Compare armed forces

Military power of Latvia & North Korea

Latvia vs North Korea

Show map

Latvia North Korea

Latvia is a country located in Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania, with an area of 64,589 km² (land boundries: 1,370 km and costline 498 km). The capital of Latvia is Riga. The number of inhabitants is 1,842,226.

Republic of Latvia joined NATO end European Union in 2004. The Latvian military has participated in NATO and EU missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises. Latvia hosts NATO partner forces. North Atlantic Alliance has provided air protection for Latvia since 2004 through its Baltics Air Policing mission. Latvia is a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries. The Latvian military's inventory consists of a mix of European and US equipment

More about Latvia military

North Korea is a country located in Eastern Asia with an area of 120,540 km² (land boundries: 1,607 km and costline 2,495 km). The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang. The number of inhabitants is 25,549,604.

The KPA is equipped with older weapon systems originally acquired from the former Soviet Union, Russia, and China, as well as some domestically-produced equipment. The North Korea produces a diverse array of military hardware like light armored vehicles, tanks, naval vessels and submarines, and advanced weapons systems, such as ballistic missiles. North Korea developing also nuclear weapons.

More about North Korea military

If you want to check the comparison in terms of economic ratios check out CompareEconomy.com

Military expenditures

Military budget

1.9 billion $

2 billion $

Percent of GDP

3.45 %

5 %

Manpower

Active personnel

17,345

1,320,000

Reserve personnel

38,000

600,000

Available for military

530,000

6,515,279

Land Forces

Tanks

0

5,144

Armoured fighting vehicles

405

4,000

Total artillery

47

13,000

Self-propelled artillery

47

4,000

Rocket artillery

0

4,000

Air Forces

Total aircraft

0

965

Fighter

0

349

Multirole

0

35

Attack

0

192

Helicopters

3

205

UCAV (combat drone)

0

Navy

Total naval

18

723

Aircraft carriers

0

Destroyers

0

Frigates

0

2

Corvettes

0

9

Submarines

0

98

Nuclear weapons

Latvia

Does not have nuclear weapons.

North Korea

Although at the beginning North Korea joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, they withdrew from it on January 2003. It was a consequence of the United States accusation. The USA government claimed that North Korea was unofficially funding a program of uranium enrichment. Because of that, they cancelled the 1994 Agreed Framework treaty and cut off the energy assistance. Two years after withdrawing, the officials from North Korea claimed that they own operational nuclear arsenal. In spite of North Koreans assurances, the United States did not believe that North Korea really posses such weapons. As a result, the government of North Korea decided to conduct tests.

There were three tests that North Korea initially conducted. The first one, with the yield of less than a kiloton, took place in 2006. However, to show that this was in fact a nuclear detonation, North Koreans conducted second and third tests, respectable in 2009 and 2013. The maximum power of the blast of the aforementioned tests can be estimated to be up to 40 kilotons. However, a lot of sources claim that yield did not surpass 10-15 kilotons. Noteworthy is also the fact that in 2016, North Korea announced that they have conducted their first hydrogen-bomb test.

Military service

Latvia

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 12 months mandatory military service for men 18-27 years of age

North Korea

18 is presumed to be the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 16-17 is the presumed legal minimum age for voluntary service.