Turkish navy ranks 10th among world’s strongest navies listing

The World Directory of Modern Military Warships (WDMMW) ranked Türkiye’s navy 10th in the most recent global assessment to determine the strongest navies across 36 nations.

The evaluation criteria included the number of warships and submarines, as well as aspects such as fleet age, logistical support, and offensive and defensive capabilities.

Furthermore, the ranking considered the overall balance of each navy, analyzing the variety of asset types they possessed and whether they focused their resources in specific areas. The assessment encompassed most ships while excluding smaller craft, survey ships, and historical ceremonial vessels.

The ranking also made distinctions between various classes of combat ships, encompassing both relatively compact corvettes and frigates and larger destroyers and cruisers.

Each navy was given a final “True Value Rating” to measure them against one another.

According to the WDMMW report, Türkiye – which ranked 10th has most recently conducted a global assessment to determine the strongest navies across 36 nations which had a fleet comprising 90 active units as of April, which included one helicopter carrier, 12 submarines, 16 frigates, 10 corvettes, 11 mine/countermine warships, 35 offshore-patrol vessels, and five amphibious-assault vessels.

Türkiye’s navy did not possess any destroyers or cruisers.

The country’s strategic significance lies in its control of the maritime chokepoint connecting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

The WDMMW assessment indicated that the average age of the Turkish navy was 18.8 years, and its overall force balance was considered to be “average.”

Based on the True Value Rating, Türkiye scored 80.5 in the evaluation.

Among the country’s neighbors, Greece ranked 22nd on the listing.

The country has 11 submarines, three frigates, three mine/countermine warfare ships, and 36 offshore-patrol vessels, making up its 63 active units as of November, according to the WDMMW.

It said that Greece was focused on offshore vessels and that the fleet represented “over half of all fighting strength.” The WDMMW described the rest of Greece’s fleet as “an aging fleet of submarines and frigates for the most part.”

Greece has no destroyers, corvettes, cruisers, or amphibious-assault vessels and the navy’s force balance was “fair” while its median hull age was 27.5 years.

The report gave Greece’s navy a True Value Rating of 47.2.

Egypt, a coastal neighbor of Türkiye on the Eastern Mediterranean ranked closer to the country as it became the 13th country with the strongest navy.

The WDMMW said Egypt’s navy is the largest such force in Africa or the Middle East with 107 active units as of November.

Its navy includes eight submarines, 12 frigates, seven corvettes, 18 mine/countermine warfare ships, 48 offshore-patrol vessels, and 12 amphibious-assault vessels.

It also has two helicopter carriers, which the WDMMW said made it “the only African/Middle East power to have aircraft carriers in the force.”

It has no destroyers or cruisers and only has one vessel in production.

Yet, the country has an aging fleet. The WDMMW said that Egypt’s force balance was “average” and that its median hull age is 27.5 years, with the navy acquiring a True Value Rating of 72.4.

According to the WDMMW report, the top ten countries with the most powerful navies worldwide are the United States, China, Russia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, India, France, the U.K., and Türkiye, respectively.

The report pointed out that, Russia, among the top three, had a lot of aging units, including its only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.

Many of its 58 submarines, 12 destroyers, and four cruisers are also showing their age. The report said Russia’s median hull age was 30 years.

The report highlighted Russia’s efforts to enhance its naval capabilities through a modernization initiative, involving the procurement of 82 new units. Notably, the country demonstrated significant dedication to acquiring advanced corvette warships, submarines, and mine/countermine warfare vessels.

According to the WDMMW evaluation, Russia received a high True Value Rating of 242.3, indicating its substantial naval strength. Furthermore, the assessment categorized Russia’s force balance as “good,” reflecting a well-balanced and formidable navy.

During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its military suffered notable equipment losses, but its navy remained relatively unscathed as it did not play a significant role in the conflict.

One significant setback for Russia was the destruction of its flagship in the Black Sea, the Moskva, which was targeted and taken out by a Ukrainian missile strike.

For the U.S. Navy, the WDMMW gave it a True Value Rating of 323.9, its highest score.

It said the U.S. scored highly because it “features a broad mix of warship and submarine types as well as balance strengthened by overall numbers (quantity) – pulling ahead by its vaunted carrier fleet.”

The listing said the U.S. Navy had 243 active units in November, comprising 11 aircraft carriers, 68 submarines, 22 cruisers, 70 destroyers, 21 corvettes, eight mine/countermine warfare ships, 10 offshore-patrol vessels, and 33 amphibious-assault vessels.

It has no frigates, and its median hull age is 23.3 years.

It said the U.S. had a “good” balance in its asset types.