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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


Countries with red headlines have nuclear weapon capability
Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies, London; Asiaweek Research

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