Show how many issues the world's armed forces have. Armies of the world: ranking of the strongest

From time immemorial there have been many states on Earth. Almost every century their number is renewed: some countries split into several, while others, on the contrary, unite. Each state, depending on the goals of its political leaders, has its own army, usually consisting of infantry, military equipment, and so on.

Nowadays, the armed forces are mainly needed to preserve the sovereignty of a particular country, that is, to maintain the status of independence. There are countries that are not capable of maintaining a large number of troops. For example, the army of Luxembourg does not exceed 1000 people. But there are several states where the number of manpower serving in the army is very large.

10. Vietnam

Vietnamese troops are among the most advanced armed forces. The latest NATO developments and those of other origins, a huge amount of equipment, a large defense budget. According to the latest data, the manpower of Vietnamese troops has already exceeded 482 thousand people.

According to the leaders of this state, this quantity is enough, especially since military equipment will soon be serviced by a much smaller number of soldiers. Moreover, several decades ago, when the troops of the United States of America attacked Vietnam, Vietnam managed to win. There are more than 5 million people in the reserve.

9. Türkiye

One of the strongest countries in the North Atlantic alliance. The defense budget amounts to several tens of billions of dollars. Just like many NATO countries, there is a large amount of modern military equipment and weapons. In this situation, 511 thousand people The Turkish Armed Forces have enough personnel. In general, the military is well trained and can professionally not only repel an attack within the country, but also fight extremism abroad. The reserve of the Turkish army is about 379 thousand people.

8. Republic of Iran

Approximately 523 thousand people serves in the Iranian army. Of course, most of them are ground forces, since Iran is a state that is actively conducting ground operations against ISIS (banned in Russia). Basically, the Iranian army uses the development of military equipment and small arms of the Soviet Union and Russia. The army reserve is small: 350 thousand people. Most likely, this is due to the activity of Iran’s regular army and it is impossible to keep many people in reserve.

7. Republic of Korea

The South Korean army is just over 630 thousand soldiers. At the moment, South Korea is not a militaristic state, unlike its northern neighbor. But, despite this, a huge reserve was created - about three million.

Perhaps, just in case North Korea decides to have a good fight. At least, it has been threatening for a long time. Therefore, the reserve contains a relatively large number of people.

6. Pakistan

The Republic of Pakistan has a fairly large population. Few people know that India and Pakistan were at enmity with each other very deep in history (the western part of India professes Islam, like the whole of Pakistan). Pakistan Army has 644 thousand military personnel and 513 thousand reservists. Basically, they use weapons from the times of the USSR. Sometimes there are developments from the People's Republic of China, as well as many neighboring countries.

5. Russian Federation

831 thousand people, serving in the Russian army. Despite the fact that the Russian Federation is the largest state in the world, the army is small if you count manpower. The Ministry of Defense previously stated that Russia is actively developing military equipment, which involves reducing the number of military personnel serving it. Also, do not forget that cooks and other people needed for housework in military units are now civilians, and not military, as before. There are more than two million people in the reserve.

4. DPRK

North Korea, or rather its president, said that the army of this country should take first place in the number of military personnel. It is not surprising, because this state is one of the most aggressive towards Japan, the USA and its southern neighbor. 1,200,000 military personnel. This state gives almost all the funds from its budget to the KPA (Korean People's Army).

Despite the impressive number of people serving in the KPA, this state may well lose the war to South Korea. This is because the KPA's weapons have become obsolete a long time ago. Until now, this country supplies military units with developments that were used during the Second World War. To these are added units manufactured in the USSR, Japan and China. The Korean People's Army reserves number approximately 4 million.

3. India

A state with a high population density. Indian Army includes 1,346,000 soldiers who are in military service. Very high number of border troops, especially on the border with Pakistan. The weapons are mostly American, although India is quite successfully developing its own small arms and military equipment. The reserve is also large: 1,155,000 people.

2. USA

In second place in the ranking in terms of the number of military personnel. The United States has always tried to constantly increase its influence in foreign policy. She has a lot of both soldiers and military equipment. 1,382,000 people serves in the US Armed Forces.

Despite the fact that the American military industry is also heading towards reducing the number of service personnel, the United States is not going to reduce the number of military personnel. That is, he is trying to increase everything: the amount of military equipment, the number of soldiers. The weapons are powerful. The US armed forces reserve is 845 thousand people.

1. China

First in terms of population, and, of course, in terms of army size in the whole world. Moreover, both military equipment and manpower are ahead of everyone. 2,183,000 people serves in the ranks of the armed forces of the People's Republic of China.

The manpower of China's troops is constantly increasing. Small arms and military equipment are produced right in this country. True, either under a license from the country of the inventor, or analogues of existing weapons, but slightly modified in structure and properties. The reserve is small; according to the latest data, it numbers no more than half a million people.

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 is 2.5 times greater than the Russian one. 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.

Which army is the strongest in the world? This question interests many people.
Of course, the easiest way to identify the best among the most powerful armies in the world is through war.

An extreme measure is absolutely unacceptable, so we will look at the best armies on Earth in terms of their numbers, weapons and the budget that states spend on them.

Israel is in tenth place. This state is located in a very turbulent place - among not very friendly neighbors, so Israel, unfortunately, had a lot of military practice in the twentieth century. So it is not surprising that the state spends a decent amount of $15 billion on maintaining the army.

The army is well equipped with a significant amount of modern military equipment; its strength is constantly 240,000 soldiers, among whom there are many girls, because compulsory military service in Israel covers young people of both sexes.

9 Japan

The ninth place of the most powerful armies in the world is occupied by the Land of the Rising Sun.

As you know, after the Second World War, during which Japan was an ally of Nazi Germany, this country was prohibited from maintaining a large army, as well as from conducting offensive battles.

Japan is located in close proximity to a rather aggressive neighbor - the DPRK. Therefore, without being able to increase the size of the army, the state improves its equipment as much as possible.

The Japanese army is one of the most technically advanced armies in the world; it owns a large amount of modern military equipment: about 5,000 aircraft alone. There are approximately 200,000 soldiers in service. Of course, the Japanese spend significant amounts of money on weapons - about 50 billion dollars, and according to some reports, even more.

France is in the eighth month in the ranking of the most powerful armies in the world. Although this country itself is small and located in prosperous Europe, it still considers it necessary to maintain a fairly large army, the number of which is about 230 thousand people.

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”.

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.

A powerful and combat-ready army is the key to a country’s significant weight in the international arena. Moreover, in connection with the well-known events in Syria and Ukraine, the closest attention is increasingly being paid to the military power of different countries. Many people ask the question: “Who will win the world war?”

Today we present an annually updated, official ranking of the world's armies, a list that includes the most powerful armies in the world in 2017.

When compiling the rating, the following are compared:
- the number of armies of the world (regular number of troops, reservists)
- weapons (airplanes, helicopters, tanks, navy, artillery, other equipment)
- military budget, resource availability, geographical location, logistics.

Nuclear potential is not taken into account by experts, but recognized nuclear powers receive an advantage in ranking.

By the way, San Marino has the weakest army in the world in 2017 – only 80 people.

10 South Korea

9 Germany

8 Türkiye

7 Japan

6 UK

5 France

4 India

3 China

2 Russia

1 USA