‘Islamic Nato’: What’s the military might of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey?

Islamic Nato has change into a buzzword since final week when Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Settlement — a brand new safety alliance in search of to discourage Iran. The defence pact binds the three highly effective Sunni nations with a Nato-style clause that considers any assault on one nation as an assault on all.

Following the signing of the defence deal, Pakistan’s overseas ministry stated the pact meant an assault on any member could be considered an assault on all, including it was “meant to strengthen collective deterrence”. In the meantime, Ankara famous that the settlement was “not geared toward any specific nation”.

And Riyadh added that “the settlement doesn’t signify an effort to ascertain a army axis or a sectarian bloc”.

Nevertheless, the timing of the deal is critical. It comes amid the US-Iran battle which has dragged on since February. Furthermore, Tehran continues to choke off visitors within the Strait of Hormuz whereas its Houthi allies disrupt transport within the Crimson Sea.

This has received many questioning simply how militarily highly effective the three nations are and what it will imply if the three mixed their firepower collectively.

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What’s the Mecca Joint Defence Settlement?

On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan introduced a trilateral mutual defence pact signed in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In response to a press launch by the three nations, the settlement is “meant to strengthen collective deterrence in opposition to any act of aggression and stipulates that any armed assault in opposition to any one of many three states shall be considered an assault in opposition to all of them. It additional offers for the enhancement of all facets of defence cooperation among the many three states.”

Many analysts observe that the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement builds on the Saudi-Pakistani defence pact signed within the aftermath of the Israeli assault on Qatar in September 2025, the primary assault of its sort in opposition to a Gulf state.

Owing to the presence of the three Sunni Muslim nations, some pundits have stated that this settlement is a “Nato within the Center East” or “Muslim NATO.” Nevertheless, insiders have famous that this evaluation isn’t correct.

Because the Center East Council on World Affairs famous in a single report, “It isn’t an ideological alliance; it’s not designed to confront one other alliance; and it doesn’t function inside the identical strategic, institutional, or operational setting as Nato.”

How highly effective are the three nations militarily?

Regardless of many noting that the three-way defence pact isn’t the start of an Islamic Nato, it’s got many asking — simply what firepower do these three nations possess?

The three nations collectively make a formidable unit. That’s as a result of Riyadh has the cash, Ankara boasts of being Nato’s second-largest army, and Islamabad is the one nuclear-armed Muslim nation.

In response to information offered by the World Firepower 2026 index, Turkey is the ninth strongest nation on the earth by way of its army. Pakistan ranks 14 and Saudi Arabia is on the twenty fifth place.

Picture created with the assistance of AI

In terms of manpower, the three nations mixed boast of getting practically 1.4 million lively army personnel. Ankara has 481,000 lively members in its preventing forces whereas Riyadh has 247,000. Islamabad has 660,000 troops.

When it comes to land forces, Turkey has 2,284 tanks and an estimated 98,000 armoured autos. Islamabad, then again, boasts of two,677 tanks and 59,000 armoured autos. Saudi Arabia has 1,085 tanks and one other 22,370 armoured vehicles.

In airpower, Islamabad has the largest arsenal. It has 331 fighters, together with China-made Chengdu J-10C and the JF-17 Thunder. Pakistan can also be transferring to accumulate the superior Shenyang J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter.

Turkey has 201 fighter jets, whereas Saudi Arabia has 283 of them. Riyadh boasts of getting the US-made F-15s in addition to the Eurofighter Hurricane from the UK.

Altogether, they function 3,415 army plane together with fighter jets, helicopters, transporters and coaching army plane. Pakistan possesses some 1,397 plane, adopted by Turkey at 1,101 and Saudi Arabia with 917.

In response to information offered by World Firepower 2026 index, Turkey is the ninth strongest nation on the earth by way of its army. Pakistan ranks 14 and Saudi Arabia is on the twenty fifth place. File picture/Reuters

Evaluating their naval strengths, Turkey emerges on prime with 192 naval property, adopted by Pakistan’s 120 and Saudi Arabia’s 32. Collectively they’ve 344 naval property, together with 33 frigates, 24 corvettes and 22 submarines.

Spending-wise, Saudi Arabia is first; it has a price range of $63.9 billion, whereas Turkey has put aside $51.4 billion and Pakistan has a $9.1 billion price range. Collectively, this makes $124.4 billion yearly — greater than India’s, which is pegged at $86 billion.

Turkish Navy’s Aydin class mine searching vessel TCG Akcay sails within the Bosphorus on its method to the Black Sea in Istanbul, Turkey. File picture/Reuters

How will the three nations work collectively?

Many consultants have famous that merely combining the firepower of the three nations doesn’t make them formidable. It’s how they are going to complement one another that issues.

As Andreas Krieg, a tutorial, safety analyst and political danger advisor specialising within the Center East and North Africa, informed Al Jazeera, “Saudi Arabia contributes capital, geography, infrastructure and political convening energy. Turkey contributes an more and more subtle defence-industrial base, drones, missiles, sensors, digital warfare, naval methods and Nato-derived army experience.”

In the meantime, Pakistan contributes manpower, a big skilled army institution, operational expertise, defence manufacturing and nuclear functionality.

Many consultants have famous that merely combining the firepower of the three nations doesn’t make them formidable. It’s how they are going to complement one another that issues. Representational picture/AI generated

He additional famous in an AFP report that the three nations are unusually complementary. “Oil-rich Saudi Arabia has wealth however restricted indigenous military-industrial depth. Turkey and Pakistan, in the meantime, face finance constrictions, however have highly effective militaries,” he informed AFP.

Jack Prandelli, a world vitality dealer, famous on X that the settlement offers “Riyadh added deterrence and fewer reliance on the US as its sole safety guarantor, expands Turkey’s regional affect, and strengthens Pakistan’s standing throughout the Gulf and wider Islamic world”.

Who needs to be frightened in regards to the pact between the three nations?

The defence settlement between these three nations has raised many eyebrows internationally.

Whereas officers from the three nations have repeatedly acknowledged that the Mecca settlement isn’t directed at anyone actor or risk, there’s little doubt that it’s a deterrent, primarily in opposition to two different nations, Iran and Israel.

Two of the three nations — Pakistan and Saudi Arabia — don’t recognise Israel. Ankara recognises Israel, however the relationship is strained in the intervening time, because of Israel’s exercise in Gaza that Turkey has referred to as genocide.

As Oshrit Birvadker, a analysis fellow on the Jerusalem Institute for Technique and Safety, wrote in Israel Hayom, “The event [of the Mecca pact] poses important challenges for Israel, pushes the prospect of normalisation with Riyadh additional out of attain and cuts quick the imaginative and prescient of a ‘new Center East’.”

In Iran, the deal has been welcomed by its International Minister Abbas Araghchi. He posted on X that “when Muslims stand collectively, we will face each problem by malicious outsiders head-on”.

Different Iranian politicians have been extra vital, saying that Saudi Arabia wasn’t protected with the US as an ally and wouldn’t be protected with Turkey and Pakistan both.

The deal additionally raises questions for India. Nevertheless, most agree that Saudi Arabia’s substantial ties with New Delhi would restrict any anti-India tilt. Satinder Kumar Saini, former vice-chief of the Indian Military workers, informed the South China Morning Publish that the Mecca pact was “extra about political signalling than a dedication to defend one another’s territories”.

Will the three nations ever mix their army powers? It appears unlikely, however on this time of tumult, nothing is for certain.

With inputs from companies