Powerful and combat-ready army– a guarantee of the country’s significant weight on international arena. Moreover, in connection with the well-known events in Syria and Ukraine, more and more often military power different countries given the most close attention. Many people ask the question: “Who will win the world war?”
Today we present the annually updated, official ranking of world armies, V full list included the most powerful armies in the world in 2018.
The top 10 was compiled according to data from a specialized resource.
- number of world armies ( regular strength troops, reservists)
- weapons (airplanes, helicopters, tanks, navy, artillery, other equipment)
- military budget,
- availability of resources, geographical location,
- logistics.
Nuclear potential is not taken into account by experts, but those recognized receive an advantage in ranking.
In 2018, the rating included136 countries. New to the list are Ireland (116th), Montenegro (121st) and Liberia(135 position).
By the way, San Marino has the weakest army in the world in 2018 - only 84 people.
Germany's military budget increased from 45 to 46 billion dollars. At the same time, the number of military personnel decreased - from186
up to 178 thousand people. The German army is completely professional, i.e. There has been no compulsory conscription in the country since 2011.
9. Turkish Armed Forces
In the past, the country of luxurious beaches and beautiful tomatoes ranked eighth in the top armies of the world. The number of its armed forces is 350 thousand people, and its military budget is 10.2 billion dollars.
8. Japan Self-Defense Forces
The Land of the Rising Sun worsened its military performance and dropped one place in the list of the best armies in the world. The military budget decreased from 49 to 44 billion dollars, but the number of military personnel did not change - over 247 thousand people.
7. South Korean Army
Compared to the previous ranking, South Korea “jumped” from 10th to 7th place. There are 625 thousand military personnel serving in the Korean army. The eternal rival, North Korea, has 945 thousand soldiers. And South Korea's defense budget is $40 billion.
6. British Army
Although the country's position on the list has not changed, it has improved its performance in terms of army size (197 thousand people versus 188 thousand people). However, it still remains the smallest army in the ranking.
England's military budget decreased compared to 2017 from 55 to 50 billion dollars.
5. French Army
French army, which opened the top 5 most powerful armies in the world, is small in number. Currently, 205 thousand people serve in it. At the same time, the country's defense budget is $40 billion.
4. Indian Armed Forces
The country's military budget is $47 billion. The number of Indian armed forces is 1,362,000 people, the country's army is the third largest in the world.
3. Chinese Army
The Celestial Empire has the largest human military force in the ranking of armies in the world. It employs 2,183,000 people. According to Wikipedia, there are 1.71 military personnel per 1,000 inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. And China’s military budget is huge, comparable to the army - $151 billion (increased from $126 billion compared to 2017).
2. Russian Army
The Russian armed forces are superior to almost all armies of the world in terms of weapons capacity in all branches of the military - air, ground and sea. Number Russian army for 2018 – 1,013,000 people. Military budget - $47 billion. Among the superpowers, Russia has a very high rate the number of military personnel per 1000 inhabitants is 5.3 people.
1. US Army
The most strong army in the world, according to Globalfirepower, American. By the way, it is not the largest in terms of numbers, but the most powerful in terms of available weapons, including nuclear potential, which is not taken into account by experts. The size of the US Army is 1,281,900 people, and the defense budget is 647 billion.dollars.
Comparison table of armies of the world (Infographics)
No matter how armed the army is, important The morale of the soldiers will play a role in winning the world war. In this regard, it is a big mistake to consider the current distribution of seats to be absolutely correct.
10. France
Active Army: 362,485
Military reserve: 419,000
France is one of the few countries whose armed forces have almost the full range of modern weapons and military equipment own production- from small arms to attack nuclear aircraft carriers (which, besides France, only the United States has).
In 2003, the country completed the second part of the reform of the armed forces, which began in 1996. As part of this reform, conscription was abolished and the transition to a professional, smaller, but more effective army took place. This reform will continue until 2015.
9. Iran
Active Army: 545,000
Military reserve: 650,000
In 1979, the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, during which the monarchy was overthrown and the islamic republic. Since then, this country has been a serious source of tension in the region.
Iran's armed forces consist of two main parts: troops under the Ministry of Defense and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, under the direct command of the Supreme Leader, with a total of 545 thousand personnel.
Iran's combat capabilities remain strictly confidential. It is known that since 1992, Iran has been producing its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, guided missiles, submarines and even fighter jets.
8. Türkiye
Active Army: 612,900
Military reserve: 429,000
The Turkish army has existed for more than 2 thousand years. During World War II it adhered to neutrality. However, the Turks were involved in the Korean War, and the largest conflict of the 20th century for Turkey was the War of Independence, which involved Russia, Great Britain, Greece and Italy.
Military service in Turkey is compulsory. In terms of the size of its ground forces, Türkiye ranks second in NATO.
7. Pakistan
Active Army: 617,000
Military reserve: 515,500
The Pakistan Army was founded in 1947. There are more than 600 thousand military personnel who are volunteers.
Pakistan's military history includes conflicts with border states such as Afghanistan and India, the Gulf War, Magadisho and Somalia. Pakistan is also a US ally in the global war on terrorism, providing assistance in the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and along the Pakistani border.
6. South Korea
Active Army: 653,000
Military reserve: 3,200,000
There are three types of armed forces in Korea: the army, the air force and the navy. As in the USA, they are independent of each other.
At the head of the army is a committee of chiefs of staff, which plays the role of the general staff and exercises operational leadership of the armed forces.
The Korean Ministry of Defense is a civilian organization responsible for the military's budget, supplies, and personnel matters.
5. North Korea
Active Army: 1,106,000
Military reserve: 8,200,000
Korean people's army founded in 1939 and has more than a million soldiers. No less impressive is the number of reserve soldiers who can be raised in the event of hostilities - 8 million people.
The main conflicts in North Korean history are the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Disagreements and tensions between North and South Korea still exist and, technically, this conflict is not officially over yet.
4. Russia
Active army: 1,200,000
Military reserve: 754,000
Russia has undergone numerous changes in its military history since 863. Today the army is called the Armed Forces Russian Federation. The day of its foundation is considered to be May 7, 1992.
Previous Russian military organizations, including the Red Army, were involved in numerous regional conflicts, world wars, and the Cold War. Before the collapse Soviet Union it was known as the most powerful army in the world, which surpassed the American in all respects, including the number of soldiers and the volume of nuclear weapons.
Conscription for military service begins at age 18.
3. India
Active army: 1,325,000
Military reserve: 1,747,000
Indian Army roots in Stone Age. Today she is most famous a large number volunteers in the army and number over 1 million people.
The Indian Army was involved in both world wars and several wars for its own independence. India also has a contentious relationship with Pakistan.
2. United States of America
Active Army: 1,477,896
Military reserve: 1,458,500
The United States Army dates back to 1775, when the Continental Army was created to fight in the Revolutionary War.
The States have taken part in all world wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and now in the war against global terrorism.
Active fighting force The United States has over 500,000 people and over a million reservists and national guard soldiers. America's army bases are located all over the world. Military service is on a voluntary basis.
1. China
Active army: 2,285,000
Military reserve: 800,000
The People's Liberation Army of China is the largest army in the world, with more than 2.2 million people serving in it. And this after a significant reduction in recent years.
It was founded in 1927. Participated in the Sino-Japanese conflict, World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars.
Technically, military service is compulsory at age 18. At the same time, China never experienced problems with personnel, since there were always even more than enough men who joined the army voluntarily.
The Russian army entered the top three strongest armies peace. The military of the Russian Federation was assessed on a par with other armies and shared the winner's podium with China and the United States. Typically, such ratings are compiled based on data from Global Firepower or Credit Suisse. The military power of each state is assessed according to various criteria; nuclear potential or its absence is not taken into account.
How to determine the real balance of power among states participating in military conflicts? When compiling a ranking of armies, parameters such as budget, army size, and number of weapons (armored vehicles, aircraft, aircraft carriers and submarines) are usually taken into account. The technical level of weapons affects the position on the list to a lesser extent, and it is almost never possible to assess the real combat capability of the army. Nuclear potential or lack thereof in this list were not taken into account. The place occupied was influenced by economic situation countries
Global Firepower evaluates the military capabilities of more than one hundred countries using 50 different criteria. In 2016, the United States was first in the world in such parameters as the country with the largest military budget, the largest number of aircraft carriers and the largest fleet. Russia leads in the number of tanks (15 thousand) and nuclear warheads(8,484 units). China is ahead of everyone in terms of army size.
Not long ago, the National Interest magazine made a forecast for the combat power of the world's armies in 15 years. The analysis was carried out based on the following parameters: access to innovation and other important national resources, support from politicians and the opportunity for the armed forces to learn and improve in peace. As a result, the top five most powerful armies, in their opinion, will include the armed forces of India, the USA, France, China and Russia.
This rating compiled by the American portal The Richest may raise some questions. For example, the Israeli army is inferior to Egypt by one position, mainly due to the number of soldiers and tanks. However, in all clashes, the first country always prevailed over the second, despite the numerical superiority. It is also strange that Iran, with its half a million soldiers, 1,500 tanks and 300 combat aircraft, is not included in the list. Our readers will probably have many more questions for the authors of this list.
15. Australia
Budget: $26.1 billion
Number of active troops: 58 thousand people
Tanks: 59
Aviation: 408
Submarines: 6
The Australian Army has a long and glorious history, she participated in both the First and Second World Wars as part of British Empire. Australian military personnel consistently take part in all NATO operations. In accordance with national doctrine, Australia must be able to stand alone against external invasion. Situated on the edge of the world, with no particular rival neighbors, Australia is considered one of the safest countries, since land invasion is impossible. The Australian Defense Force is relatively small but technologically advanced. They are formed on a professional basis only from Australian citizens, are technically well equipped, have a modern fleet and many combat helicopters. Dream a large number personnel, but with a serious budget, the Australian Armed Forces are capable, if necessary, of deploying their troops in several locations simultaneously.
14. Germany
Budget: $40.2 billion
Number: 180 thousand people
Tanks: 408
Aviation: 663
Submarines: 4
After World War II, Germany did not have its own army for 10 years. During the confrontation between the West and the USSR, the Bundeswehr numbered up to half a million people, but after the unification of the Eastern and West Berlin, the authorities abandoned the standoff doctrine and sharply reduced investment in defense. Apparently, this is why in the Credit Suisse rating, for example, the armed forces of the GDR were behind even Poland (and in this rating There is no Poland at all). At the same time, Berlin actively sponsors eastern allies according to NATO. After 1945 Germany was never directly involved in major operations, but they sent troops to their allies in support during civil war in Ethiopia, Angolan civil war, Bosnian war and the war in Afghanistan.
Whenever we hear about the German military, it is somehow impossible not to remember Adolf Hitler, who was responsible for the death of about 6 million Jews and many millions of people of other nations...
The Germans today have little submarines and there is not a single aircraft carrier. German army has a record number of inexperienced young soldiers, making it weaker; They are now planning to restructure their strategy and introduce new processes for recruitment.
13. Italy
Budget: $34 billion
Number of active army: 320 thousand people.
Tanks: 586
Aviation: 760
Submarines: 6
The totality of the military forces of the Italian Republic intended to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. Consists of ground forces, naval forces, air force and carabinieri corps.
Italy did not accept direct participation in armed conflicts in any countries beyond lately, but is always involved in peacekeeping missions and deployed troops in the war on terrorism.
Weak during World War II, currently italian army owns two active aircraft carriers where it is stationed large number helicopters; they have submarines, which allows them to be included in the list of the most powerful armies. Italy is not currently at war, but is an active member of the UN and willingly transfers its troops to countries that ask for help.
12. UK
Budget: $60.5 billion
Number of active army: 147 thousand.
Tanks: 407
Aviation: 936
Submarines: 10
After the end of World War II, Great Britain abandoned the idea of military dominance around the world in favor of the United States, but the Royal Armed Forces still have significant power and take part in all NATO operations. After the Second World War, Britain had three big wars with Iceland, which were not victorious for England - it was defeated, which allowed Iceland to expand its territories.
The United Kingdom once ruled over half the world, including India. New Zealand, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, but the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland becomes much weaker over time. The UK's military budget has been cut due to BREXIT and they are planning to reduce the number of their soldiers between now and 2018.
Her Majesty's fleet includes several nuclear submarines with strategic nuclear weapons: Only about 200 warheads. By 2020, the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth is expected to be commissioned, which will be able to carry 40 F-35B fighters.
11. Israel
Budget: $17 billion
Number: 160 thousand.
Tanks: 4,170
Aviation: 684
Submarines: 5
The main enemy of the Arabs, Israel has been fighting for its independence since 1947; it is constantly in a continuous war with Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and other Arab countries.
Israel has won five straight victories in previous wars against Hamas and Palestine since 2000, with heavy US military support.
A country that is not recognized by 31 countries (of which 18 are Arab) is still fighting against its enemies. By law, all Israeli citizens, including those with dual citizenship and those living in another country, as well as all permanent residents of the state, upon reaching 18 years of age, are subject to conscription for service in the IDF. Term conscript service 36 months - 3 years (32 months for combat units), for women - 24 months (2 years). After the end of regular service, all privates and officers may be called up annually for reservist training for up to 45 days.
The IDF's greatest strength is its use of technology in modernizing its missile defense systems. The army consists of 3 types of armed forces: ground, air force and naval. The implementation of the decision to create a fourth type of armed forces - cyber forces - has begun. Business card IDF - female soldiers who have proven that the weaker sex with a machine gun is no less effective than the stronger. Not to mention the fact that, according to unverified data, Israel has about 80 nuclear warheads in its arsenal.
Israel is traditionally the most undervalued participant in the Credit Suisse rating. The IDF won all the conflicts in which it participated, and often the Israelis had to fight on several fronts against an enemy many times larger than them. In addition to the huge amount of the latest offensive and defensive weapons of its own design, the rating does not take into account the fact that the country has several hundred thousand reservists with combat experience and high motivation.
10. Egypt
Budget: $4.4 billion
Army size: 468 thousand.
Tanks: 4,624
Aviation: 1,107
Submarines: 4
Fighting on the side Arab Union against Israel in 4 wars, Egypt has never fought major battles against any other countries, but has participated several times in operations against ISIS terrorist groups. Just like in Israel, military service is obligatory for Egyptian men, they happen to be 9 years old. Today, Egypt is trying to maintain peace in its own country and fight the war on terrorism.
The Egyptian army was in the ranking due to the number and amount of equipment, although as the war showed doomsday, even a threefold superiority in tanks is offset by high combat skills and the technical level of weapons. As of 2014, contracts for total amount more than $3 billion for the supply from the Russian Federation of 24 MiG-29m/m2 fighters, air defense systems, anti-tank Kornet, combat helicopters: Ka-25, Mi-28 and Mi-25, Mi-35. Light weapons. Coastal anti-ship systems. All contracts began after the suspension of military and financial assistance to Egypt from the United States. At the same time, it is known that about a thousand “Abrams” of the Egyptian Armed Forces are simply mothballed in warehouses. If Cairo acquires Mistral-class helicopter carriers and combat helicopters for them, this will make Egypt a truly serious military force.
9. Pakistan
Budget: $7 billion
Number of active army: 617 thousand.
Tanks: 2,924
Aviation: 914
Submarines: 8
First major war was carried out in 1965 against the largest enemy - India, military operations were quite successful, India recalled its troops. The second war was due to domestic policy East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), when the Indian army took revenge for 1965 and played its cards, breaking the country into two parts. Pakistan has not yet reached an agreement on borders with India: the territories of the states of Jammu and Kashmir remain disputed, formally the countries are in a state of conflict, within which they are engaged in an arms race.
The Pakistani army is one of the largest in the world, it has many tanks and aircraft, and the United States supports Islamabad with equipment. The main threat is internal; local leaders and the Taliban rule in hard-to-reach areas of the country. Pakistan has ballistic missiles medium-range and about a hundred nuclear warheads. Packs have unlimited love and respect for their armed forces, and often seek justice from the army (instead of the courts and government). Pakistan is said to have friendly relations with superpowers including the US, China and Turkey, which are always ready to support them. Recently, joint military exercises with the Russian army have made the Pakistani military much stronger, although its biggest enemy India was supported by Russia in previous wars against Pakistan.
8. Türkiye
Budget: $18.2 billion
Number of active army: 410, 500 thousand.
Tanks: 3,778
Aviation: 1,020
Submarines: 13
Türkiye is an active member of the UN; she took part in the Korean War between China and Korea. They fought two major battles with Cyprus in 1964 and 1974 and won, occupying 36.2% of Cyprus' territory. They are still involved in the ongoing wars in Afghanistan against the Taliban and ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Türkiye claims to be a regional leader, so it is constantly building up and updating its armed forces. Huge number tanks, aircraft and a large modern fleet (though without aircraft carriers) allows Turkish army be considered the strongest among the Muslim countries of the Middle East.
The half-European, half-Asian power, which has the second largest army in NATO after the United States, is one of the best trained military forces in the world. Turkey owns a treasure trove of more than 200 F-16 aircraft, its second largest fleet after the United States. Despite the presence large quantity well-trained military, the Turkish Armed Forces are not particularly popular among the people. When the military attempted a coup in early 2016, it was defeated by ordinary citizens who took to the streets and restored the elected government.
7. France
Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 205 thousand.
Tanks: 623
Aviation: 1,264
Submarines: 10
France is one of the few countries whose armed forces have almost the full range of modern weapons and military equipment of their own production - from small arms to attack nuclear aircraft carriers (which, besides France, only the United States has). France is the only country (other than Russia) that owns a radar guided missile system.
The military history of France lasts more than 3000 years. France took part in the First and Second World Wars and faced major lesions. Other major events in the military history of this country: the French-Thai War, the Tunisian War of Independence, the Algerian War of Independence in 1954-1962. After this, France did not participate in major battles, but sent its troops to the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The French army is still the main one military force in Africa, it continues to actively intervene in local conflicts.
In 2015, the reform of the armed forces, begun in 1996, was completed in France. As part of this reform, conscription was abolished and a transition took place to a mercenary army, less numerous but more effective. The overall strength of the French armed forces was significantly reduced.
The nuclear attack aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was recently commissioned. Currently, France has approximately 300 strategic nuclear warheads, which are located on nuclear submarines. There are also 60 tactical warheads.
6. South Korea
Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 625 thousand.
Tanks: 2,381
Aviation: 1,412
Submarines: 13
The main war in which this country participated - Korean War in 1950. Often this conflict of times cold war is considered as a proxy war between the United States and its allies and the forces of the People's Republic of China and the USSR. The northern coalition included: North Korea and its armed forces; the Chinese army (since it was officially believed that the PRC did not participate in the conflict, regular Chinese troops were formally considered units of the so-called “Chinese people’s volunteers”); The USSR, which also did not officially participate in the war, but largely took over its financing, as well as supplying Chinese troops. Numerous military advisers and specialists were recalled from North Korea even before the start of the war, and during the war they were sent back under the guise of TASS correspondents. From the South, South Korea, the USA, Great Britain and a number of other countries took part in the war as part of the UN peacekeeping forces. Interestingly, China uses the title “War against America to support the Korean people.” In 1952-53, a lot changed in the world (a new president in the USA, the death of Stalin, etc.), and the war ended with a truce.
South Korea's military is highly supported by the US military, making it stronger. South Korea retains numerous armed forces, although in terms of quantitative indicators in everything except aviation, it continues to lose to its main potential enemy, the DPRK. The difference, of course, is in the technological level. Seoul has its own and Western latest developments, Pyongyang has Soviet technology 50 years ago.
Interestingly, North Korea is considered the leader in the number of submarines (35th place in the Global Firepower ranking), which has 78 units. However, it is noted that they are almost completely unusable. A third of North Korea's submarines are noisy Romeo diesels, which were obsolete in 1961.
5. India
Budget: $51 billion
Number of active army: 1,408,551
Tanks: 6,464
Aviation: 1,905
Submarines: 15
Currently, India is confidently among the top ten world powers in terms of its military potential. India's armed forces are inferior to the armies of the US, Russia and China, they are strong and numerous. Speaking about the Indian armed forces, it is worth remembering that India is the world's largest importer of weapons (as of 2012), and also possesses nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. In addition to the direct armed forces, India has a variety of paramilitary forces, in which more than a million people serve: national forces security, special border forces, special paramilitary forces. The fact that India has approximately a hundred nuclear warheads, three aircraft carriers and two nuclear submarines in service makes it the fifth most powerful country.
4. Japan
Budget: $41.6 billion
Number of active army: 247, 173
Tanks: 678
Aviation: 1,613
Submarines: 16
Last battle World War II was a nightmare for Japan, which suffered nuclear attack from the United States. After defeat in World War II Imperial Army Japan was dissolved, and military factories and educational institutions closed. The occupation authorities even banned martial arts. There was also a ban on the manufacture of Japanese swords, which lasted until 1953. In 1947, the Constitution of Japan was adopted, which legally enshrined Japan's refusal to participate in military conflicts. The only country that suffered from nuclear attacks, you are not allowed to create your own army.
However, already during the period of American occupation, the creation of armed forces: a reserve police corps was created in 1950; in 1952 it was converted into a security corps, in 1954 it became the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are modern name Japanese armed forces. The armed forces include: ground forces, Japan Sea and Air Self-Defense Forces. It can be argued that today Japan has very large and relatively modern armed forces, quite powerful in the Asia-Pacific region and capable of solving almost any problem. On September 19, 2015, the Japanese Diet authorized the use of the Self-Defense Forces to participate in military conflicts abroad.
Japan's high-tech armed forces are equipped with advanced gadgets and the latest weapons, making them one of the strongest on this list. Recently, Japan deployed its troops for the first time since World War II South Sudan within the framework of UN peacekeeping missions. The Japan Self-Defense Forces have 4 helicopter carriers and 9 destroyers. However, Japan does not have nuclear weapons and this along with a small amount tanks makes some experts think that this army's position is overrated.
3. Russia
Budget: $84.5 billion
Number of active army: 766,033
Tanks: 15,398
Aviation: 3,429
Submarines: 55
It would be disrespectful to Russian military history to try to retell it in one paragraph.
The great power has just under a million military personnel. The Russian ground army is rightfully considered the most powerful in the whole world, which is provided with the latest military equipment. The budget allocated by the state for the needs of the army, production and purchase of military equipment is more than 84 billion dollars. The air force includes over 3 thousand aircraft. No less equipped and navy, consisting of 55 submarines and 1 aircraft carrier. The country has more than 8 thousand nuclear warheads and 15 thousand armored vehicles in stock.
Syria has demonstrated once again that Russia rightly continues to hold a firm place among the strongest, as many experts believe. The Russian Armed Forces are second only to China in terms of the number of submarines. And if the rumors about China's secret nuclear stockpile are not true, then it is far ahead in this area. It is believed that as part of the strategic nuclear forces Russia has about 350 delivery vehicles and about 2 thousand nuclear warheads. The number of tactical nuclear warheads is unknown and could be several thousand.
One of the three most powerful and experienced armies in the world, the Russian army is a great threat to China and the United States. Russia is constantly investing in its military budget and producing the latest aircraft, helicopters and ammunition. By 2020, Russia plans to add six more air bases army aviation to the eight existing ones. In addition, more than a thousand new helicopters are planned to be put into operation.
2. China
Budget: $216 billion
Number of active army: 2,333,000
Tanks: 9,150
Aviation: 2,860
Submarines: 67
Chinese People's Liberation Army - official name the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, the largest in number in the world. China is the most populous country in the world with the largest number soldier; Approximately 2,333,000 people serve (this is only 0.18% of the country's population). China is increasing its military budget by 12% every year to become a superpower and counter the US. The legislation provides for military service for men from 18 years of age; Volunteers are accepted up to 49 years of age. The age limit for an Army Reserve member is 50 years. Armed forces The PRC is divided into five military command zones and three navies, organized according to territorial principles: east, north, west, south and center.
After the surrender of Japan, the USSR transferred captured weapons to the PLA Kwantung Army: ships of the Sungari River Flotilla, 861 aircraft, 600 tanks, artillery, mortars, 1200 machine guns, as well as small arms, ammunition and other military equipment.
Chinese officials say that in the course of weapons development, China does not exceed the feasible level that the economy and society can withstand, and certainly does not strive for an arms race. However, Chinese defense spending increased sharply in 2001-2009.
The second economy in the world has the largest active army, however, in terms of the number of tanks, planes and helicopters, it is still noticeably inferior not only to the United States, but also to Russia. But the defense budget exceeds the Russian one by 2.5 times. As far as we know, China has several hundred nuclear warheads on alert. However, some believe that in reality the PRC may have several thousand warheads, but this information is classified.
1. USA
Budget: $601 billion
Number of troops: 1,400,000
Tanks: 8,848
Aviation: 13,892
Submarines: 72
The United States has been directly or indirectly involved in almost every war that has occurred on planet Earth since the discovery of America. The US military budget is comparable to previous countries in the ranking. Navy has 10 powerful aircraft carriers, half of which are considered the largest in the world. The superpower has 1.4 million military personnel in reserve. A third of the country's gross income goes to the development of the army and military equipment - this is about 600 billion dollars. U American soldiers We have the most modern military equipment at our disposal, which is periodically updated. The United States has a nuclear potential that includes 7.5 thousand nuclear warheads. The country is also famous for its tanks, and their armored vehicles number more than 8 thousand units. The state also has the largest air force in the world, which numbers about 13,682 aircraft.
Some experts say that the US can never be captured as it has the strongest navy with maximum number ships and submarines. The American army owns about 15 million hectares of land throughout the United States and the Americans have their military bases almost all over the world (there are at least 158 of them). In 2011, the Army Newsletter reported that they estimated that they wasted about 22 gallons of fuel per day per soldier.
The US invests billions of dollars in the development of the latest military technologies, thanks to which the US remains a leader in the field, for example, robotics. Recently, the US Army has been looking to create new cyber corps and increase soldiers in the cyber crime department. Their responsibility will be to ensure the security of networks and information systems databases and protect against cyber attacks.
A powerful and combat-ready army is the key to a country’s significant weight in the international arena. Moreover, in connection with the well-known events in Syria and Ukraine, the closest attention is increasingly being paid to the military power of different countries. Many people ask the question: “Who will win the world war?”
Today we present an annually updated, official ranking of the world's armies, a list that includes the most powerful armies in the world in 2017.
When compiling the rating, the following are compared:
- the number of armies of the world (regular number of troops, reservists)
- weapons (airplanes, helicopters, tanks, navy, artillery, other equipment)
- military budget, resource availability, geographical location, logistics.
Nuclear potential is not taken into account by experts, but recognized nuclear powers gain an advantage in ranking.
By the way, San Marino has the weakest army in the world in 2017 – only 80 people.
10 South Korea
The Korean army is the third largest in Asia - 630 thousand troops. The country has a very high number of military personnel per thousand inhabitants - 14.2 people. Korea's defense budget is $33.7 billion.
9 Germany
The country's military budget is $45 billion. The number of German armed forces is 186,500 people. The German army is completely professional, i.e. There has been no compulsory conscription in the country since 2011.
8 Türkiye
The Turkish army is the best in the Middle East. The number of the country's armed forces is 510,000 people. Turkey's military budget is $18 billion. There are just over 7 military personnel per thousand residents of the country.
7 Japan
The Japanese army is seventh in the list of the best. Combat-ready unit The army has 247 thousand military personnel. With such a large armed force, the country has a simply huge defense budget - $49 billion.
6 UK
The country's military budget is $53 billion. The size of the British armed forces is 188,000 military personnel - this is the smallest army in the ranking. But the Royal Navy of Britain is the second in the world in terms of tonnage.5 France
Opens a list of the 5 most powerful armies in the world. The country's military budget is $43 billion. The number of French armed forces is 222,000 people. The key to the combat effectiveness of this army is the presence in it of a full range of weapons of its own production, from warships to helicopters and small arms.
4 India
The country's military budget is $46 billion. The number of Indian armed forces is 1,346,000 people, the country's army is the third largest in the world.3 China
The largest army in the world ranking is the Chinese army, numbering 2,333,000 troops. Wikipedia shows that there are 1.71 military personnel per 1,000 inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. China's military budget is $126 billion.
2 Russia
The Russian armed forces are superior to almost all armies of the world in terms of weapons capacity in all branches of the military - air, ground and sea. The size of the Russian army for 2017 is 798,000 people. Military budget - $76 billion. Among the superpowers, Russia has a very high rate of the number of military personnel per 1000 inhabitants - 5.3 people.
1 USA
The most powerful army in the world, according to Globalfirepower, is American. By the way, it is not the largest in terms of numbers, but the most powerful in terms of available weapons, including nuclear potential, which is not taken into account by experts. The US Army has a strength of 1,492,200 people and a defense budget of $612 billion.
The troops are considered an important part of the country and its security. Every year, large funds are allocated from budgets for the maintenance and modernization of weapons, training and maintenance of soldiers, and much more. Countries are also taking special initiatives to strengthen themselves militarily.
Hypothetically, it is impossible to compare the armies of different countries of the world and find out which of them is the strongest. However, without leading to bloodbath, we will try to get an idea of the military power of countries, taking into account: the arsenal at their disposal; implementation of advanced technologies; military combat skills of soldiers; power and number of allies; army size; allocated budget for maintaining troops, etc.
Let's look at the TOP 10 countries with the most powerful armies in the world.
The most powerful armies in the world
10. Japan
Japan - samurai, which was the leading force during World War II. Interestingly, according to the peace treaty that was signed after the end of World War II, Japan is prohibited from having offensive army. In response to growing controversy over China's expanding military power, Japan has begun military expansion for the first time in 40 years, establishing new military bases on its outer islands. "Country rising sun", for the first time in the last 11 years, increased military spending to $ 49,100 million and, according to this indicator, ranks 6th in the world. The Japanese Army has more than 247,000 active personnel and nearly 60,000 in reserve. The air force squadron consists of 1,595 aircraft (5th in the world). The fleet consists of about 131 warships. In addition, through its recent defense initiatives, it maintains a strong military presence in Asia.
9. South Korea
South Korea borders North Korea, which has an extremely powerful army at its disposal, and therefore poses a constant threat to South Korea. But a possible attack by neighbors is not the only problem for South Korea. To meet the growing armament of China and Japan, South Korea is increasing defense spending, which at the moment are about $34 billion. The number of troops is more than 640,000 active personnel and 2,900,000 additional personnel in reserve. The air force is represented by 1,393 aircraft (6th largest). Fleet - 166 ships. Also in South Korea there are about 15,000 land weapons, including missile systems, as well as 2346 tanks. South Korean troops regularly take part in military exercises with the United States.
In 2015, the Turkish government decided to increase its country's defense spending by 10%. This may be due to the fact that not far from Turkey there is a war between the Islamic State and Syrian troops, or perhaps due to the likelihood of a clash with the Kurdish separatist organization. Turkey's defense budget is around $18180000000. The size of the army (both regular and reserve) is just over 660000. Air Force Turkey has 1000 aircraft. There are also 16,000 ground weapons in service. Türkiye has strong diplomatic relations with the United States (although these ties are weakening every year), and also participates in initiatives around the world.
7. Germany
Germany is one of the world's strongest economic powers, but despite spending around $45 million every year, the army's fortunes seem to have worsened over the past few years. One of the reasons for this may be that the generation born and raised in the 1950s and 60s was against war and feared attacks from other countries with stronger armies. This still discourages people from joining the military. In 2011, compulsory military service was eliminated to prevent the country from becoming a militarized country. The force consists of only 183,000 active personnel and 145,000 reservists. There are 710 aircraft in service with aviation. Total number of weapons various types- almost a few.
6. France
France is another country that followed Germany and in 2013 the country's government decided to "effectively" freeze military spending and defense jobs by 10% in order to save money on technology. modern equipment. Currently, France's military budget is about $43 billion a year, which is 1.9% of the country's GDP (well below the spending target set by NATO). The French armed forces number about 220 thousand active personnel and the same number of people are in reserve. Aviation is represented by more than 1000 aircraft. There are also approximately 9,000 ground vehicles in service. Even if it doesn't make France a formidable army, it has several trump cards: its position in the EU and the UN, as well as the presence of about 290 nuclear weapons.
5. UK
The UK is another EU member also implementing a plan to reduce the size of its armed forces by 20% between 2010 and 2018. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force are also being cut. The UK's military budget currently stands at $54 billion. Regular army Britain has about 205,000 people. The Air Force is represented by 908 aircraft. Navy - 66 ships. However, the British Army is still considered powerful and superior to many others due to training soldier. Britain also has 160 nuclear weapons, which is the most strong argument. Royal Navy plans to commission H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, in 2020
The Indian government decided to take advantage of the fact that the country's population is very large. The Indian Army numbers a sizeable 3.5 million, including 1.325 million active personnel. Huge size Indian troops is one of the reasons why India is ranked so high in our ranking and in the ranking of the best armies in the world. The army's strength is complemented by nearly 16,000 ground vehicles, which include 3,500 tanks, as well as 1,785 aircraft, along with nuclear weapons. Indian ballistic missiles can hit all of Pakistan or most of China. The current military budget is $46 billion, but the government plans to increase this amount by 2020, as well as modernize some weapons.
It has another 2,800 aircraft in its air force. China has about 300 nuclear weapons, along with 180 various methods their deployment. China recently acquired classified information about the new F-35, and is known to successfully steal sensitive military equipment. China is rightfully one of the top 3 armed forces.
According to official data, China's defense budget is $126 billion, and in the near future this amount may increase by another 12.2%. Chinese army has an impressive size, numbering 2.285 million active front-line personnel and another 2.3 million reservists - these are the largest in the world ground forces, which, at the same time, operate with 25,000 ground vehicles. Chinese aviation consists of 2,800 aircraft. China also has about 300 nuclear weapons at its disposal. Considering all this, we can say that China rightfully occupies third place in our ranking of the most strong countries peace.
Russia's military budget is $76,600 million, but in the next three years it will increase by 44%. In fact, the Kremlin’s expenses have increased by about a third since 2008, and this was especially reflected when he became president of the Russian Federation in 2000. The Russian army has shown significant growth since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago. About 766,000 active personnel are involved in the Russian army, including about 2.5 million people in the reserve forces. In addition, there are 15,500 tanks in service, making Russia the largest tank force in the world, although they become obsolete like any other equipment. Russia is also a leader among nuclear states, having at its disposal 8,500 active nuclear warheads.
1. United States of America
The United States annually spends colossal amounts of money, in the amount of $6125 billion, on maintaining the army. This is the budget equal to the sum budgets of the other nine countries combined. United States support is amazing big army, consisting of more than 1.4 million soldiers, and another 800,000 reservists. In addition to the active ground groups, the reserve includes trained men and women who are ready to help the troops at any time. The advantage of the United States is that the country is a world leader in the production of aviation equipment. The United States also has 19 aircraft carriers in service, while all other states have only 12 aircraft in total. 7,500 nuclear warheads also help maintain the United States' title as the world's most powerful country and military.
