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 has 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 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.
Comparing the military power of different states is a complex but interesting problem. Despite all the difficulties associated with assessing the power of the armed forces of a particular state, attempts are constantly being made to rank the most militarily powerful states. Due to constant tensions or open clashes constantly observed in different parts of the world, such ratings are in demand and attract the attention of the general public.
On July 10, the American publication Business Insider published a material entitled The 35 Most Powerful Militaries In The World (“35 most powerful armies in the world”). As is clear from the title, the authors of the article tried to compare the armed forces of leading countries and find out which state has the most powerful army. For convenience, the list was limited to only 35 positions, which is why the vast majority of countries in the world were not able to get into it.
According to Business Insider, the top ten most militarily powerful states are as follows: USA, Russia, China, India, Great Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, South Korea and Japan. Keeping in mind recent events, it is necessary to note the position in the ranking of several other states. Thus, Israel was unable to enter the top ten and stopped in 11th place, Ukraine took 21st place, and Iran is right behind it in the ranking. The Syrian armed forces secured their country 26th place in the world rankings. The last place in the list from Business Insider is occupied by the DPRK.
GFP rating
It should be noted that the authors of The 35 Most Powerful Militaries In The World did not independently conduct research on the world's armed forces, but used an existing database. They took the famous Global Firepower Index (GFP) rating as the basis for their work. This rating is considered one of the most famous and authoritative in the world.
The purpose of the GFP database is to collect information about the world's armed forces, analyze it and summarize it. The latest ranking of the world's armies was published in April of this year and contains information about the armed forces of 106 states. In the future, the number of countries included in the ranking will increase.
To compare the military power of states, the authors of the Global Firepower Index use a complex assessment methodology that takes into account over 50 different factors. Based on the calculation results, the army receives a rating (Power index or PwrIndex), which approximately reflects its capabilities. At the same time, for greater objectivity of assessments, a system of bonus and penalty points is used. Besides, objectivity is intended to ensure several additional conditions:
— the assessment does not take into account nuclear weapons;
— the assessment takes into account the geographical features of the state;
— the assessment takes into account not only the number of weapons and equipment;
— the assessment takes into account the production and consumption of certain resources;
— landlocked states do not receive penalty points for not having a navy;
- a fine is imposed for the limited capabilities of the military fleet;
— the assessment does not take into account the characteristics of the country’s political and military leadership.
The result of the calculation is a decimal fraction with four decimal places. Ideally, the state index should be equal to 0.0000, but achieving such high indicators in reality is impossible. For example, the leader of the latest ranking, the USA, has a score of 0.2208, and Japan closes the top ten with a PwrIndex of 0.5586. Starting from 25th place (Saudi Arabia), state scores exceed one. Moreover, Tanzania, which is in last 106th place in the ranking, has a score of 4.3423.
Of course, the GFP rating has certain problems, but still allows you to create a relatively objective picture that takes into account many different factors. Let's turn to the Global Firepower Index database and look at what allowed countries to take the first 5 places in the ranking.
1. USA
The authors of the rating note that in recent years the United States has found itself in a difficult situation. Two costly wars and difficulties with new projects, as well as military budget cuts, have left the Pentagon facing many challenges. However, even under these conditions, the US military retained its first place in the GFP rankings, receiving a score of 0.2208.
The total population of the United States is 316.668 million people. The total number of human resources available for service is 142.2 million people. 120 million people aged 17-45 years can be drafted into the army if necessary. Every year, the number of potential conscripts is replenished with 4.2 million people. Currently, 1.43 million people serve in the US armed forces, and the reserve is 850 thousand people.
Ground units of the armed forces have a large amount of equipment of various classes and types. In total, the United States uses 8,325 tanks, 25,782 armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, etc., 1,934 self-propelled artillery, 1,791 towed guns and 1,330 multiple launch rocket systems.
The total number of aircraft in the Air Force, Naval Aviation and Marine Aviation is 13,683. These are 2,271 fighters, 2,601 attack aircraft, 5,222 military transport aircraft, 2,745 training aircraft, as well as 6,012 multi-purpose and 914 attack helicopters.
The US Navy and other agencies currently operate more than 470 ships, submarines, boats and support vessels. 10 aircraft carriers, 15 frigates, 62 destroyers, 72 submarines, 13 coast guard ships and 13 minesweepers.
Despite the emergence of new weapons and equipment, the US armed forces still need oil and petroleum products. The United States oil industry currently produces 8.5 million barrels per day. Daily consumption is 19 million. US proven reserves are 20.6 billion barrels.
The GFP ranking also takes into account countries' manufacturing and logistics capabilities. The total US labor force is 155 million people. The country has 393 merchant ships (flying the American flag) that can use 24 major ports. The total length of roads is 6.58 million miles, railways - 227.8 thousand miles. There are 13.5 thousand airports and airfields in operation.
An important element of the rating is the financial component of the armed forces. The US military budget is $612.5 billion. At the same time, the country's external debt is equal to $15.9 trillion. The country's gold and foreign exchange reserves are $150.2 billion, purchasing power parity is $15.9 trillion.
To predict a country's capabilities in a defensive war, the Global Firepower Index takes into account the geographical characteristics of countries. The total area of the USA is 9.8 million square meters. km. The coastline is 19.9 thousand km, the borders with neighboring countries are 12 thousand km. Waterways – 41 thousand km.
2. Russia
The total population of Russia is 145.5 million people, 69.1 million of whom can serve. Every year, 1.35 million people reach conscription age. Currently, 766 thousand people are serving in military service, and the reserve of the armed forces is 2.48 million.
Russia has one of the largest fleets of armored vehicles. Its armed forces have 15.5 thousand tanks, 27,607 armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and similar vehicles, 5,990 self-propelled guns, 4,625 towed guns and 3,871 MLRS.
The total number of aircraft in the armed forces is 3082 units. Of these, 736 fighters, 1,289 attack aircraft, 730 military transport, 303 training aircraft, as well as 973 multi-purpose and 114 attack helicopters.
The Navy and Border Guard operate more than 350 ships, boats and auxiliary vessels. This is one aircraft carrier, four frigates, 13 destroyers, 74 corvettes, 63 submarines and 65 coast guard ships. The mine sweeping forces are represented by 34 ships.
Russia's "working hands" are estimated at 75.68 million people. There are 1,143 sea and river merchant vessels. The main logistics load falls on seven major ports and terminals. The country has 982 thousand km of roads and 87.1 thousand km of railways. Air transport can use 1218 airfields.
The Russian military budget is $76.6 billion. The country's external debt is $631.8 billion. Gold and foreign exchange reserves are estimated at 537.6 billion dollars. Purchasing power parity – 2.486 trillion. dollars.
Russia is the largest state in the world and has an area of more than 17 million square meters. km. The country's coastline is 37,653 km long, and its land borders are 20,241 km long. The total length of waterways reaches 102 thousand km.
3. China
The top three in the April Global Firepower Index ranking is completed by China, which received a score of 0.2594. The country is increasing its defense spending, allowing it to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region and also move up the GFP rankings.
The PRC is the world's largest country in terms of population: 1.35 billion people live in this country. If necessary, 749.6 million people can be drafted into the armed forces. Every year, 19.5 million people reach conscription age. Currently, 2.28 million people serve in the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), and 2.3 million are reservists.
The PLA has 9,150 tanks of various classes and types, 4,788 armored vehicles for infantry, 1,710 self-propelled and 6,246 towed guns. In addition, the ground forces have 1,770 multiple launch rocket systems.
The total number of aircraft in the Air Force and Naval Aviation is 2,788. Of these, 1,170 are fighters, 885 are attack aircraft. Transport missions are performed by 762 aircraft, and 380 aircraft are used for pilot training. In addition, the PLA has 865 multi-role helicopters and 122 attack helicopters.
The Chinese fleet has 520 ships, boats and vessels. This number includes one aircraft carrier, 45 frigates, 24 destroyers, 9 corvettes, 69 submarines, 353 coast guard ships and boats, and 119 mine-sweeping ships.
Every day, China produces 4.075 million barrels of oil, which is less than half of its own consumption (9.5 million barrels per day). Proven oil reserves are 25.58 billion barrels.
China's labor force is estimated at 798.5 million people. The country operates 2,030 merchant ships. 15 ports and terminals are of strategic importance. The total length of roads exceeds 3.86 million km, and there are also 86 thousand km of railways. Aviation can use 507 airfields.
According to GFP, China's defense budget reached $126 billion last year. At the same time, the country's external debt approached $729 billion. The country's gold and foreign exchange reserves reach 3.34 trillion. dollars. Purchasing power parity – 12.26 trillion. dollars.
The area of China is just under 9.6 million square meters. kilometers. The coastline is 14.5 thousand km long, the land border is 22,117 km. There are waterways with a total length of 110 thousand km.
4. India
India received a score of 0.3872 and ranks fourth in the GFP rankings. This state has already become the largest importer of weapons and military equipment, and, apparently, will continue military-technical cooperation with foreign partners in the future.
Being the second largest country in the world by population (1.22 billion people), India, if necessary, can call up to 615.2 million people into the army. Every year, the available human resources are replenished by 22.9 million people reaching military age. Currently, there are 1.325 million people serving in the Indian armed forces, with another 2.143 million in reserve.
The Indian ground forces have 3,569 tanks, 5,085 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 290 self-propelled guns and 6,445 towed artillery pieces. Rocket artillery is represented by 292 multiple launch rocket systems.
The Indian Air Force has 1,785 aircraft of all classes and types. The aircraft fleet has the following structure: 535 fighters, 468 attack aircraft, 706 military transport and 237 trainers. Transport and auxiliary tasks are performed by 504 multi-purpose helicopters. The destruction of enemy equipment and forces is assigned to 20 attack helicopters.
The Indian Navy is comparatively small, with only 184 ships. This number includes 2 aircraft carriers, 15 frigates, 11 destroyers, 24 corvettes, 17 submarines, 32 coast guard ships and boats, and 7 minesweepers.
India has relatively small oil fields, but the country remains dependent on foreign supplies. Proven reserves – 5.476 billion barrels. Every day, the Indian industry produces 897.5 thousand barrels of oil, and daily consumption reaches 3.2 million barrels.
The Indian workforce is estimated at 482.3 million. There are 340 merchant ships flying the Indian flag. The country has 7 major ports. The total length of roads exceeds 3.32 million km. For railways, this parameter does not exceed 64 thousand km. There are 346 airfields in operation.
This year, India has allocated $46 billion for defense needs. The state's external debt is approaching 379 billion. The country's gold and foreign exchange reserves are estimated at $297.8 billion, and purchasing power parity is $4.71 trillion.
The area of India is 3.287 million square meters. km. The country has land borders with a total length of 14,103 km and a coastline of 7 thousand km. The length of the country's waterways is 14.5 thousand km.
5. UK
The top five in the GFP ranking, compiled in April of this year, is completed by Great Britain, which received a score of 0.3923. This country intends to pay special attention to its armed forces in the near future and, in this regard, is implementing several new projects.
Of the 63.4 million British citizens, only 29.1 million people can join the army. The number of potential military personnel is replenished annually by 749 thousand people. Currently, 205.3 thousand people are serving in the armed forces. Reserve – 182 thousand.
The British ground forces are armed with 407 tanks, 6,245 armored vehicles for transporting infantry, 89 self-propelled artillery, 138 towed guns and 56 MLRS.
The Royal Air Force has 908 aircraft. These are mainly aircraft: 84 fighters, 178 attack aircraft, 338 military transport and 312 training aircraft. In addition, the troops have 362 multi-purpose and 66 attack helicopters.
Britain once had one of the most powerful navies in the world, but in recent decades it has lost its maritime power. At the moment there are only 66 ships and vessels in the British Naval Service. This includes 1 aircraft carrier, 13 frigates, 6 destroyers, 11 submarines, 24 coast guard vessels and 15 minesweepers.
Using platforms in the North Sea, the UK produces 1.1 million barrels of oil every day. However, production does not cover the country's own consumption, which reaches 1.7 million barrels per day. The country's proven reserves are at 3.12 billion barrels.
The UK industry and economy employs about 32 million people. The country's merchant fleet uses 504 vessels and 14 major ports. On the territory of the state there are 394.4 thousand km of roads and 16.45 thousand km of railways. There are 460 airfields and airports in operation.
The UK's military budget reaches $56.6 billion, and its external debt is $10.09 trillion. Gold and foreign exchange reserves are estimated at 105.1 billion dollars. Purchasing power parity – 2.313 trillion. dollars.
The area of the island state is 243.6 thousand square meters. km. The length of the coastline is 12429 km. On land, the UK borders only Ireland. The length of this border does not exceed 390 km. The total length of waterways is 3200 km.
Leadership Issues
As you can see, the states that occupy the first positions in the Global Firepower Index have several common features. These countries pay great attention to their armed forces, including from a financial point of view. The conclusions of the authors of the GFP rating are confirmed by other sources.
For example, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), over the past few years, India (4th place in the GFP ranking), increasing the cost of purchasing weapons and military equipment, has literally soared up the list of importing countries and has taken a well-deserved first place. The “silver winner” of the GFP rating, Russia, is currently implementing the State Armaments Program, according to which just under 20 trillion will be spent on the purchase of weapons and equipment by 2020. rubles
The purchase of equipment and weapons can be considered one of the main factors that allow countries to stay at the top of the ranking. However, investment in new equipment alone cannot propel a country to the top of the list. In addition to procurement, competent management, proper operation of various structures of the armed forces, etc. are required.
When calculating the PwrIndex, fifty factors are taken into account, each of which can affect the place of a particular country in the list. However, there is some relationship between the quantity and quality of equipment and the country’s position in the ranking. To see it, you need to turn again to the table compiled by journalists from Business Insider.
The world leader in terms of the size of the military budget is unconditionally the United States with defense spending of $612.5 billion. The same country holds primacy in the field of aviation (13,683 aircraft) and aircraft carrier fleet (10 aircraft carriers). As a result, the United States finds itself in first place in the ranking.
Russia took second place and is also a leader in some indicators. The Russian army has 15 thousand tanks - more than anyone else. In addition, Busines Insider journalists took the liberty of supplementing the GFP rating data with information about countries’ nuclear arsenals. According to their calculations, Russia has 8,484 nuclear weapons of various classes and types.
The top three is completed by China, a leader in human resources. Theoretically, 749.6 million people could be drafted into the Chinese army. In addition, it is necessary to note the growing military budget of the PRC, which, according to Business Insider, is second only to the American one and has already reached $126 billion.
An interesting fact is that in the table from the article “The 35 Most Powerful Armies in the World,” the leadership in one of the points remained with a small and not very powerful country militarily. The DPRK occupies 35th place in the GFP ranking and its revised version from Business Insider. Despite this low ranking, the North Korean Navy is the world leader in the submarine fleet, with a reported 78 submarines of various types. However, world leadership in this area did not help North Korea rise above 35th place.
The Global Firepower Index, despite the fact that it was published several months ago, is still of some interest. Due to the complexity of the methodology for determining the rating, which takes into account a large number of various factors, this rating can be considered fairly objective and shows an approximate picture of the real state of affairs in the military field.
In addition, it should be noted that it can please the Russian reader, since our country took one of the first places in it and surpassed almost all other countries included in the ranking. The publication in Business Insider, in turn, reminds us of the GFP rating and allows us to once again feel proud of the Russian armed forces.
