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Military power of North Korea & Poland

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North Korea vs Poland

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North Korea Poland

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.

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Poland is a country located in Central Europe with an area of 312,679 km2 (land boundries: 2,865 km and costline 440 km). The capital of Poland is Warsaw. The number of inhabitants is 38,268,000.

Poland joined NATO in 1999 and hosts US-led multi-national NATO ground force battlegroup since 2007. The inventory of the Polish Armed Forces consists of a mix of Soviet-era and more modern Western weapons systems. Poland announced in March 2022 plans to increase the size of its armed forces to 300,000 personnel and to allocate at least 3% of GDP to defense. Modernization plan would include such items as 5th generation combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, rocket artillery, helicopters, submarines and frigates.

More about Poland military

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

Military expenditures

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Military budget: 1.6 billion $ 31.37 billion $
Percent of GDP: 4.9% 4.2%

Military budget

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Highest value in the world: 816 billion $ (USA)
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Manpower

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Active personnel: 1,280,000 150,000
Reserve personnel: 600,000 240,000
Available for military: 6,515,279 10,500,000

Active

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Highest value in the world: 2,035,000 (China)
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Land Forces

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Tanks: 6,000 577
Armoured fighting vehicles: 4,000 2,342
Total artillery: 13,000 775
Self-propelled artillery: 4,500 601
Rocket artillery: 4,000 174

Tanks

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Highest value in the world: 12,267 (Russia)
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Air Forces

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Total aircraft: 960 461
Fighter aircraft: 349 23
Multirole aircraft: 35 48
Attack aircraft: 188 18
Helicopters: 202 212
UCAV (combat drone): 0 6

Total aircraft

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Highest value in the world: 12,930 (USA)
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Navy

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Total naval: 967 66
Aircraftcarriers: 0 0
Destroyers: 0 0
Frigates: 2 2
Corvettes: 8 2
Submarines: 72 1

Total naval

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Highest value in the world: 967 (North Korea)
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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.

Poland

Does not have nuclear weapons.

Military service

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.

Poland

18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; service obligation shortened from 12 to 9 months in 2005; women only allowed to serve as officers and noncommissioned officers.