Armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments: the complete military file on Bhutan.
| Active personnel (est.) | 8,000 |
|---|---|
| World rank by personnel | #138 / 162 |
POWER 36.89/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Steadiness was the quarter's defining trait: no rupture, no windfall, no surprise strong enough to move the score.
The trajectory remains set by fundamentals that change over years, not quarters — and this quarter changed little.
Royal Bhutan Army (RBA; includes Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan, or RBG, and an air wing); National Militia Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs: Royal Bhutan Police (2025)
estimated 7-8,000 active Royal Bhutan Army (2025)
the Royal Bhutan Army is lightly armed; it has a small amount of heavy equipment, such as armored cars and helicopters, originating from the former Soviet Union, India, and Thailand (2025)
18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; militia training is compulsory for men aged 20-25 over a 3-year period (2025)
180 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)
the Army is responsible for external threats but also has some internal security functions such as conducting counterinsurgency operations, guarding forests, and providing security for prominent persons; Bhutan's closest security partner is India; under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries agreed to cooperate closely on issues relating to their national interests (2025)
