheads DefinitionWarheads in the military stockpile, deployed or in reserve; exclude retired warheads awaiting dismantlement. Independent estimates, labelled as such. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Submarines DefinitionCommissioned submarines; exclude vessels on order and decommissioned vessels. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Transport aircraft DefinitionIn-service dedicated fixed-wing military transport aircraft; exclude trainers and orders. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
EQUIPMENT & WEAPONS
Equipment listed in inventory and operator sources, grouped by force and category. Sourced quantities retain their date, variant coverage and inventory status. Equipment without a documented count is listed by type.
237 matching equipment types
| Equipment | Bangladesh | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||
| Chengdu J-10 | 20–24Bangladesh Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Chengdu J-7 | 322025Wikipedia | — |
| Mikoyan MiG-29 | 8Bangladesh Air Force · 2026Wikipedia 8Bangladesh Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 | 1402026Wikipedia | — |
| Shenyang J-5 | 362026Wikipedia | — |
| Shenyang J-6 | 722026Wikipedia | — |
| Support aircraft | ||
| Antonov An-12 | 242026Wikipedia | — |
| Antonov An-26 | 62026Wikipedia | — |
| Antonov An-32 | 3Bangladesh Air Force · 2026Wikipedia 3Bangladesh Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| ATR 72 | — | 12026Wikipedia 12026Wikipedia |
| C-130J Super Hercules | 5Bangladesh Air Force · 2026Wikipedia 5Bangladesh Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| C295 | 2Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia 2Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia 2Bangladesh Air Force · 2025 | — |
| Equipment | Bangladesh | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| Tanks | ||
| Al-Khalid tank | 44Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Type 15 tank | 44Bangladesh Army · 2025 | — |
| Type 59 tank | 34Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Type 59G Durjoy | 1742025Wikipedia | — |
| Type 69 tank | 58Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Armoured vehicles | ||
| Al-Fahd | In service | — |
| BMP-2 | — | 2Marine Corps · 2025 |
| BOV (armoured personnel carrier) | In service | — |
| BOV M11 | ≥8Bangladesh Army · 2025 | — |
| BRDM-2 | — | In service |
| BTR-80 | 330Bangladesh Army · 2025 | — |
| Caterpillar D8 | In service | — |
| Equipment | Bangladesh | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| Air defence | ||
| DARDO | In service | — |
| HN-5 | In service | — |
| HQ-7 | 6Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia | In service |
| Anti-aircraft guns | ||
| 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) | 132Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| AZP S-60 | 342025Wikipedia | — |
| ZPU | In service | — |
| Portable air defence | ||
| FN-6 | In service | In service |
| QW missile | In service | — |
| QW-2 (missile) | 2502025Wikipedia | — |
| Missiles | ||
| PL-5 | In service | — |
| R-27 (air-to-air missile) | In service | — |
| R-73 (missile) | In service | — |
| Equipment | Bangladesh | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| Small arms | ||
| Accuracy International Arctic Warfare | In service | — |
| Accuracy International AX50 | In service | — |
| AK-103 | — | In service |
| AK-47 | In service | — |
| AKM | In service | — |
| Benelli Supernova | In service | — |
| Beretta Model 38 | In service | — |
| Bersa Thunder 9 | In service | — |
| Browning Hi-Power | In service | — |
| Cyclone (rifle) | In service | — |
| CZ 75 | In service | — |
| Daewoo Telecom K7 | In service | — |
| Equipment | Bangladesh | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| Radar & sensors | ||
| AN/TPS-43 | — | In service |
| Ground Master 400 | In service | — |
| Selex RAT-31DL | — | In service |
| SLC-2 Radar | 10Bangladesh Army · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| YLC-6 Radar | — | In service |
| Communications & electronic warfare | ||
| AN/PRC-77 Portable Transceiver | In service | — |
Coverage is incomplete. “Not documented” means no linked inventory evidence, not zero equipment. Methodology ↗
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 IISS assessment | ≥36 units | International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) | approved |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 50 units | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 62 units | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 49 units | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 340–655 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 6 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 36 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 1 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 1 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 2 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 5–6 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 36 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 58 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 283 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 50 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 44 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 366 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 4 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 6 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 5 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 50 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 330–645 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 57 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 1 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-02 · inventory date unstated | 44 units | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
Generalized geography from Natural Earth 1:110m, version 5.1.1. Label-point distance is calculated on a sphere and rounded to the nearest 100 km; it is not a capital-to-capital distance, route, border distance or operational range. Dataset boundaries do not imply recognition of territorial claims.
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m, v5.1.1 · Public domain · Research catalogue highlighted
Scores out of 100 on the ForceTally Index. Each bar splits in proportion to the two scores. A point at the centre of the chart means no sourced figure for that part.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 cited source period | 1 units | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
| Cited source 2024-02-09 | 2 units | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-01 · inventory date unstated | 1 units | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
| Source snapshot 2026-10-01 · inventory date unstated | 6 units | Wikipedia contributors | approved |