This African Nation Has a Surprisingly Large Navy

"Navies have been an important part of defense since the forming of our earliest civilizations. The Portuguese Navy is the oldest continually serving navy in the world. It dates back to the Middle Ages, having formed in the 12th century. However, as far back as the 6th century BC, the Persians were using Phoenician, Greek, and Egyptian ships for war."

"To identify the African countries with the strongest naval forces, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked on the total number of military ships and submarines in their fleet. We included supplemental information regarding submarines, aircraft carriers, destroyers, corvettes, patrol vessels, and frigates, as well as each country's overall military strength score. We excluded countries that did not have any naval vessels."

"Most African naval fleets are primarily comprised of patrol vessels. Much of this is involved in securing local trade routes against foreign powers or pirates. However, not many of these nations are home to the large ships seen in the Russian or American navies. As previously mentioned, much of Africa's military priorities tend to be inwardly focused and naval power does not buy as much overall military strength as aircraft or tanks."

Naval warfare has roots in ancient civilizations, with the Portuguese Navy traced back to the 12th century. Only a small number of African countries—Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, and sometimes Morocco or Nigeria—appear among the more capable global navies. Ship and submarine counts from the 2024 Global Firepower Military Strength Ranking were used along with supplemental data on specific ship types and overall military strength; nations without naval vessels were excluded. Most African fleets primarily consist of patrol vessels tasked with securing trade routes and countering piracy. Few African navies field large capital ships, and naval power generally contributes less to overall military strength than air or armored forces. Egypt operates a couple of helicopter carriers.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.