Honduras Military Power Ranking 2025
MPR Rank: 100th
MPR SCORE: 283
MPR Index: 0.0863 (1.0000 is perfect)
Reverse MPR Index: 0.8659(0.0000 is perfect)
Z Score: -0.439 (standard deviations above the mean)
Overview
Honduras ranks 100th globally in the 2025 Military Power Rankings. The Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras) are primarily tasked with internal security, counter-narcotics operations, and border control, reflecting the country’s ongoing challenges with organized crime, territorial integrity, and natural disaster vulnerability. Honduras operates a land-focused military structure with active air and naval branches, but limited resources constrain its modernization and reach.
Positioned at the heart of Central America, Honduras plays a key role in regional security cooperation, participating in joint anti-crime operations and maintaining strong ties with the United States Southern Command and regional militaries. The armed forces are also routinely engaged in humanitarian relief, civil emergency response, and infrastructure restoration during frequent climate-related disasters such as hurricanes and flooding.
Strengths
1. Regional Counter-Narcotics Engagement
Honduras is a central player in efforts to interdict drug trafficking routes across Central America, participating in joint task forces and bilateral operations with the U.S., Guatemala, and El Salvador, particularly targeting airborne and maritime narco-flows.
2. Responsive in Domestic Emergencies
The armed forces play a vital role in national disaster relief, including engineering support, medical aid, and transport logistics during hurricanes, landslides, and disease outbreaks. This enhances their relevance and trust within civil society.
3. Inter-Branch Structure and Joint Coordination
Despite resource limitations, Honduras maintains a cohesive three-branch system—Army, Air Force, and Navy—with increasingly frequent joint training exercises focused on rapid response, rural security, and cross-border coordination.
Why Honduras Is Still Ranked 100th
1. Outdated Equipment and Low Modernization
The armed forces rely heavily on legacy systems, including Vietnam War–era aircraft, light armored vehicles, and basic naval craft, many of which suffer from maintenance challenges and obsolescence.
2. Minimal Strategic Reach
Honduras lacks the capacity for strategic airlift, naval projection, or regional power influence. Its forces are optimized for domestic operations, not external engagement or high-intensity combat scenarios.
3. Economic and Institutional Constraints
Defense budgets are limited, with modernization and training often dependent on foreign aid, especially from the United States. Structural issues such as corruption, inter-agency rivalry, and political interference affect long-term institutional capacity.
Conclusion
Honduras fields a tactically active, domestically engaged, and regionally cooperative military force, tuned to internal security, counter-narcotics efforts, and civil resilience. While it lacks the equipment and depth for traditional warfare or deterrence, the Honduran Armed Forces continue to be a core institution for national defense, especially in the context of transnational threats and climate-related emergencies. Its global ranking reflects limitations in modernization and strategic mobility, not the operational value it provides within Central America’s security framework.
Military Strength and Force Projection
Active Military Personnel: 21,000 (IISS 2023)
Reserve Personnel: 8,000 (CIA World Factbook)
Paramilitary Forces: 4,000 (Police and Border Patrol)
Army Personnel: 16,000
Navy Personnel: 3,000
Air Force Personnel: 2,000
Ground Forces
Main Battle Tanks (MBTs): 10 (Older models)
Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): 50+
Artillery (Towed and Self-Propelled): 20+
Air Force
Combat Aircraft: 15+
Helicopters: 12+
Transport Aircraft: 5+
Aircraft Breakdown:
F-5 Fighter Jets: 8 (modernized)
Mi-17 Helicopters: 8 (transport and utility)
Naval Forces
Honduras’ naval force is modest, focusing on coastal security, maritime patrols, and countering drug trafficking. The navy plays a critical role in securing Honduras’ coastline and territorial waters from smuggling and illegal activities.
Patrol Vessels: 10+
Fast Attack Craft: 5+
Missile Capabilities
Honduras does not possess advanced missile systems, nuclear capabilities, or air defense systems. The country’s military is focused on maintaining internal security and counter-narcotics operations rather than offensive missile technology.
Strategic Partnerships
Honduras maintains strong military cooperation with the United States, particularly in counter-narcotics operations and regional security initiatives. The country also participates in multinational exercises with neighboring Central American countries to improve joint operational effectiveness.
Military History & Combat Experience
Honduras has a limited history of external conflict, but maintains a high level of operational activity in internal security and regional cooperation. Its combat experience is rooted in territorial skirmishes, anti-guerrilla warfare, and modern organized crime interdiction.
Football War (1969):
A brief but intense conflict between Honduras and El Salvador, sparked by political tensions and triggered during a World Cup qualifying match. The war involved aerial bombing, ground skirmishes, and border clashes, resulting in casualties on both sides before a ceasefire was brokered. The conflict remains a foundational episode in Honduras's military identity.Anti-Guerrilla Operations (1970s–1990s):
During the Cold War, Honduras was used by the U.S. as a base for operations against leftist insurgencies in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Honduran forces conducted counter-insurgency patrols and border security missions, developing experience in jungle warfare and rural intelligence operations.Support for U.S. Regional Strategy (1980s–present):
Honduras has consistently supported U.S. regional security initiatives, hosting Joint Task Force Bravo at Soto Cano Air Base, and participating in training exchanges, disaster response, and drug interdiction missions, particularly under Plan Colombia and CARSI frameworks.Modern Internal Security and Anti-Trafficking Campaigns (2000s–present):
The armed forces are regularly deployed for internal policing support, especially in high-violence urban areas and along smuggling corridors. These missions include road checkpoints, rural patrols, and airborne surveillance to counter drug cartels and arms trafficking.
Though Honduras lacks recent conventional military conflict experience, its armed forces are operationally engaged on a continuous basis, particularly in non-traditional security roles, giving them practical expertise in high-crime, high-mobility environments. Their current function is as a security multiplier, not a strategic combat force.
General Information
Demographics and Geography
Population: ~10.5 million (2024 est.)
Population Available for Military Service: ~3.7 million
Geographic Area: 112,492 km²
Land Boundaries: 1,575 km
Bordering Countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua
Coastline: 823 km
Climate: Tropical in coastal regions, temperate in highlands
Terrain: Mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Natural Resources: Timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, hydropower
Proven Oil Reserves: None
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: None
Economic Indicators
Defense Budget (2025): ~$640 million USD
Defense Budget as % of GDP: ~2.2%
GDP (PPP): ~$70 billion USD
GDP per Capita (PPP): ~$6,700
External Debt: ~$11 billion USD
Military Expenditure Trend (last 5 years): Stable; internal security and anti-narcotics focused
Military Infrastructure and Readiness
Military Service Obligation: Voluntary
Primary Defense Focus: Internal security, counter-narcotics, disaster relief
Military Industry Base: Limited; maintenance, logistics support, small arms
Cyber/Electronic Warfare Capability: Basic
Nuclear Warhead Inventory: None (non-nuclear state)
Major Military Districts / Commands: Army and Air Force under Unified Command; divided by zones
Missile Inventory Highlights: MANPADS, mortars, basic artillery
Reservist Call-up Readiness / Timeline: Moderate; 30–60 days
Reservist Force Size: ~35,000
Space, Intelligence, and Strategic Infrastructure
Space or Satellite Programs: None
Military Satellite Inventory: None
Intelligence Infrastructure: Military Intelligence Directorate, Public Security Secretariat
Intelligence Sharing Partnerships: U.S., regional counter-narcotics cooperation
Airports (Total): ~120
Major Military Airports: Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba, Palmerola
Naval Power and Maritime Logistics
Merchant Marine Fleet: ~40 vessels
Major Ports: Puerto Cortés, La Ceiba, San Lorenzo
Naval Infrastructure: Coastal patrol and interdiction fleet
Naval Replenishment Capability: Coastal only
Domestic Mobility and Infrastructure
Railway Network: ~700 km (mostly inactive)
Roadways: ~15,400 km
Energy and Fuel Logistics
Oil Production: None
Energy Imports: High dependency on imported fuel
Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Maintains minimal emergency capacity
Defense Production and Strategic Forces
Domestic Defense Production: Limited to uniforms, small arms support
Military Installations (Domestic): Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba
Military Installations (Overseas): None
Foreign Military Personnel Presence: U.S. presence at Soto Cano Air Base
Defense Alliances: U.S. bilateral defense cooperation, SICA
Strategic Airlift Capability: C-130, Cessna, and transport helicopters
Wartime Industrial Surge Capacity: Low
Research and Industry Support
Defense R&D Investment: Minimal
Key Wartime Industries Beyond Defense: Fuel import logistics, state transport agencies, port authorities
Political and Administrative Structure
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Founding Date: September 15, 1821 (independence from Spain)
System of Government: Unitary presidential republic
