Special Operations & Irregular Warfare — National Capability Index

Indicators

The measures seeded for this capability in the framework. They are candidate indicators: no cell in the index has a source document attached to it yet.

special operations forces strength
dedicated special operations aviation

Band spread across 197 nations

Frontier 4

Advanced 13

Established 22

Transitional 33

Foundational 40

Nascent 47

Inception 38

All 197 nations

Best first. The score is the mean of the four adjudicators' round-3 integers, rounded to the nearest integer; ±SD is their spread on that cell. Where the spread is three points or more, read the number as a band rather than a value.

#	Nation	Region	Score	Band	Panel SD
1	🇺🇸United States	Americas	20	Frontier	±0.00
2	🇫🇷France	Europe	18	Frontier	±0.43
3	🇮🇱Israel	Middle East	18	Frontier	±0.00
4	🇬🇧United Kingdom	Europe	18	Frontier	±0.00
5	🇷🇺Russia	Europe	17	Advanced	±0.00
6	🇦🇺Australia	Asia Pacific	16	Advanced	±0.00
7	🇹🇷Türkiye	Middle East	16	Advanced	±0.00
8	🇺🇦Ukraine	Europe	16	Advanced	±0.43
9	🇨🇦Canada	Americas	15	Advanced	±0.00
10	🇨🇳China	Asia Pacific	15	Advanced	±0.00
11	🇩🇪Germany	Europe	15	Advanced	±0.50
12	🇮🇳India	Asia Pacific	15	Advanced	±0.50
13	🇮🇷Iran	Asia Pacific	15	Advanced	±0.43
14	🇳🇱Netherlands	Europe	15	Advanced	±0.00
15	🇳🇴Norway	Europe	15	Advanced	±0.00
16	🇵🇱Poland	Europe	15	Advanced	±0.50
17	🇰🇷South Korea	Asia Pacific	15	Advanced	±0.43
18	🇨🇴Colombia	Americas	14	Established	±0.83
19	🇮🇹Italy	Europe	14	Established	±0.00
20	🇵🇰Pakistan	Asia Pacific	14	Established	±0.00
21	🇪🇸Spain	Europe	14	Established	±0.00
22	🇦🇪United Arab Emirates	Middle East	14	Established	±0.50
23	🇩🇰Denmark	Europe	13	Established	±0.83
24	🇫🇮Finland	Europe	13	Established	±0.50
25	🇯🇴Jordan	Middle East	13	Established	±0.50
26	🇳🇿New Zealand	Asia Pacific	13	Established	±0.43
27	🇰🇵North Korea	Asia Pacific	13	Established	±0.43
28	🇸🇬Singapore	Asia Pacific	13	Established	±0.00
29	🇸🇪Sweden	Europe	13	Established	±0.43
30	🇧🇷Brazil	Americas	12	Established	±0.00
31	🇪🇬Egypt	Africa	12	Established	±0.00
32	🇬🇷Greece	Europe	12	Established	±0.00
33	🇮🇩Indonesia	Asia Pacific	12	Established	±0.00
34	🇯🇵Japan	Asia Pacific	12	Established	±0.43
35	🇲🇾Malaysia	Asia Pacific	12	Established	±0.00
36	🇲🇽Mexico	Americas	12	Established	±0.43
37	🇹🇼Taiwan	Asia Pacific	12	Established	±0.50
38	🇹🇭Thailand	Asia Pacific	12	Established	±0.43
39	🇻🇳Vietnam	Asia Pacific	12	Established	±0.50
40	🇧🇪Belgium	Europe	11	Transitional	±0.00
41	🇨🇿Czechia	Europe	11	Transitional	±0.00
42	🇲🇦Morocco	Africa	11	Transitional	±0.71
43	🇵🇭Philippines	Asia Pacific	11	Transitional	±0.43
44	🇸🇦Saudi Arabia	Middle East	11	Transitional	±0.43
45	🇱🇰Sri Lanka	Asia Pacific	11	Transitional	±0.43
46	🇩🇿Algeria	Africa	10	Transitional	±0.43
47	🇨🇱Chile	Americas	10	Transitional	±0.50
48	🇭🇷Croatia	Europe	10	Transitional	±0.50
49	🇪🇪Estonia	Europe	10	Transitional	±0.43
50	🇪🇹Ethiopia	Africa	10	Transitional	±0.00
51	🇭🇺Hungary	Europe	10	Transitional	±0.43
52	🇮🇶Iraq	Middle East	10	Transitional	±0.43
53	🇳🇬Nigeria	Africa	10	Transitional	±0.43
54	🇴🇲Oman	Middle East	10	Transitional	±0.50
55	🇵🇪Peru	Americas	10	Transitional	±0.43
56	🇵🇹Portugal	Europe	10	Transitional	±0.43
57	🇷🇴Romania	Europe	10	Transitional	±0.00
58	🇷🇸Serbia	Europe	10	Transitional	±0.00
59	🇿🇦South Africa	Africa	10	Transitional	±0.43
60	🇨🇭Switzerland	Europe	10	Transitional	±0.00
61	🇺🇬Uganda	Africa	10	Transitional	±0.43
62	🇦🇷Argentina	Americas	9	Transitional	±0.43
63	🇦🇿Azerbaijan	Middle East	9	Transitional	±0.43
64	🇧🇾Belarus	Europe	9	Transitional	±0.43
65	🇧🇬Bulgaria	Europe	9	Transitional	±0.00
66	🇬🇪Georgia	Middle East	9	Transitional	±0.00
67	🇰🇪Kenya	Africa	9	Transitional	±0.00
68	🇱🇻Latvia	Europe	9	Transitional	±0.50
69	🇱🇹Lithuania	Europe	9	Transitional	±0.00
70	🇲🇲Myanmar	Asia Pacific	9	Transitional	±0.43
71	🇸🇰Slovakia	Europe	9	Transitional	±0.00
72	🇹🇳Tunisia	Africa	9	Transitional	±0.00
73	🇦🇹Austria	Europe	8	Foundational	±0.00
74	🇧🇩Bangladesh	Asia Pacific	8	Foundational	±0.00
75	🇨🇺Cuba	Americas	8	Foundational	±0.43
76	🇬🇹Guatemala	Americas	8	Foundational	±0.43
77	🇰🇿Kazakhstan	Asia Pacific	8	Foundational	±0.00
78	🇱🇧Lebanon	Middle East	8	Foundational	±0.43
79	🇶🇦Qatar	Middle East	8	Foundational	±0.43
80	🇷🇼Rwanda	Africa	8	Foundational	±0.43
81	🇸🇳Senegal	Africa	8	Foundational	±0.50
82	🇸🇮Slovenia	Europe	8	Foundational	±0.43
83	🇻🇪Venezuela	Americas	8	Foundational	±0.43
84	🇦🇴Angola	Africa	7	Foundational	±0.50
85	🇦🇲Armenia	Middle East	7	Foundational	±0.43
86	🇧🇭Bahrain	Middle East	7	Foundational	±0.00
87	🇨🇲Cameroon	Africa	7	Foundational	±0.83
88	🇹🇩Chad	Africa	7	Foundational	±0.43
89	🇪🇨Ecuador	Americas	7	Foundational	±0.43
90	🇸🇻El Salvador	Americas	7	Foundational	±0.43
91	🇬🇭Ghana	Africa	7	Foundational	±0.43
92	🇭🇳Honduras	Americas	7	Foundational	±0.43
93	🇮🇪Ireland	Europe	7	Foundational	±0.43
94	🇰🇼Kuwait	Middle East	7	Foundational	±0.00
95	🇳🇵Nepal	Asia Pacific	7	Foundational	±0.00
96	🇸🇩Sudan	Africa	7	Foundational	±0.00
97	🇸🇾Syria	Middle East	7	Foundational	±0.00
98	🇺🇿Uzbekistan	Asia Pacific	7	Foundational	±0.43
99	🇦🇱Albania	Europe	6	Foundational	±0.43
100	🇨🇮Côte d'Ivoire	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.00
101	🇨🇾Cyprus	Middle East	6	Foundational	±0.00
102	🇪🇷Eritrea	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.00
103	🇲🇱Mali	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.00
104	🇲🇷Mauritania	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.43
105	🇳🇪Niger	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.00
106	🇲🇰North Macedonia	Europe	6	Foundational	±0.00
107	🇸🇴Somalia	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.00
108	🇹🇯Tajikistan	Asia Pacific	6	Foundational	±0.50
109	🇹🇿Tanzania	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.43
110	🇺🇾Uruguay	Americas	6	Foundational	±0.50
111	🇾🇪Yemen	Middle East	6	Foundational	±0.71
112	🇿🇼Zimbabwe	Africa	6	Foundational	±0.00
113	🇦🇫Afghanistan	Asia Pacific	5	Nascent	±0.50
114	🇧🇴Bolivia	Americas	5	Nascent	±0.00
115	🇧🇦Bosnia & Herzegovina	Europe	5	Nascent	±0.50
116	🇧🇼Botswana	Africa	5	Nascent	±0.50
117	🇧🇳Brunei	Asia Pacific	5	Nascent	±0.43
118	🇧🇫Burkina Faso	Africa	5	Nascent	±0.00
119	🇧🇮Burundi	Africa	5	Nascent	±0.50
120	🇰🇭Cambodia	Asia Pacific	5	Nascent	±0.43
121	🇩🇴Dominican Republic	Americas	5	Nascent	±0.43
122	🇯🇲Jamaica	Americas	5	Nascent	±0.87
123	🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan	Asia Pacific	5	Nascent	±0.00
124	🇲🇩Moldova	Europe	5	Nascent	±0.00
125	🇲🇳Mongolia	Asia Pacific	5	Nascent	±0.00
126	🇲🇪Montenegro	Europe	5	Nascent	±0.43
127	🇲🇿Mozambique	Africa	5	Nascent	±0.00
128	🇳🇮Nicaragua	Americas	5	Nascent	±0.00
129	🇵🇾Paraguay	Americas	5	Nascent	±0.00
130	🇹🇬Togo	Africa	5	Nascent	±0.43
131	🇹🇹Trinidad & Tobago	Americas	5	Nascent	±0.00
132	🇿🇲Zambia	Africa	5	Nascent	±0.43
133	🇧🇯Benin	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.43
134	🇨🇬Congo	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
135	🇩🇯Djibouti	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
136	🇨🇩DR Congo	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
137	🇫🇯Fiji	Asia Pacific	4	Nascent	±0.43
138	🇬🇦Gabon	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
139	🇬🇳Guinea	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
140	🇽🇰Kosovo	Europe	4	Nascent	±0.43
141	🇱🇦Laos	Asia Pacific	4	Nascent	±0.43
142	🇱🇾Libya	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.43
143	🇲🇬Madagascar	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
144	🇲🇺Mauritius	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.43
145	🇳🇦Namibia	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.43
146	🇵🇸Palestine	Middle East	4	Nascent	±0.00
147	🇵🇦Panama	Americas	4	Nascent	±0.87
148	🇸🇨Seychelles	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.50
149	🇸🇱Sierra Leone	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
150	🇸🇸South Sudan	Africa	4	Nascent	±0.00
151	🇹🇲Turkmenistan	Asia Pacific	4	Nascent	±0.00
152	🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea	Africa	3	Nascent	±0.00
153	🇬🇾Guyana	Americas	3	Nascent	±0.00
154	🇱🇺Luxembourg	Europe	3	Nascent	±0.50
155	🇲🇼Malawi	Africa	3	Nascent	±0.00
156	🇲🇻Maldives	Asia Pacific	3	Nascent	±0.00
157	🇲🇹Malta	Europe	3	Nascent	±0.71
158	🇵🇬Papua New Guinea	Asia Pacific	3	Nascent	±0.43
159	🇹🇱Timor-Leste	Asia Pacific	3	Nascent	±0.00
160	🇧🇸Bahamas	Americas	2	Inception	±0.43
161	🇧🇧Barbados	Americas	2	Inception	±0.43
162	🇧🇿Belize	Americas	2	Inception	±0.43
163	🇧🇹Bhutan	Asia Pacific	2	Inception	±0.50
164	🇨🇫Central African Rep.	Africa	2	Inception	±0.00
165	🇸🇿Eswatini	Africa	2	Inception	±0.00
166	🇬🇲Gambia	Africa	2	Inception	±0.00
167	🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau	Africa	2	Inception	±0.00
168	🇭🇹Haiti	Americas	2	Inception	±0.43
169	🇮🇸Iceland	Europe	2	Inception	±1.09
170	🇱🇸Lesotho	Africa	2	Inception	±0.50
171	🇱🇷Liberia	Africa	2	Inception	±0.43
172	🇸🇷Suriname	Americas	2	Inception	±0.00
173	🇹🇴Tonga	Asia Pacific	2	Inception	±0.00
174	🇦🇬Antigua & Barbuda	Americas	1	Inception	±0.00
175	🇨🇻Cabo Verde	Africa	1	Inception	±0.43
176	🇰🇲Comoros	Africa	1	Inception	±0.00
177	🇨🇷Costa Rica	Americas	1	Inception	±0.83
178	🇩🇲Dominica	Americas	1	Inception	±0.43
179	🇬🇩Grenada	Americas	1	Inception	±0.43
180	🇲🇨Monaco	Europe	1	Inception	±0.50
181	🇰🇳Saint Kitts & Nevis	Americas	1	Inception	±0.00
182	🇱🇨Saint Lucia	Americas	1	Inception	±0.00
183	🇻🇨Saint Vincent & Grenadines	Americas	1	Inception	±0.00
184	🇸🇧Solomon Islands	Asia Pacific	1	Inception	±0.43
185	🇻🇺Vanuatu	Asia Pacific	1	Inception	±0.43
186	🇦🇩Andorra	Europe	0	Inception	±0.43
187	🇻🇦Holy See	Europe	0	Inception	±0.00
188	🇰🇮Kiribati	Asia Pacific	0	Inception	±0.43
189	🇱🇮Liechtenstein	Europe	0	Inception	±0.00
190	🇲🇭Marshall Islands	Asia Pacific	0	Inception	±0.00
191	🇫🇲Micronesia	Asia Pacific	0	Inception	±0.43
192	🇳🇷Nauru	Asia Pacific	0	Inception	±0.00
193	🇵🇼Palau	Asia Pacific	0	Inception	±0.00
194	🇼🇸Samoa	Asia Pacific	0	Inception	±0.43
195	🇸🇲San Marino	Europe	0	Inception	±0.00
196	🇸🇹São Tomé & Príncipe	Africa	0	Inception	±0.43
197	🇹🇻Tuvalu	Asia Pacific	0	Inception	±0.00

Others in Land Power

Capability	World mean	Range	Leader
Combined Arms Manoeuvre	6.7	0–20	United States
Land Fires	6.3	0–20	United States
Battlefield Aviation & Uncrewed Systems	6.1	0–20	United States