Military Balance is the International Institute for Strategic Studies annual assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of nearly 170 countries worldwide. It is an essential resource for those involved in security policymaking, analysis and research.

The book is a region-by-region analysis of the major military and economic trends and developments affecting security policy and the trade in weapons and other military equipment.

This edition includes a commentary on calculating military capability in the twenty-first century, an essay entitled 'Complex Irregular Warfare: The Psychological Component', and a review of developments in US counter-insurgency doctrine. Its comprehensive list of tables now includes the total deployment figures, by country, of personnel deployed on United Nations and non-UN peace support operations. There are maps showing the operational situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, details of the Israel-Hizbullah conflict, and the areas of Pakistan and the Durand Line.

Key Features

• Region-by-region analysis: major military issues affecting each region, changes in defence economics, weapons and other military equipment holdings and the trade in weapons and military equipment
• Comprehensive tables: key data on weapons and defence economics, such as comparisons of international defence expenditure and military manpower
• Analysis: significant military and economic developments
• Wallchart: detailed world map that shows current areas of conflict, with explanatory tables

Military Balance is currently noted in the following abstracting/indexing services: CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstracts; PAIS: Public Affairs Information Service and Research Base Online.