Military profile
Qatar Military Strength
Qatar ranks #65 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 66,550 active personnel. It spent $15.4 billion on its military in 2022 (6.5% of GDP).
Qatar armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 66,550#58 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 15,000#64 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 5,000#88 of 145
- Army personnel
- 42,500#71 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 5,000#73 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 10,000#46 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 198#48 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 68#34 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 6#53 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 60#56 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 24#29 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 138#74 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 46#61 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 12#96 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 16#80 of 145
Naval power
- Aircraft carriers
- 0#8 of 113
- Destroyers
- 0#15 of 113
- Frigates
- 0#56 of 113
- Corvettes
- 4#26 of 113
- Submarines
- 0#44 of 113
- Patrol vessels
- 20#49 of 113
- Mine warfare vessels
- 0#53 of 113
Finance
- Military spending
- $15.4 billion#25 of 156
- Military spending as % of GDP
- 6.5%#6 of 156
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $245.7 billion#61 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Qatar military spending 2010–2022
Military spending of Qatar grew by 721% between 2010 and 2022, from $1.9 billion to $15.4 billion (current US dollars), and stood at 6.5% of GDP in 2022.
Armed forces of Qatar
Branches and forces
Qatar Armed Forces (QAF): Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF, includes Emiri Guard), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN, includes Coast Guard), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF) Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of Public Security, General Directorate of Coasts and Border Security, Internal Security Force (ISF or Lekhwiya) (2025)
Personnel
approximately 15,000 active-duty Qatar Armed Forces (2025)
Service age and conscription
typically 18-30 for voluntary service for men and women; compulsory military service for men 18-35; compulsory service is from 4-12 months, depending on educational and professional circumstances (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the Qatari military's inventory is a mix of older and modern weapons systems, mostly from Türkiye, the US, and various European countries, including France, Germany, and Italy (2025)
Good to know
Qatar's military is responsible for territorial defense and maritime security; the military is in the midst of a large equipment acquisition program designed to enhance its capabilities and Qatar's regional standing; Qatar has military ties with a variety of countries, including France, the UK, the US, Turkey, and member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); it hosts the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM; established 1983) and several thousand US military forces at various military facilities, including the Al Udeid Air Base; Qatar has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; Qatar also hosts Turkish military forces at two bases established in 2014 and 2019; the Qatari military is part of the Peninsula Shield Forces, a joint military force established by the GCC countries with the aim of maintaining security and stability in the region (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2023: 5% · 2022: 5% · 2021: 4% · 2020: 4% · 2019: 3.4%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Qatar compared with its neighbours
| Country | Strength rank | Military spending |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | #65 | $15.4 billion |
 Saudi Arabia | #22 | $83.2 billion |