The best troops in the world. Armies of different countries: number, composition of troops and combat readiness. The largest army in the world
If the world were perfect, then no armies and weapons would be needed and there would never be wars. But the reality is that threats both abroad and within the state put national security at risk. This forces many states to have a powerful army in the form of human potential and weapons. If you ask which army is considered the most powerful in the world, as a rule, the answer will follow: the US army. This question is not in doubt, because there is no doubt about the influence that the United States has on all countries of the world community. But what is the balance of power?15. Pakistan
The armed forces of Pakistan are the sixth largest in the world. This includes the ground forces, navy, air force and semi-army formations involved in the settlement of local conflicts. Pakistan has nuclear weapons.
The number is 617,000 people and the personnel reserve is about 515,500 people. Its ground forces use a wide range of weapons: about 1,800 tanks, more than 5,000 armored vehicles, 1,065 self-propelled guns, 3,197 towed artillery pieces. The Air Force is armed with 1,531 aircraft and 589 helicopters.
The naval forces consist of 11 frigates and 8 submarines. With a budget of just over $5 billion, this is the smallest budget among the top 15 military powers. Also, this army is a permanent ally of the United States.
14. Saudi Arabia.
224,500 people (including the national guard) serve in the ranks of the armed forces of the kingdom. Service - contract. Foreign mercenaries are also involved in military service. Every year, 250,000 people reach military age. Saudi Arabia is among the top ten countries in terms of military funding. The budget of about $50 billion is the largest per capita in the world.
Mobilization reserves - 5.9 million people. The main supplier of weapons for the kingdom is traditionally the United States (85% of all weapons). The country produces armored personnel carriers of its own design. It is armed with one of the best tanks in the world - Leclerc (country of production - France).
13. Japan
Another small country with a population of 127.8 million, including 247,000 military personnel, as well as 60,000 people who are now in reserve. Official data indicate the following figures: 5320 units of ground equipment, 1965 - all kinds of aircraft, 110 units of naval weapons. Army funding - 58 billion dollars.
Despite the fact that after the Second World War, the Japanese army was significantly reduced and continues to be subject to a ban on increasing the number beyond a certain minimum necessary for defense, this army is very effective. The Japanese own one of the best anti-ballistic systems in the world, in addition, they have a powerful military fleet, which is one of the five most powerful fleets in the world. In general, the army is well organized and equipped.
12. South Korea
There are 640,000 active servicemen, about 4 million soldiers in reserve, 13,361 ground military facilities, 1,568 air facilities, and 170 naval facilities.
The Ground Forces are the main and most numerous type of the Armed Forces. They include the following types of troops: infantry, tank troops, missile units and subunits, artillery, special forces, air defense troops, engineering, chemical, army aviation, logistic support units, formations and units, military police.
In this state, the draft age is from 18 to 35 years, the term of service is 21 months. The army of the Republic of Korea uses both domestic military equipment and imported ones. It is armed with 2,300 tanks, 2,600 armored vehicles, 30 air defense systems and 5,300 artillery pieces.
11. Germany
Military budget: $43.478 billion Active military personnel: 148,996 Employees: 43,620,000 Total number of aircraft: 925 Total strength of the Navy: 67. Part of NATO. Germany is one of the few countries that use military equipment for the Ground Forces, mainly of their own production.
The most powerful army, which is in third place in terms of the characteristics of ground troops and second only to Russia and India in this indicator. Germany also has a powerful air fleet. The personnel are distinguished by the highest level of discipline, moreover, it is not for nothing that the German military is characterized all over the world as “cold fighting vehicles”. Despite the defeat in the last two wars, this army has revived and occupies a confident position in the world rankings.
10. France
In France, there are 230,000 military personnel and 70,000 reserves, plus 105,000 police officers. 10,621 objects of ground defense equipment, 1,757 - air, as well as 289 ships. Financing is more than 44 billion euros. These are good indicators for a state with a population of 65.4 million people. Part of NATO.
France is one of the founders of NATO, while from 1966 to 2009 it was not part of the military structure of the alliance, demonstrating increased independence in military and international affairs. France is a nuclear power, ranked fourth or fifth in the world in terms of the number of charges (after the US, Russia, China, and possibly Israel).
Geographically, France is a continental country, but militarily it behaves more like an ocean power, actively developing its aviation and navy. A separate pride of France is its air force, which is comparable in strength to the air force of any other army in the world, except perhaps the United States and Russia.
9. UK
Among the 62.2 million people living in the UK, 220 thousand are serving in the army and 200 thousand in the reserve. The armed forces have 11,630 ground equipment, 1,663 aircraft and 99 defense ships. The funding equates to $74 billion. Part of NATO.
The British Army was founded in 1661 and has participated in almost every known war such as the Napoleonic Wars, World Wars, etc. The British Army had a significant presence in Northern Ireland and the Balkans, standing alongside the United States in the Persian Gulf in the 1990s.
The main power of the British army is its navy. The UK also has a powerful air force and nuclear weapons. The alliance with the US and NATO makes this army one of the strongest in Europe.
8 Israel
Although territorially Israel is very small, its army is known as one of the most well-organized, equipped with the latest military and engineering technology. The Israeli army is famous for its counterintelligence and high level of discipline, it has the most modern types of weapons. Strong ties with the US and UK give this army extra weight.
The army of the State of Israel is known as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Every year, men who have reached the age of 18 are subject to conscription. About 121,000 people can be drafted into the army every year. Currently, the Israeli army consists of 240,000 regular soldiers and a reserve of 565,000 people, with a total population of 7.9 million people - a good indicator.
The military equipment consists of 13,000 units, including 1964 air units and 64 naval ships. The amount that is used for military forces is 15 billion dollars. The army is equipped with the latest technology and is armed with 3870 tanks, 1775 armored vehicles, 706 self-propelled guns, 350 towed artillery pieces, and 48 air defense systems.
7. Iran
It is said that the most powerful army in the Middle East is the Iranian army. It has about 545,000 men, divided into 14 infantry divisions and 15 air bases. Their army is equipped with 2895 tanks, 1500 armored vehicles, 310 self-propelled guns, 860 air defense systems, 1858 aircraft and 800 helicopters. The defense budget is just over $10 billion.
6. Turkey
Turkey has the largest army at the point of contact between Asia and Europe. Citizens are called up for service from the age of 20. The call lasts approximately from 6 to 15 months, depending on the educational level of the students. The Armed Forces have 660 thousand people, 579 thousand are in reserve, and this is with a total population of 74.7 million people. 69,744 units of ground equipment, 1940 - air, 265 - sea. Its army has 4460 tanks, 1500 self-propelled guns, 7133 armored vehicles, 406 air defense systems, 570 aircraft and helicopters.
The annual budget of this army is 19 billion dollars. The Turkish fleet is superior to that of any other country in the Black Sea basin.
5. North Korea
With 1,106,000 men, this one of the strongest armies ranks third in the world, despite the fact that the territory of North Korea is small. Also, the Korean army has a large number of reservists - 8,200,000 people. The population is distinguished by a high level of military culture and national identity, which is a powerful unifying factor. Military service in this state, mandatory for all, the term of service in the army is 5-12 years.
Although most of its military equipment is considered obsolete, its armament includes: more than 4,000 tanks, 2,580 armored vehicles, 1,600 self-propelled guns, 3,500 towed artillery pieces, 1,600 air defense systems,
4400 self-propelled guns, 2500 MLRS, 7500 mortars, 24 ground-to-ground missile launchers. Also in the ground forces, there are approximately 11,000 anti-aircraft guns. There is evidence that the country is developing its own weapons of mass destruction and has a nuclear capability.
The Air Force has 80 bombers, 541 fighters and fighter-bombers, about 316 transport aircraft, 588 transport (multi-purpose) helicopters, 24 combat helicopters, 228 training aircraft.
The deplorable state of the country's economy does not allow allocating significant funds for the maintenance of the army. Therefore, the budget of the armed forces of Korea is the smallest among all the participants in the rating, about 5 billion dollars.
4. India
The armed forces of India with a population of 1.2 billion people are 1.325 million people in the asset, 2,142,821 people in reserve. In addition, the country has 2,452 aircraft and 175 ships, with a total military funding of $48.9 billion.
There is no compulsory conscription in the Indian Armed Forces. India ranks first in the world in terms of arms imports. The main mission of the Indian army is to ensure national security, protect the country from external and internal threats. This is another country with a nuclear arsenal.
India is the largest arms importer in the world. Also in service are about 80 nuclear warheads.
3. China
In terms of manpower, the largest army in the world itself has 2,250,000 men, with the possibility of conscripting five percent of the population, which is sixty million, a figure due to the country's high population, comparable only to India. China is a nuclear power with nuclear weapons.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army was founded in 1927. Its main part consists of citizens aged 18 to 49 years. Interestingly, due to the huge population and the large number of volunteers, there has never been a military conscription in the country. Budget $129 billion per year. About 240 installations for launching nuclear missiles.
Military equipment includes 57,575 ground vehicles, 5,176 aircraft and 972 ships. There are also 8,500 tanks and 61 submarines in service. The main tank T-99 is inferior to Western competitors, but slightly superior to the most advanced Russian tank, the T-90. The T-99 is more powerful (by 500 hp), faster (80 km/h versus 60 km/h for the T-90), and more expensive (by an average of 500-600 thousand dollars).
The country is the world leader in terms of the number of towed artillery installations in service (about 25 thousand), as well as air defense systems. Chinese military aviation consists of 75% fighters and is also intended mainly for air defense tasks.
2. Russia
A very powerful army, possessing highly advanced military technology, is characterized as the most powerful land army in the world. In addition, it has a large and strong navy, including fearsome nuclear submarines. The Russian army has a nuclear potential comparable in power to the American one. It is also worth mentioning the developed anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic systems.
The population is 143.1 million people, of which about 800 thousand are serving in the army and 20 million are reservists. In addition to 91,715 ground defense equipment, there are 2,747 air defense assets, as well as 233 ships. The annual budget of the Armed Forces is 76.6 billion dollars and ranks 3rd in the world in terms of spending on the army.
The Navy consists of 233 combat units, including 1 aircraft carrier, 49 submarines (US - 71, China - 63), 14 destroyers (US - 61, China - 25) and 5 frigates (US - 26, China - 47). The Russian Air Force consists of 2,749 aircraft and 588 helicopters. According to these indicators, Russia is also inferior to the United States and China (13 thousand and 5 thousand aircraft, respectively).
There are 2,867 tanks, 10,720 armored vehicles, 2,646 self-propelled guns, and 2,155 towed artillery pieces in service. Russia also has the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world.
1. United States of America
The most powerful and strongest army in the world, consisting of 1.4 million active employees in the army and 858 thousand reserve, with a total population of 311 million people. In the case of mobilization, it is capable of putting under arms up to 50 million people.
Ground defense equipment is represented by 56,269 objects, air defense equipment - 18,234 units, of which 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as 32 satellites, marine equipment includes 2,384 ships. The only country in the world that owns fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighters (170-200 units, each costing over $400 million. Today, the F-22 is the most expensive fighter in service in the world. Export deliveries of the aircraft are prohibited by the US Congress. )
Owns the most expensive aircraft in the world - the world's best strategic bomber, the B-2 Spirit, each costing the US Air Force $2.1 billion.
The United States has the most powerful air force and navy in the world. The US fleet consists of 2,384 combat units, including 11 aircraft carriers (Russia, China and India have one each), 71 submarines, 61 destroyers and 26 frigates. The US Air Force is made up of over 13,000 aircraft and nearly 3,500 helicopters.
Despite the fact that the US Army is mainly formed to fight outside the country, it has the best logistics in the world. More than 15,000 airports, 21 major seaports, 267,000 land vehicles (excluding tanks and armored personnel carriers), 6.5 million kilometers of roads and 226,000 kilometers of railways allow the US armed forces to remain mobile even in the event of a sudden enemy attack .
In addition, the US Army has military bases almost all over the globe. The country invests almost a third of its gross income in the development of military technologies and weapons. Add to this a huge nuclear potential, and you get a power comparable only to that of Russia.
The US Army was founded in 1775. The defense budget today is over $612 billion a year. Its ground forces use 8,325 tanks, 18,539 armored combat vehicles, 1,934 self-propelled guns, 1,791 towed artillery pieces, and 1,330 nuclear warheads. 
based on internet sites
Each historical epoch in one way or another is associated with the dominant position of a particular state. The strength of the state and its power were determined not only by the size of the controlled territory, but also by the state of its army. In ancient times, it was the army that was the face of the state. A strong and powerful army provided not only the protection of its own territory, but also became the most important element in the economic development of ancient civilizations. Even with the time of the Egyptian pharaohs, the army becomes the key to achieving world domination. Later, this postulate repeatedly found its real confirmation.
World-famous historical figures such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Charlemagne, Napoleon Bonaparte and their followers were well aware of how much their power and personal power depended on the state of their own armed forces. In ancient times, first the Persians and Greeks, then the ancient Romans, had the strongest armies. With the collapse of ancient empires, new rulers enter the scene, new states appear. Today it is hard to believe that small countries, which today do not decide much in world politics, once possessed strength and power. Genghis Khan had the strongest army in his time. The Mongols managed to conquer not only the whole of Asia and the Middle East, but also entered the borders of Eastern Europe.
The Mongol conquerors were replaced by the era of the Crusades, where two of the strongest armies of that time, the army of the crusaders and the army of Salah ad-Din, met in a face-to-face duel. The era of the Middle Ages was marked by the emergence of several poles of world politics. In the east, mainland China was gaining power, in the middle of Asia the power of the Mughal Empire was growing, in the Middle East and North Africa the Ottoman Empire dominated. In Europe there was an irreconcilable struggle between England and Spain, France and Austria. In every corner of the globe, regiments and battalions, cannons and navies decided politics. In those distant times, those countries and states that relied on a well-armed and trained army dominated.
Even the Roman Emperor Augustus believed that the legions decide everything. The famous phrase spoken by Emperor Augustus - "Var, give me back my legions" could mean how important the presence of the army was for the state and power. Later, the Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, said so: "Big battalions are always right"!
Almost the entire period of its development, mankind was constantly in a state of war. There has never been a period when peace reigned in the world. Wars gave way to bloody civil confrontation, the conquest of territories gradually turned into colonization. One war succeeded another, some armies became winners, others went into oblivion. So it was, so it is and so it will be. As long as there are weapons in the world, as long as a person strives to assert his will over others, there will be the most powerful armies in the world and armed conflicts.
Modern era and military
Unlike the place and role of the army in the history of mankind in the old days, the modern era has made significant adjustments to the development of the armed forces. Now it is not the number of soldiers and the military talent of the commander that decide the outcome on the battlefield. Wars and armed conflicts, which often start in government offices, are based on the economy, the quality of personnel training and weapons. The times of large and numerous armies, in which the main part of the male population was called up, are gone. The armament of the countries claiming the role of world and regional leaders has also changed dramatically. The combat readiness of an army is measured by the presence of a wide variety of weapons, including aircraft and helicopters, communications equipment and missiles, artillery, tanks and ships. The weather in world politics is made by countries that have modern and efficient armed forces. Any state that wants to have a powerful army is forced to spend huge amounts of money from its own budget.
The modern army is not tons of fodder, mountains of gunpowder and iron cannonballs. The combat-ready armed forces are a modern, most complex mechanism, which, along with logistic support, involves complex technologies, technical means and electronic systems. In the 20th century, mankind made a rapid leap in its development. Accordingly, the military power of the states increased. The economic development of countries determined the power of their armed forces. The emergence of new technologies and their application in the creation of weapons, marked the beginning of the arms race. First appeared rifled firearms. Then armored battleships and cruisers entered the arena. The appearance of the aircraft and the machine gun at the beginning of the 20th century put an end to the dominance of the infantry on the battlefield. Military equipment, armor and engines have become the determining factors in the combat capability of any army.
The two World Wars that swept the planet in modern history, a number of other conflicts, and finally, the appearance of nuclear weapons, clearly showed what criteria the strength of the army is measured today.
Criteria for assessing the power of modern armed forces
Undoubtedly the largest army today is the National Liberation Army of China (PLA). The armed forces of communist China are the largest in terms of numbers. However, to say that the largest army in our time is a priori the strongest is a clear exaggeration. Naturally, a huge country with a population of under 2 billion people cannot have a small army. In addition, after the Second World War, China finally turned into a single and centralized state, capable of pursuing its policy on the world stage. The presence of the Celestial Empire's nuclear potential only strengthened China's position in world politics.
However, in the current conditions, the strength and power of the army is measured by other criteria. First of all, the following parameters are evaluated:
- the size of the military budget;
- presence of all types of troops in the armed forces;
- military-technical support of the army;
- the level of training of military units;
- technological aspect;
- the presence of motivation.
The nuclear weapons that the United States, Russia, China, Great Britain, France, Pakistan, India, North Korea and Israel currently have cannot be assessed as the main criterion for the might of the armed forces. The atomic bomb and nuclear missile forces today are more a pass to the elite club of states and a kind of instrument to deter potential aggression. In the military-political aspect, the comparison of armies is carried out on the basis of the art of command and control, the quality of training and equipping the armed forces with high technologies. The emphasis is on conventional weapons. As before, the main actors on the battlefield are man and machine. The level of training of army units and the amount of modern military equipment determines the power of the armed forces of states. Accordingly, on these positions, the assessment is also built when choosing the strongest armies in the world.
If China has the largest army, then in military-technical terms, the US army, the armed forces of Russia, the PLA, the armed forces of India, South Korea, the self-defense forces of Japan and the Turkish army are in the first roles. Following are the armies of Great Britain, France and Germany. This arrangement of countries is explained by the results of analytical studies that are carried out annually in the world. Here, of course, you can add the Israeli IDF, but in the ratings this one of the most combat-ready armies in the world, for some reason, is outside the top ten.
Place in the ranking determines the result
A number of international expert agencies and analytical institutions rank the armies of the world, which are the most powerful and strong at the moment. It can be noted that the places of countries in the latest rankings have changed little over the past 10-15 years. As before, the leadership belongs to two states - the United States and Russia. These countries continue to be the main opponents of each other, having inherited the effect of confrontation during the Cold War. The second half of the 20th century was marked by an unprecedented arms race between the two military camps. The Western coalition was led by the US Armed Forces, the Eastern bloc relied on the strength and power of the Soviet armed forces. Today, the Russian army and the US armed forces continue to adhere to military-technical parity in all branches of the armed forces, not counting the nuclear potential of the two countries.
These two states have all available weapons. The size of the armies of Russia and the United States are also at a high level, as is the military-technical potential. The first places in the rating are awarded to these two armies, taking into account the fact that the assumed probability of a military conflict between the two countries will be the beginning of a global catastrophe.
The strength and power of the armed forces of Russia and the United States are estimated differently. In the States, they are betting on the development of the naval forces. Their nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fleet has no equal and provides the power of the United States in the ocean. Following the fleet across the ocean, the air force is constantly increasing quantitatively and qualitatively. The US Army in terms of numbers, firepower and number of weapons is approximately on an equal footing with the Russian ground forces. Russia has an undeniable advantage over the Americans in terms of the number of tanks and motorized armored vehicles. In terms of the number of cannon and rocket artillery, and the number of tactical rocket launchers, parity is observed between the two armies.
The only thing that cannot be compared is the military budget of the two countries. The United States in this regard is far outside the main group of participants in the rating. The amount of 612 billion dollars is not lifting for the Russian economy, which, in turn, can allocate about 70 billion dollars for military spending.
China rightfully occupies the third place in the top 10 most powerful armies in the world. His PLA is no longer an archaic army, but a completely modern, technically equipped and numerous armed force. Strengthening China's position in the ranking is also facilitated by a rather large military budget, which, according to data for 2016, amounted to no less than 215 billion dollars. The Chinese today have everything in the army, both nuclear missile forces and a large navy. Aviation and ground forces have the necessary amount of military equipment, among which there are many modern models. It is important to note that at the beginning of the new millennium, China embarked on a complete modernization of its own armed forces, the ultimate goal of which is the creation of a modern, high-tech and combat-ready army.
- the Indian army, numbering 1,325,000 men, has a military budget of $56 billion;
- the South Korean army has a military budget of $36.8 billion;
- the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, which number 247 thousand people, and the military budget is equal to the figure of 47 billion dollars;
- the Turkish armed forces are the largest in Europe, numbering 510 thousand people and with the smallest military budget, only 18 billion dollars;
- the armed forces of Great Britain, the strength of which is 188 thousand people, and the military budget is 48 billion dollars;
- the army of France was financed by 55 billion dollars with a strength of 222 thousand people;
- the German Bundeswehr has 186,000 men under arms, with a military budget of $41 billion.
Assessing the positions of countries in the ranking, it is difficult to agree with the criteria on the basis of which the report was made. The armament of the countries of the world today is so diverse, both qualitatively and quantitatively, that it is not correct to assess the combat capability of armies in this case. It is necessary to evaluate, first of all, the economic potential of states that invest in their own armed forces and the motivation that the military faces.
Which army in the world is considered the most combat-ready? A question that does not have an unequivocal answer, the real combat capability of an army can only be determined in a real war. In peacetime, it is possible to determine the combat effectiveness of an army by comparing several main characterizing components.For convenience, we will divide these components into points and, on the basis of them, we will conduct the most unbiased, dry analysis of the combat effectiveness of the most powerful armies in comparison with each other:
1. Combat and strength of the army and navy
2. Quantity and quality of weapons and military equipment
3. Quality and training of command officers
All these components of the combat effectiveness of the army express the potential to carry out the assigned tasks in the conditions of real military operations.
The following question arises: the armies of which countries to compare? For example, when such a question is asked on the same Internet, on various military and near military forums and websites, Russia and the United States are unconditional in this list, China is also everywhere, as well as the constantly warring army of Israel falls into this list too. The Bundeswehr and the British army are very rarely mentioned, but, oddly enough, in the first place among European countries is a state that has not fought with anyone for several centuries.
Let's take three countries for comparison: Russia, USA, China. So, let's begin. I would like to note right away that the data are approximate, taken from open sources, the exact data are kept by the commanders of the districts in safes, but even these data can be used to give a general assessment.
1. Combat and strength of the army and navy
According to these indicators, China is in the lead (more than 2,000,000 people), the United States is in second place (about 1,500,000 people), Russia is in third place, something about a million people. North Korea and India also have numerous armies.
2. Quantity and quality of weapons and military equipment
— By the number of tanks in the first place is Russia (it plans to reduce the number as part of the ongoing military reform), the second is the United States, and China is third.
— By combat aircraft The United States is absolutely in the lead, Russia is in second place, China is in third.
— By combat helicopters The United States is in first place, Russia is in second, China is in third place with a significant lag.
— By the number of warships in the fleet Traditionally, the United States is in the lead, the second place is occupied by China, the third by Russia.
29.06.2013
It's no secret that ever since the time the strength of the country was determined by the power of its army. Maintaining control within the state and protecting from external enemies is the main task. It is not for nothing that countries are so anxious about the issue of financing this area. Below are the ten most powerful world armies. This rating is compiled taking into account the number of the army, its modernity and the power of the equipment used and the budget. And of course, the most powerful armies are armed with,. So top 10
The most powerful armies in the world.
No. 10. Israel
240,000 soldiers and 600,000 people are in reserve, with a total population of 7.9 million people - a good indicator. The military equipment consists of 13,000 units, including 1964 air units and 64 naval ships. There are a large number of girls among the soldiers. The amount that is used for the military forces is 15 billion dollars.
No. 9. Japan
Another small country with a population of 127.8 million, including 247,000 military personnel, as well as 60,000 people who are now in reserve. Official data indicate the following figures: 5320 units of ground equipment, 1965 - all kinds of aircraft, 110 units of naval weapons. Unofficially, there are suspicions about the latest developments in the field of military science. Army financing - is 58 billion dollars.
No. 8. France
In France, there are 230,000 military personnel and 70,000 reserves, plus 105,000 police officers. 10,621 objects of ground defense equipment, 1,757 - air, as well as 289 ships. Financing is more than 44 billion euros. These are good indicators for a state with a population of 65.4 people. And she is in eighth place among the strongest and most powerful armies in the world.
No. 7. South Korea
There are 640,000 active military personnel, 2.9 million people in reserve, 13,361 ground military facilities, 1,568 airborne, and 170 naval facilities. It is not surprising, given the peculiarities of the neighbors. Financing 27 billion. dollars.
No. 6. Turkey
There are 660 thousand people in the active servicemen, 579 thousand are in reserve, and this is with a total population of 74.7 million people. 69,744 units of ground equipment, 1940 - air, 265 - sea. Funding over $25 billion.
No. 5. England
Among the 62.2 million people living in the UK, 220 thousand are serving in the army, 181 thousand are in reserve. The armed forces have 11,630 ground equipment, 1,663 aircraft and 99 defense ships. Funding equates to $74 billion.
No. 4. India
It is strange to see India in fourth place with a population of 1.2 billion people. 1.325 million people in the asset, 2,142,821 people in the reserve. In addition, the country has 2,452 aircraft and 175 ships, with a total military funding of $48.9 billion. Fourth place in the Top 10 strongest armies in the world.
No. 3. China
China is famous for the largest army, which has 2.2 million people engaged in military activities and 800 thousand people who are on the reservation. Military equipment includes 57,575 ground vehicles, 5,176 aircraft and 972 ships. The total funding is more than 106 billion dollars.
No. 2. Russia
Russia is in the honorable second position. The population is 143.1 million people, of which more than 1 million are those who serve in the army and 20 million are reservists. In addition to 91,715 ground defense equipment, the defense forces have 2,747 air defense equipment, as well as 233 ships. The total funding is 74 billion dollars. Although she occupies second place in this ranking, she holds the first position among.
Video:
No. 1. United States of America
The leading first place is the most powerful and strong world army, consisting of 560 thousand active employees in the army and 567 thousand reserve with a total population of 311 million people. Ground defense equipment is represented by 56,269 objects, air defense equipment - 18,234 units, of which 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as 32 satellites, marine equipment includes 2,384 ships. The total budget is 692 billion dollars.
The Russian army has entered the top three strongest in the world; in the Credit Suisse rating, the military of the Russian Federation is evaluated together with the armies of China and the United States. What is the real alignment of forces among states ready for military conflicts?medialeaks publishes a list of the 20 most powerful armies in the world according to the organization.
At the end of September, the financial organization published a report in which it indicated the TOP 20 most powerful armies in the world. Based on this graph, our publication made a detailed list and added its own comments.
When compiling the rating, such parameters as the budget, the size of the army, the number of tanks, aircraft, combat helicopters, aircraft carriers and submarines, and partly the presence of nuclear weapons were taken into account. The technical level of weapons affected the position in the list to a lesser extent, and the real combat capability of a particular army was practically not assessed.
Thus, the assessment of the position of some countries may raise questions. Let's say the Israeli army concedes two positions to Egypt, mainly because of the number of employees and tanks. However, in all clashes, the first won an unconditional victory over the second, despite the numerical superiority.
It is interesting to note that none of the Latin American countries made it to the list. So, for example, despite the size of the population and economy, Brazil's military doctrine does not involve serious external or internal threats, so the cost of the army in this country is only about 1% of GDP.
It is also somewhat strange that Iran with its half a million soldiers, one and a half thousand tanks and 300 combat aircraft was not included in the list.
20. Canada
Budget: $15.7 billion
Active Army: 22,000
Tanks: 181
Aviation: 420
Subs: 4
The Canadian Army closes the list: it does not have such a large number and not so much military equipment. Be that as it may, the Canadian military is actively involved in all US operations. In addition, Canada is a member of the F-35 program.
19. Indonesia
Budget: $6.9 billion
Active army strength: 476,000
Tanks: 468
Aviation: 405
Subs: 2
Indonesia was on the list due to the large number of military personnel and the noticeable size of the tank group, but for an island country it lacks naval forces: in particular, there are no aircraft carriers, and only two diesel submarines are in service.
18. Germany
Budget: $40.2 billion
The number of active army: 179 thousand people
Tanks: 408
Aviation: 663
Subs: 4
After the Second World War, 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, the country's authorities abandoned the doctrine of confrontation and sharply reduced investments in defense. Apparently, therefore, in the Credit Suisse rating, the German Armed Forces were even behind Poland. At the same time, Berlin is actively sponsoring the eastern allies in NATO.
17. Poland
Budget: $9.4 billion
Active Army: 120,000
Tanks: 1,009
Aviation: 467
Subs: 5
Poland has outstripped its western neighbor in military power due to a larger number of tanks and submarines, although for the last 300 years the Polish Army has been losing in most military conflicts. Be that as it may, Warsaw increased spending on the army after the annexation of Crimea to Russia and the outbreak of conflict in eastern Ukraine.
16. Thailand
Budget: $5.4 billion
Active army strength: 306,000
Tanks: 722
Aviation: 573
Subs: 0
The Thai army has been keeping the situation inside the country under control since May 2014, the armed forces are the main guarantee of political stability. A significant number of people serve in it, there are a large number of modern tanks and aircraft.
15. Australia
Budget: $26.1 billion
Active Army: 58,000
Tanks: 59
Aviation: 408
Subs: 6
Members of the Australian Armed Forces are consistently involved in all NATO operations. In accordance with national doctrine, Australia should be able to stand alone against an invasion from outside. The defense forces are formed on a professional basis, the army is well equipped technically, there is a modern fleet and a large number of combat helicopters.
14. Israel
Budget: $17 billion
Active Army: 160,000
Tanks: 4,170
Aviation: 684
Subs: 5
Israel is the most underestimated participant in the rating. The IDF won all the conflicts in which it participated, and sometimes the Israelis had to fight on several fronts against an enemy many times superior in number. In addition to a huge amount of the latest offensive and defensive weapons of its own design, Credit Suisse's analysis does not take into account the fact that there are several hundred thousand reservists in the country with combat experience and high motivation. The visiting card of the IDF is female military personnel who have proven that the weaker sex with a machine gun is no less effective than the strong one. Not to mention the fact that, according to unverified data, Israel has about 80 nuclear warheads in service.
13. Taiwan
Budget: $10.7 billion
Active army strength: 290,000
Tanks: 2005
Aviation: 804
Subs: 4
The authorities of the Republic of China believe that they are the legitimate government of the Celestial Empire and sooner or later they must return to Beijing, and until this happens, the army is always ready for the invasion of usurpers from the mainland. And although in reality the armed forces of the island will hardly be able to withstand the Chinese army, two thousand modern tanks and 800 aircraft and helicopters make it a serious force.
12. Egypt
Budget: $4.4 billion
Active army strength: 468,000
Tanks: 4,624
Aviation: 1,107
Subs: 4
The Egyptian army was in the ranking due to the number and quantity of equipment, although, as the Yom Kippur War showed, even a threefold superiority in tanks is offset by high combat skills and technical level of weapons. At the same time, it is known that about a thousand "Abrams" of the Egyptian Armed Forces are simply mothballed in warehouses. Nevertheless, Cairo will acquire two Mistral-type helicopter carriers not supplied by France to the Russian Federation, and about 50 Ka-52 combat helicopters for them, which will make Egypt a truly serious military force in the region.
11. Pakistan
Budget: $7 billion
The number of active army: 617 thousand people
Tanks: 2,924
Aviation: 914
Subs: 8
Pakistan's army is one of the largest in the world, it has a lot of tanks and aircraft, the US supports Islamabad with equipment. The main threat is internal, in remote areas of the country ruled by local leaders and the Taliban. In addition, Pakistan has not reached an agreement on the 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 conducting an arms race. Pakistan has medium-range ballistic missiles and about a hundred nuclear warheads
10. Turkey
Budget: $18.2 billion
Active Army: 410,000
Tanks: 3,778
Aviation: 1,020
Subs: 13
Turkey claims to be a regional leader, therefore it is constantly building up and updating its armed forces. A huge number of tanks, aviation and a large modern fleet (though without aircraft carriers) allows the Turkish army to be considered the strongest among the Muslim countries of the Middle East.
9. UK
Budget: $60.5 billion
Active Army: 147,000
Tanks: 407
Aviation: 936
Subs: 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. Her Majesty's fleet includes several nuclear submarines with strategic nuclear weapons: a total of 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.
8. Italy
Budget: $34 billion
Active Army: 320,000
Tanks: 586
Aviation: 760
Subs: 6
7. South Korea
Budget: $62.3 billion
The number of active army: 624 thousand people
Tanks: 2,381
Aviation: 1,412
Subs: 13
South Korea retains numerous armed forces, although in terms of quantitative indicators in everything except aviation, it continues to lose to its main potential adversary - the DPRK. The difference, of course, is in the technological level. Seoul has its latest and Western developments, Pyongyang has Soviet technology 50 years ago.
6. France
Budget: $62.3 billion
The number of active army: 202 thousand people
Tanks: 423
Aviation: 1,264
Subs: 10
The French army is still the main military force in Africa and continues to actively intervene in local conflicts. Recently, the attack nuclear aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" was put into operation. Currently, France has approximately 300 strategic nuclear warheads, which are deployed on nuclear submarines. There are also 60 tactical warheads.
5. India
Budget: $50 billion
Active Army: 1.325 million
Tanks: 6,464
Aviation: 1,905
Subs: 15
The third largest army in terms of the number of military personnel and the fourth largest army in terms of the number of equipment in the world. The fact that India has about a hundred nuclear warheads, three aircraft carriers and two nuclear submarines in service makes it the fifth most powerful.
4. Japan
Budget: $41.6 billion
Active Army: 247,000
Tanks: 678
Aviation: 1,613
Subs: 16
The most unexpected thing in the ranking is Japan's 4th place, despite the fact that formally the country cannot have an army, but only self-defense forces. Business Insider attributes this to the high level of equipment of the Japanese aircraft. In addition, they include 4 helicopter carriers, 9 destroyers. At the same time, Japan does not have nuclear weapons, and this, together with a small number of tanks, makes one think that the position of this army is greatly overestimated.
3. China
Budget: $216 billion
Active Army: 2.33 million
Tanks: 9,150
Aviation: 2,860
Subs: 67
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 keeps several hundred nuclear warheads on combat duty. However, some believe that in reality the PRC may have several thousand warheads, but this information is carefully classified.
2. Russia
Budget: $84.5 billion
Active Army: 1 million
Tanks: 15,398
Aviation: 3,429
Subs: 55
Syria has demonstrated once again that Russia rightly continues to hold a solid 2nd place among the strongest, according to Business Insider. The RF Armed Forces are inferior to China only in the number of submarines. And if the rumors about China's secret nuclear stockpile are not true, far ahead of it in this area. It is believed that Russia's strategic nuclear forces have about 350 carriers and about 2,000 nuclear warheads. The number of tactical nuclear charges is unknown and may be several thousand.
1. USA
Budget: $601 billion
Active Army: 1.4 million
Tanks: 8,848
Aviation: 13,892
Subs: 72
The US military budget is comparable to the previous 19th. The Navy includes 10 aircraft carriers. It is characteristic that, unlike Moscow, which relied on tanks back in Soviet times, Washington is developing military aviation. In addition, the US authorities, despite the end of the Cold War, continue to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the development of the latest military technologies, thanks to which the United States remains a leader not only in everything related to killing people, but also in the field, for example, robotics and prosthetics.
