South Korea military

Global rank #6

South Korea ranks #6 of 24 in the 2026 Military Atlas Index. It spends $47.8B on defense (2.6% of GDP) and has 450K active personnel.

Key statistics

Sources: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database (2025), World Bank (2025), IISS The Military Balance (2026), Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), citing FlightGlobal World Air Forces (2026), Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) (2026), CSIS Missile Threat (2026).

Equipment inventory

No equipment found.

South Korea: Aircraft (32)

T-50/BTrainer Aircraft · South Korea148confirmedKT-1Trainer Aircraft · South Korea109confirmedF-15K Slam EagleFighter Jet · United States60 F-15K Slam EagleconfirmedFA-50Fighter Jet · South Korea60confirmed

F-35A Lightning IIFighter Jet · United States40confirmed

F-16DFighter Jet · United States38confirmedKAI KC-100 NaraonTransport Aircraft23confirmedCN235Transport Aircraft · Spain22confirmedKF-21 BoramaeFighter Jet · South Korea20confirmedPC-21Transport Aircraft · Switzerland19confirmedC-130JTransport Aircraft · United States12confirmedKC-130HTransport Aircraft · United States12confirmedM-346Transport Aircraft · Italy12confirmedF-5E Tiger IIFighter Jet · United States10confirmed

Hawker 800 (Recce)Reconnaissance · United Kingdom8confirmed

KF-21 BoramaeFighter Jet · South Korea6 prototypes (IOC 2026)confirmedC-130HTransport Aircraft · United States5confirmedF-5FFighter Jet · United States5confirmedA330 MRTTTransport Aircraft · Spain4confirmedE-7A (AEW)Transport Aircraft · United States4confirmedFokker 50Transport Aircraft · Netherlands4confirmedGlobal 6500 (AEW)Airborne Early Warning · Canada4confirmedKAI RQ-101 SonggolmaeUAV / Drone4confirmedC-390Transport Aircraft · Brazil3confirmedKing Air 200/350 (C-12)Transport Aircraft · United States3confirmedSearcher MkIIUAV / Drone · Israel2confirmedB-747Transport Aircraft · United States1confirmedPC-12 (U-28)Transport Aircraft · Switzerland1confirmedAn-2 ColtTransport Aircraft · Soviet Union—confirmedHeronUAV / Drone · Israel—confirmedK21 ARVTransport Aircraft · South Korea—confirmedKorean Air KUS-FSUAV / Drone—confirmed

South Korea: Helicopters (10)

MD-500MD (NH-500MD)Helicopter · United States250confirmedKAI KUH-1 SurionHelicopter218confirmedKAI LAH-1 MironHelicopter200confirmedS-70/UH-60L/MHelicopter · United States148confirmed

CH-47F ChinookHelicopter · United States64confirmed

Bell 505 Jet Ranger XHelicopter50confirmed

MH-6 Little BirdHelicopter · United States35confirmed

AW139Helicopter · Italy24confirmedH120Helicopter · France5confirmedBell 412Helicopter · United States3confirmed

South Korea: Land (49)

120mm mortarArtillery System6,000confirmed81mm mortarArtillery System · Turkey6,000confirmedMOR 107mm M30Artillery System · United States6,000confirmed

MOR KM114Artillery System · South Korea6,000confirmed

MOR KM187Artillery System · South Korea6,000confirmed

K151 RaycoltArmored Vehicle · South Korea2,000confirmedM114A1/M114A2Artillery System · United States1,800confirmedKIFVArmored Vehicle · South Korea1,700confirmedM101A1Artillery System · United States1,500confirmedKH-179Artillery System · South Korea1,400confirmedSP 155mm K9/K9A1 ThunderArtillery System · South Korea1,240confirmedM109A5Artillery System · United States1,040confirmedK1/K1E1Tank · South Korea1,000confirmed

K600Engineering Vehicle · South Korea600confirmed

K21Armored Vehicle · South Korea500confirmedK1A1/K1A2Tank · South Korea450confirmedK808Armored Vehicle · South Korea450confirmedM113A1/A2 (incl variants)Armored Vehicle · United States420confirmedM48A5 T2 PattonTank · United States400confirmed

K2 Black PantherTank · South Korea~260 in serviceconfirmed

M9Engineering Vehicle · United States207confirmedK1Tank · South Korea200confirmedM167 VulcanArtillery System · United States200confirmed

MRL 239mm K239 ChunmooArtillery System · South Korea200confirmed

SP 105mm K105A1Artillery System · South Korea200confirmed

K30 BihoSp Anti-Aircraft Gun · South Korea176confirmedM577 (CP)Armored Vehicle · United States140confirmedK806Armored Vehicle · South Korea60confirmed90mm M36Artillery System · United States50confirmedM270 MLRSArtillery System · United States48confirmedBMP-3Armored Vehicle · Soviet Union40confirmedMRL 130mm K136 KooryongArtillery System · South Korea40confirmedM88A1Engineering Vehicle · United States38confirmed35mm 92 GDF-002Artillery System · Switzerland35confirmedBTR-80Armored Vehicle · Soviet Union20confirmedMaxxProArmored Vehicle · United States10confirmedTM-170Armored Vehicle · Germany10confirmed76mm M18 HellcatArtillery System · United States8confirmedT-72M1Tank · Soviet Union5confirmed75mm M116 pack howitzerArtillery System · United States—confirmed90mm M67Artillery System · United States—confirmedBv-206SArmored Vehicle · Sweden—confirmedK288A1Engineering Vehicle · South Korea—confirmed

KM3Armored Vehicle · South Korea—confirmed

KMS114 81 mm mortarMortar—confirmedM19 mortarMortar · United States—confirmedM29 mortarMortar · United States—confirmedM40A1Artillery System · United States—confirmedM47Tank · United States—confirmed

South Korea: Naval (39)

Sea DolphinPatrol Boat · South Korea35confirmedGumdoksuri (Corvette)Frigate · South Korea34confirmedChamsuri II (Corvette)Frigate · South Korea18confirmedGumdoksuri (PCFG)Frigate · South Korea18confirmedChamsuri II (PCFG)Frigate · South Korea16confirmedLCM 8Landing Craft · United States10confirmedJang Bogo-class submarineSubmarine9confirmedReis (Type-214)Submarine · Germany9confirmedDaegu (Incheon Batch II)Frigate · South Korea8confirmed

Mulgae INaval Vessel · South Korea7confirmed

Chungmugong Yi Sun-Sin (KDD-II)Destroyer · South Korea6confirmedGanggyeong-class minehunterMine Countermeasures Vessel6confirmedIncheonFrigate · South Korea6confirmed

Kan KyeongPatrol Vessel · South Korea6confirmed

LSF IILanding Craft · South Korea6confirmedPo Hang (Flight IV)Corvette · South Korea5confirmedAtilay (Type-209/1200)Submarine · Germany4confirmed

CheonwangbongLanding Ship · South Korea4confirmed

Go Jun BongLanding Ship · South Korea4confirmed

Po Hang (Flight V/VI)Corvette · South Korea4confirmedYang YangMine Countermeasures Vessel · South Korea4confirmedChun JeeReplenishment Ship · South Korea3confirmedDosan Ahn Chang-ho-class SubmarineSubmarine · South Korea3 Batch I (more building)confirmedGwanggaeto Daewang (KDD-I)Frigate · South Korea3confirmed

Mulgae IINaval Vessel · South Korea3confirmed

Sejong (KDD-III)Destroyer · South Korea3confirmed

TsaplyaLanding Craft · Soviet Union3confirmed

DokdoAmphibious Assault Ship · South Korea2confirmedTongyeongSubmarine Rescue Ship · South Korea2confirmedUlsanFrigate · South Korea2confirmedCheong Hae JinSubmarine Rescue Ship · South Korea1confirmedChungnam-class frigateFrigate1confirmed

HansandoTraining Ship · South Korea1confirmed

Jeongjo (KDD-III Batch II)Destroyer · South Korea1confirmedNampo (MLS-II)Patrol Craft · North Korea1confirmed

Soyang-class fast combat support shipAuxiliary Ship1confirmed

SoyanghamReplenishment Oiler · South Korea1confirmed

Won SanMine Countermeasures Vessel · South Korea1confirmedHyunmoo-3Submarine · South Korea—confirmed

South Korea: Missile (13)

Javelin (surface-to-air missile)Air Defence System · United Kingdom100confirmedHyunmoo IIA/IIBMissile System · South Korea30confirmedM-SAMAir Defence System · South Korea19confirmed9K115 Metis (RS-AT-7 Saxhorn)Missile System · Soviet Union—confirmedCrotale NGMissile System · France—confirmedFIM-92 StingerMissile System · United States—confirmedHyeongungMissile System · South Korea—confirmedHyeongung (SP)Missile System · South Korea—confirmedHyunmoo IIIMissile System · South Korea—confirmed

KP-SAM ChironAir Defence System · South Korea—confirmed

MGM-140A ATACMSMissile System · United States—confirmedMistralMissile System · France—confirmedTOWMissile System · United States—confirmed

Each row is labeled Confirmed, Estimated or Alleged. A dash means no count is published.

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