If the world were ideal, then no armies or weapons would be needed and there would never be wars. But the reality is that threats both abroad and domestically put national security at risk. This reality forces many states to have a powerful army in the form of human potential and weapons.
There are several outstanding armies that are widely known for their size, combat experience and military equipment. They are among the ten largest armies in the world.
1. China
The world's largest army in terms of army size is unsurprisingly occupied by the most populous country in the world, the Chinese People's Army. This nation is known not only for its large territory, but also for its huge population and, accordingly, the largest army. The Chinese People's Liberation Army was founded in 1927.
Its main part consists of citizens aged 18 to 49 years. Number of people: 2,300,000. Budget $129 billion per year. About 240 installations for launching nuclear missiles. The Chinese army is well trained and has large resources in weapons and mobilization resources in the event of war, it can put 200,000,000 people under arms. It is armed with 8,500 tanks, 61 submarines, 54 surface ships and 4,000 aircraft.
Russian army
The Russian army is one of the most experienced in the world. Its strength is 1,013,628 military personnel (according to the presidential decree of March 28, 2017). The annual budget is $64 billion and ranks 3rd in the world in terms of military spending. It is armed with 2,867 tanks, 10,720 armored vehicles, 2,646 self-propelled guns, and 2,155 towed artillery pieces. Russia also has the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world.
3.United States of America
US Army
The US Army was founded in 1775. The United States currently has 1,400,000 active military personnel and 1,450,000 in the active reserve. The defense budget is what truly sets the US apart from all the other countries on the list; it is over $689 billion per year.
The United States also has the most trained troops and a powerful arsenal. 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.
Indian Army
Located in southern Asia, India is the world's largest arms importer. With a strength of 1.325 thousand soldiers and officers. The Army's military budget is $44 billion a year. There are also about 80 nuclear warheads in service.
5. North Korea
North Korean Army
North Korea has a well-trained and coordinated army of 1,106,000, as well as a large number of reservists, 8,200,000 as of 2011. It also has a large number of weapons, they include: 5,400 tanks, 2,580 armored vehicles, 1,600 self-propelled guns, 3,500 towed artillery pieces, 1,600 air defense systems and other powerful weapons. Military conscription in this state is compulsory for everyone; the period of military service is 10 years.
While the totalitarian regime in North Korea has built a large army, much of its military equipment is considered obsolete. However, they have nuclear weapons, which in turn poses a threat to the stability of peace in this region.
6. South Korea
Photo of the South Korean Army
Next on the list of the largest armies in the world is the South Korean army. In this state, the conscription age is from 18 to 35 years, the service period is 21 months.
Its armed forces are called the Republic of Korea Army. It uses both domestic and imported weapons. It is armed with 2,300 tanks, 2,600 armored vehicles, 30 air defense systems and 5,300 artillery pieces. The number of its troops reaches approximately 1,240,000 people.
7. Pakistan
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army rightfully ranks among the largest armies in the world. It has a workforce of 617,000 people and a personnel reserve of about 515,500 people as of 2011.
Its ground forces use a wide range of weapons: 3,490 tanks, 5,745 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 force consists of 11 frigates and 8 submarines. With a budget of just over $5 billion, it is the smallest budget of the top ten military powers. Pakistan may be a small country in size, but it is undoubtedly one of the largest armies in the world in terms of size and military prowess. This army is also a permanent ally of the United States.
Iranian army
They say that the most powerful army in the Middle East is the army of Iran. Iran is also known for its large troop numbers. It has approximately 545,000 personnel, divided into 14 infantry divisions and 15 air bases. Their army is equipped with 2,895 tanks, 1,500 armored vehicles, 310 self-propelled guns, 860 air defense systems, 1,858 aircraft and 800 helicopters. The defense budget is just over $10 billion.
Turkish army
Türkiye has the largest army at the meeting point of Asia and Europe. Citizens are called up for service at the age of 20. Conscription lasts approximately 6 to 15 months, depending on the educational level of the students. The strength of the Turkish army is 1,041,900 people, of which 612,900 are regular military personnel and 429,000 are in the reserve. Its army is also well armed and has 4,460 tanks, 1,500 self-propelled guns, 7,133 armored vehicles, 406 air defense systems, 570 airplanes and helicopters. The annual budget of this army is 19 billion dollars.
10. Israel
Israeli army
The army of the State of Israel is known as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Men over 18 years of age are subject to conscription every year. Every year, about 121,000 men can be drafted into the army to serve in any of its military branches. Currently, the Israeli army consists of 187,000 regular military personnel and a reserve of 565,000 people. As a result, the number of troops in the Israel Defense Forces is about 752,000. The army is equipped with the latest technology and is armed with 3,870 tanks, 1,775 armored vehicles, 706 self-propelled guns, 350 towed artillery pieces, and 48 air defense systems.
Not all countries in the world need a large army for reliable protection. However, maintaining peace and order would be impossible without a well-organized and armed army.
The Russian army is among the top three strongest in the world; in the Credit Suisse rating, the Russian military is rated along with the armies of China and the United States. What is the real balance of power 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 comments.
When compiling the rating, such parameters as the budget, army size, 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 influenced the position on the list to a lesser extent, and the real combat capability of a particular army was practically not assessed.
Thus, assessing the situation of some countries may raise questions. Let's say the Israeli army is inferior to Egypt by two positions, mainly due to the number of soldiers 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 no Latin American countries were included in the list. For example, despite the size of the population and economy, Brazil's military doctrine does not imply serious external or internal threats, so military spending in this country amounts to only about 1% of GDP.
It is also somewhat strange that the list did not include Iran with its half a million soldiers, one and a half thousand tanks and 300 combat aircraft.
20. Canada
Budget: $15.7 billion
Number of active army: 22 thousand.
Tanks: 181
Aviation: 420
Submarines: 4
The Canadian Army is at the bottom of the list: it does not have as many numbers and does not have as much military equipment. Be that as it may, the Canadian military takes an active part in all US operations. In addition, Canada is a participant in the F-35 program.
19. Indonesia
Budget: $6.9 billion
Number of active army: 476 thousand.
Tanks: 468
Aviation: 405
Submarines: 2
Indonesia made the list thanks to its large number of military personnel and the noticeable size of its tank force, but for an island country it lacks naval forces: in particular, it has no aircraft carriers and only two diesel submarines.
18. Germany
Budget: $40.2 billion
Number of active army: 179 thousand.
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 unification, the country's authorities abandoned the doctrine of confrontation and sharply reduced investments in defense. Apparently, this is why the German Armed Forces ended up even behind Poland in the Credit Suisse rating. At the same time, Berlin is actively sponsoring its eastern NATO allies.
17. Poland
Budget: $9.4 billion
Number of active army: 120 thousand.
Tanks: 1,009
Aviation: 467
Submarines: 5
Poland was ahead of its western neighbor in military power due to its greater number of tanks and submarines, although for the last 300 years the Polish Army has lost in most military conflicts. Be that as it may, Warsaw increased spending on the army after the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the outbreak of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
16. Thailand
Budget: $5.4 billion
Number of active army: 306 thousand.
Tanks: 722
Aviation: 573
Submarines: 0
The Thai army has been in control of the situation within the country since May 2014; the armed forces are the main guarantee of political stability. It employs a significant number of people and has a large number of modern tanks and aircraft.
15. Australia
Budget: $26.1 billion
Number of active army: 58 thousand.
Tanks: 59
Aviation: 408
Submarines: 6
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. 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
Number of active army: 160 thousand.
Tanks: 4,170
Aviation: 684
Submarines: 5
Israel is the most underrated participant in the ranking. 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 larger than them. In addition to the huge number of the latest offensive and defensive weapons of its own design, Credit Suisse's analysis does not take into account the fact that the country has several hundred thousand reservists with combat experience and high motivation. The calling card of the IDF is 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.
13. Taiwan
Budget: $10.7 billion
Number of active army: 290 thousand.
Tanks: 2,005
Aviation: 804
Submarines: 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 island’s armed forces are unlikely to be able to resist the PRC army, two thousand modern tanks and 800 aircraft and helicopters make it a serious force.
12. Egypt
Budget: $4.4 billion
Number of active army: 468 thousand.
Tanks: 4,624
Aviation: 1,107
Submarines: 4
The Egyptian army was ranked due to its numbers and quantity of equipment, although, as the Yom Kippur War showed, even a threefold superiority in tanks is offset by high combat skills and the 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-class 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
Number of active army: 617 thousand.
Tanks: 2,924
Aviation: 914
Submarines: 8
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. In addition, Pakistan has not 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. Pakistan has medium-range ballistic missiles and about a hundred nuclear warheads
10. Türkiye
Budget: $18.2 billion
Number of active army: 410 thousand.
Tanks: 3,778
Aviation: 1,020
Submarines: 13
Türkiye claims to be a regional leader, so it is constantly building up and updating its armed forces. A huge number of tanks, aircraft and a large modern fleet (though without aircraft carriers) allow the Turkish army to be considered the strongest among the Muslim countries of the Middle East.
9. 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. 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
Number of active army: 320 thousand.
Tanks: 586
Aviation: 760
Submarines: 6
7. South Korea
Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 624 thousand.
Tanks: 2,381
Aviation: 1,412
Submarines: 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 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.
6. France
Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 202 thousand.
Tanks: 423
Aviation: 1,264
Submarines: 10
The French army is still the main military force in Africa and continues to actively intervene in local conflicts. 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.
5. India
Budget: $50 billion
Number of active army: 1.325 million
Tanks: 6,464
Aviation: 1,905
Submarines: 15
The third largest army in the world and the fourth largest army in the world. 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 thousand.
Tanks: 678
Aviation: 1,613
Submarines: 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 Japanese aircraft. In addition, they include 4 helicopter carriers and 9 destroyers. At the same time, Japan does not have nuclear weapons and this, together with the small number of tanks, makes us think that the position of this army is greatly overestimated.
3. China
Budget: $216 billion
Number of active army: 2.33 million
Tanks: 9,150
Aviation: 2,860
Submarines: 67
The second economy in the world has the largest active army, but 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 is known, China keeps several hundred nuclear warheads on alert. 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
Number of active army: 1 million
Tanks: 15,398
Aviation: 3,429
Submarines: 55
Syria has demonstrated once again that Russia rightly continues to hold a solid 2nd place among the strongest, according to Business Insider. 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, it is far ahead in this area. It is believed that Russia's strategic nuclear forces have about 350 delivery vehicles and about 2 thousand nuclear warheads. The number of tactical nuclear warheads is unknown and could be several thousand.
1. USA
Budget: $601 billion
Number of active army: 1.4 million
Tanks: 8,848
Aviation: 13,892
Submarines: 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 combat aviation. In addition, the American 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.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
Cornelius Nepos, Roman historian
Armies of different countries: number, composition of troops and combat readiness
To guarantee the safety of citizens and the inviolability of borders, all countries of the world are acquiring armed forces - on a conscript or contract basis. Depending on the size of the state, the size of the population and the annual budget, their armies also differ - in the number of military personnel (personnel), as well as in the number and level of weapons.
So, “who is the strongest in the world?” It’s not easy to answer, because all rankings of the world’s armies are compiled on the basis of the data that each state considers necessary to report. At the same time, it can either overestimate its successes in the hope of intimidating possible opponents, or underestimate them, not wanting to dedicate the world community to the details of its military industry.
In our article about the most powerful armies in the world in 2017, we will provide data from open sources, but it is worth remembering that they may differ significantly from real ones. In addition, it is not the number of tanks and aircraft that determines the combat readiness of troops - trained personnel and morale are much more important. Fortunately, this is all right in the Russian army!
Here's what the top ten most powerful armies in the world look like:
- 1st place - US Army;
- 2nd – Russian Army;
- 3rd – Chinese army;
- 4th – Indian Armed Forces;
- 5th – British troops;
- 6th – French army;
- 7th – German troops;
- 8th – Turkish Army:
- 9th – South Korean Army;
- 10th – Japanese armed forces.
Types of troops and weapons
Most armies in the world include the following types of troops:
- ground troops;
- tank forces;
- military aviation;
- navy, including aircraft carriers and submarines.
The presence of nuclear warheads in the arsenal determines membership in the so-called “nuclear club”. Of the large countries it does not include:
- Germany;
- Türkiye;
- South Korea;
- Japan.
Quantitative data from different sources on the volume of lethal weapons may vary: often this information is classified. Our pride is 8,484 nuclear warheads versus 7,506 for the United States, although the United States ranks first in the overall ranking.
Personnel
The size of the world's armies often depends not only on the population of the state, but also on who has more personnel - professionals or conscripts. The largest army is the Chinese: the number of ground forces in the Middle Kingdom is approximately 1.6 million soldiers. The age of service is impressive: they are called up from the age of 19, and soldiers remain in the reserve until they are 50 years old. In total, China has more than one and a half billion people in reserve! In terms of numbers, the Russian army ranks second in the world.
Military equipment
The strongest armies in the world in 2017 have thousands of units of military equipment at their disposal. The Russian army has only one aircraft carrier against ten American ones, but we have more tanks than other countries - 15,000 units, while the UK has only 407. For comparison: the leader of the dozens, the US Army, has 8,325 tanks in service . If we talk about the power of weapons, the German Leopard 2A7 tank is considered the best in the world, and the Russian T-14 Armata is in 5th place.
The most powerful navy is that of the United States (more than 270 units); at the end of the top ten, the Indonesian Navy dropped anchor. Russia, according to various estimates, is approximately in 5th place.
Fleet of different countries of the world
The armed forces of Germany, Turkey and South Korea do not have aircraft carriers. Experts agree that the best submarines are American ones, such as the Seawolf. Russian submarines of Project 885 Yasen are in 4th place. Since 2016, other leaders have been afloat in the United States - Zamvolt-class destroyers.
World military aviation
Superiority in battles is unthinkable without combat aircraft - all the strongest armies in the world are capable of fighting in the skies. The three best cars are “Americans”. Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a 5th generation fighter - multi-role and the most expensive in the world. The second to fly is the stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter. Third place goes to the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet: the aircraft is equipped with an electronic digital engine control system. The Russian MiG-31 occupies 8th place in the ranking of “air fighters”.
F-22 Raptor How much does defense cost?
The United States does not skimp on the army: the defense budget is 662 billion dollars, and in Russia it is only 50. This is less than China’s - 191.8, but significantly more than Turkey’s - 18 billion.
Debt to the Motherland
The most powerful armies in the world are aimed at transitioning to professional personnel. Since 2005, compulsory conscription has been abolished in Italy, Slovakia, Macedonia and Montenegro. It is also in the past for Romania, Latvia, Bulgaria and Poland. Young people are free from military service in Albania and Serbia, Sweden and Germany. Information has emerged that Georgia will also follow this path.
The terms of conscription service in modern armies of the world are different and differ significantly from those practiced by the armies of antiquity. “Life-long conscription” existed both in Ancient Rome and in Tsarist Russia - they served for about 25 years. Some sources claim that Genghis Khan's soldiers were required to serve for 53 years.
Today they have time to both serve and live in civilian life:
- in Greece they pay back their debt to their homeland for 9 months;
- in Finland, the length of service depends on the rank and ranges from 165 to 347 days;
- In Estonia, service lasts from 8 to 11 months.
The strongest army in the world is American - professional. But in case the US Congress deems it necessary to restore the draft, all men from 18 to 25 years of age (regardless of American citizenship) will be required to register with the military. They serve voluntarily under contract in Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Canada, Luxembourg, and France.
In Russia, guys are escorted for a year, but in neighboring Belarus - depending on their education: if you get a higher education, serve for 12 months, if not, give it to the army for 18 months. In Ukraine they conscript for a year and a half.
The only professional army based on compulsory conscription is the Israeli one. Men serve for 3 years, women for 2. There are three types of troops in the Israeli army:
- rear;
- combat (those that conduct constant military operations on the front line);
- combat support troops.
After a three-year course, the service continues under a contract and lasts at least 7 years.
Service in North Korea is not for the faint of heart: in the ground forces - from 5 to 12 years, in aviation and air defense forces - 3-4 years, in the navy - from 5 to 10 years.
Technologies and personnel
In terms of high technology, the top armies are again led by the United States. Having scattered its military bases around the world, America continues to diligently develop new types of weapons and confidently leads the world.
Russia has no less potential, but the budget is the main obstacle to the development of the Russian army. It is 8 times smaller than the American one. In our army, everything is decided by personnel. The qualifications and combat experience of military personnel, special highly mobile units ready to go into battle immediately upon receipt of an order are an undoubted plus of our country’s defense capability.
Interesting facts about the armies of the world
The army is not just dry numbers. Military history is full of interesting and even funny facts.
- For example, Peter I ordered buttons to be sewn onto the sleeves of soldiers' uniforms. For what? It’s all very simple: the buttons prevented the servicemen from wiping their mouths with their sleeves after eating! Most of the soldiers of that era came from peasant families and had corresponding habits. Peter fought for the safety of uniforms made of expensive cloth.
- And in Ancient Greece, according to some historians, special detachments of “gay” heroes fought. How can you be afraid or disgrace yourself when your beloved is among your “fellow soldiers”? The units were considered invincible and preferred death on the battlefield to defeat.
- The modern Romanian army, which also includes women, is considered the most beautiful in the world.
- A detachment of huskies patrols the Greenland coast. Dog sleds are the only means of transportation in these parts, and furry fighters are called into service.
- The Pentagon has gone even further - it has bees in its arsenal! The winged warriors discover certain explosives that neither humans nor dogs are susceptible to.
This is the modern world “in the optical sight.” As you can see, the question of which is the strongest army in the world remains open. We hope that we and our descendants will never have to find out this experimentally.
Magazine collection Armed Forces of the World this is an encyclopedic publication dedicated to the armed forces of different countries, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Publishing house Eaglemoss.
Each issue of the magazine consists of 32 pages (except for the first issue, which has 48) and is designed so that you can put articles in special folders that you will receive as a gift. The result is a comprehensive, streamlined, user-friendly help system that's a pleasure to use again and again.
Magazine
The entire range of military equipment, troops, military campaigns and operations is presented in the collection under six headings. To simplify the organization and search of data, each section is divided into sections, and they, in turn, into subsections. Special symbols and colors indicate the era and help identify the heading and section. This will allow you to store information in perfect order and quickly find it.
- Types of weapons
Descriptions of the most significant types of weapons are given in three sections: Land, Air, Sea. - Beats and Campaigns
The world history of military conflicts is divided into four eras: the first half of the twentieth century (1900-1938), the Second World War (1939-1945), the second half of the twentieth century (1946-1991), and the modern era (1992-present). - Strategy and tactics
This section talks about military operations on land, in the air, at sea and about mixed operations. - Armies of the world
The five sections of the column about the armies of the countries of the world are divided according to geographical principle. - Personalities
This section, which includes three sections: Leaders, Innovators, Warriors, talks about the most significant figures in military history. - Special types of troops
Information about special types of troops is distributed in three sections: Military formations, Intelligence and special operations forces, Irregular formations.
Spectacular technical illustrations
Modern illustrations will allow you to see combat vehicles and weapons not only from the outside, but also in cross-section. By “removing” some of the armor, plating, composite coating or fabric shell of armored vehicles, warships and aircraft, we will reveal the inner workings of these complex combat vehicles.
Detailed images of the battlefield will help you understand the most complex encounters, and maps of military campaigns with authentic military symbols will give you the opportunity to feel like a military leader.
Information inserts
Information boxes emphasize the most important facts or supplement articles with interesting details.
- Inserts « Context” contain important information that helps you see the topic in a broader global context. A tank, for example, can be considered within the framework of the history of the development of tank construction, and a battle - from the point of view of its political and military significance.
- In the inserts " Important facts» contains information on key aspects of the presented topic. Here you can read about vehicle modifications, the main stages of the campaign or the career of a military leader.
- Performance characteristics. In the inserts, abbreviated as TTX, all data on the speed, weight, range and firepower of weapons are systematized as much as possible.
- In the inserts " Short» the most significant additional information on the topic is presented or comments from experts are given, formulated briefly and clearly.
- Battle plan. Brief descriptions of the battle plans, strategies, dispositions, doctrines, and objectives of the most intricate campaigns given in the Battle Plan boxes will help you gain insight into the plans of military leaders.
The “Armed Forces of the World” collection is a unique information organization system.
- Category title– The names of the heading and subsection are always located in the corresponding color.
- Article title– The short title indicates exactly what information the sheet contains.
- Action area– Each sheet indicates where the action takes place: on land, at sea or in the air.
- National flag– The image of the flag tells which country the article is dedicated to.
- Photos– The collection contains carefully selected archival photographs from around the world.
- Storage– Each sheet has holes, which makes them easy to place in folders.
- Important information– The special symbol of each section and the name of the era on the corresponding color precisely determine the place of the sheet in the collection.
- Symbols– Special symbols help you navigate the collection. Each section and era is assigned a specific color, and special symbols indicate which type of military force the sheet is dedicated to: ground forces, air force or navy. The globe symbol quickly and clearly represents the region discussed in the “Armies of the World” section.
- Epoch indicator– This element will help classify articles into four time periods.
- On the same topic– Using a unique code, the information on this sheet is compared with other headings.
- Main weapons– The most important weapons objects are marked with a special mark.
- Topic and sheet number– Rubrics include topics, each of which has a number (first digit before the dot). Each article within a topic also has its own number.
To store collection materials, place magazine sheets in special folders and distribute them by heading using appropriate dividers. Each folder is accompanied by a special list - a description of the structure of the section, where campaigns, personalities, and technical details are mentioned. Written by military experts, these introductory sheets serve as category guides, simplify information retrieval, and help organize the collection as it grows.
Release schedule
№1 – 14.08.2013
No. 2 + folder – 08/28/2013
No. 3 + folder dividers – 09/11/2013
№4 – 18.09.2013
How many issues
Total planned 100 issues.
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; the full list includes the most powerful armies in the world in 2018.
Read updated according to Globalfirepower.
The top 10 was compiled according to data from a specialized resource.
- 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 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.
10. German Army
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
The 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. The size of the Russian army for 2018 is 1,013,000 people. The military budget is $47 billion. Among the superpowers, Russia has a very high rate of the number of military personnel per 1000 inhabitants - 5.3 people.
1. US Army
The most powerful 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, the morale of the soldiers will play an important role in winning a world war. In this regard, it is a big mistake to consider the current distribution of seats to be absolutely correct.
