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June
9, 2000 VOL. 29 NO. 22 | SEARCH ASIAWEEK
Who's
Got What, Where
And
why all those weapons might be needed
By OLIVER ROHLFS
With the end of the economic crisis, most Asian countries have increased
spending on arms. But more worrisome is the fact that so many nations are
going it alone. Asian governments have been slow to develop military ties
with their neighbors. That makes Asia not only more vulnerable to regional
spats, but an ideal playground for superpowers looking to find allies in
global conflicts that might come in the future.
| AUSTRALIA |
| Military
budget |
$7 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
1.80% |
| Number
of troops |
55,200 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
59 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
142 |
| CHINA |
| Military
budget |
$11 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
1.60% |
| Number
of troops |
2,480,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
1,149 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
4,086 |
| INDONESIA |
| Military budget |
$939 mln |
| as a % of GDP |
0.50% |
| Number of troops |
298,000 |
| Number of naval vessels |
133 |
| Number of combat aircraft |
161 |
| MALAYSIA |
| Military
budget |
$3.3 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
3.75% |
| Number
of troops |
105,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
56 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
104 |
| NORTH
KOREA |
| Military
budget |
$1.3 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
9.30% |
| Number
of troops |
1,082,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
378 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
593 |
| PHILIPPINES |
| Military
budget |
$1 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
1.50% |
| Number
of troops |
110,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
88 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
141 |
| SINGAPORE |
| Military
budget |
$4.4 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
4.60% |
| Number
of troops |
73,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
36 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
194 |
| TAIWAN |
| Military
budget |
$8.3
bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
2.70% |
| Number
of troops |
376,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
196 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
650 |
| U.S.
PACIFIC FORCES |
| Military
budget (total) |
$271.2 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
3.20% |
| Number
of troops |
200,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
190 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
1,400 |
|
| BRUNEI |
| Military
budget |
$357 mln |
| as
a % of GDP |
6.50% |
| Number
of troops |
5000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
6 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
6 |
| INDIA |
| Military budget |
$10 bln |
| as a % of GDP |
2.10% |
| Number of troops |
1,173,000 |
| Number of naval vessels |
140 |
| Number of combat aircraft |
975 |
| JAPAN |
| Military budget |
$41.1 bln |
| as a % of GDP |
1.10% |
| Number of troops |
236,300 |
| Number of naval vessels |
179 |
| Number of combat aircraft |
517 |
| NEW
ZEALAND |
| Military
budget |
$881 mln |
| as
a % of GDP |
1.50% |
| Number
of troops |
9,530 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
13 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
46 |
| PAKISTAN |
| Military
budget |
$3.2 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
5.25% |
| Number
of troops |
587,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
41 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
408 |
| RUSSIA |
| Military
budget |
$35 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
3.20% |
| Number
of troops |
1,004,100 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
750+ |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
4,771 |
| SOUTH
KOREA |
| Military
budget |
$13.2 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
1.5% |
| Number
of troops |
672,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
198 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
568 |
| THAILAND |
| Military
budget |
$2 bln |
| as
a % of GDP |
1.50% |
| Number
of troops |
306,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
149 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
234 |
| VIETNAM |
| Military
budget |
$891 mln |
| as
a % of GDP |
3.30% |
| Number
of troops |
484,000 |
| Number
of naval vessels |
95 |
| Number
of combat aircraft |
232 |
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Countries with red headlines have nuclear weapon capability
Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies, London; Asiaweek Research
Write to Asiaweek at mail@web.asiaweek.com
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