In this world of power and prestige, nations from all across the World compete to form the most powerful militaries in the world. But we live in a post-superpower world. In a sense, today no nation deems supremacy over any other country by force like earlier.
This means that nations have started becoming conscious of their areas. So, naturally, the thought of protecting your land and its boundaries have evolved in the minds of people. This lead to the natural progression of creating armies and navies to protect your realm. But today, each of these countries strives to be the most powerful country on Earth.
So, given below are the strongest armies and militaries in the world ranking according to various factors. Have a look for yourself how and why these countries stand where they are. Also, find the reason why they are on the top. So, these 10 militaries are easily some of the best equipped and trained in the modern world:
10. South Korea
As a small nation of the east, South Korea has to be completely prepared all the time for a potential attack from their very neighbor. This must be the reason why they too have compulsory conscription. But, they do have a huge budget for a nation their size.
With a defence budget enough to feed millions, this small country is armed better than several nations of the world.
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Best Combat- Though South Korea hasn’t been in a war as such, they are constantly on their watch for an attack from their neighbours- North Korea. .
Power Index rating: 0.2741
Defense budget: $43.8 billion
Total military personnel: 5,829,750
Total aircraft strength: 1,477
Fighter aircraft: 406
Combat tanks: 2,654
Total naval assets: 166 (one aircraft carrier)
9. Germany
Ever since World War II, Germany has tried to stay out of troubles, especially in the military realm. However, this does not mean that this economic giant has been sleeping all the while. The modern German armed forces or Bundeswehr is a very well furnished army with regards to the weapons they use. Another important factor is the ironclad “Deutsche” discipline enforced within their ranks, which makes them a real force to reckon with.
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Best combat-they proved their mettle during the Afghan war when they were one of the most prominent nations in the US-led NATO coalition.
Power Index rating: 0.2609
Defense budget: $39.2 billion
Total military personnel: 210,000
Total aircraft strength: 698
Fighter aircraft: 92
Combat tanks: 543
Total naval assets: 81
8. Pakistan
With the world’s 6th biggest military, Pakistan doesn’t stand too far behind in the Game of Wars. The combat tanks along with naval assets amount to huge leverage in the wars yet to come. The huge standing army which often swallows up the democracy of the country is deeply revered in the country. Pakistan is also known to make extensive use of the so-called “non-state actors” to achieve their goals in international diplomacy.
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Best Combat- While most of their military endeavours have ended in failure, they still pose a potential threat to any nation that stands in their way.
Power Index rating: 0.3287
Defense budget: $7 billion
Total military personnel: 919,000
Total aircraft strength: 951
Fighter aircraft: 301
Combat tanks: 2,924
Total naval assets: 197
7. Israel
As a country which is surrounded on all sides by enemies, Israel certainly knows how cold they need to serve their revenge. With their “defence only” strategy, Israel is one of the most feared militaries in the world. They are known to take revenge in the most brutal and fearsome way possible. What makes this relatively newly established country such a nightmare to longstanding global giants?
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Maybe it’s the compulsory conscription it enforces for men and women, which makes sure that every Israeli citizen is a walking, talking soldier, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Or maybe it’s the fact that since the 6-day war, they have sought out and destroyed those who seek to destroy them.
Israel is also regarded by many to be the experts in unconventional warfare, with the use of drones and cyber warfare to strike deep into enemy territory.
Best combat- The 6-day war and the Hezbollah War of 2006 has definitely proved to be a raging reply to all those who questioned Israel.
Power Index rating: 0.3476
Total military personnel: 718,250
Total aircraft strength: 652
Fighter aircraft: 243
Combat tanks: 2,620
Total naval assets: 65
6. France
The French, with tremendous aircraft and fleet strength, have kept their stance on the ground for a very long time. The French were a part of both World War I and World War IIand have continued to showcase the same kind of so-called “strength” in the criteria of warfare.
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Best Combat- France definitely displayed impeccable blue water skills with their involvement in the Western African Conflicts, especially in Mali and CAR.
Power Index rating: 0.1914
Defense budget: $35 billion
Total military personnel: 387,635
Total aircraft strength: 1,305
Fighter aircraft 296
Combat tanks: 406
Total naval assets: 118 (four aircraft carriers)
5. The United Kingdom
As a country which has an army much larger than required, United Kingdom boasts a military which can survive and defeat wars. Despite being a small country, the United Kingdom also brags of one of the strongest economies and fighting forces in the world. A part of this is due to the once glorious Imperial Past of an empire where the sun never set.
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Best Combat- after the USA, the United Kingdom were the second largest part of the NATO coalition during the Iraq war.
Power Index rating: 0.213
Defense budget: $45.7 billion
Total military personnel: 232,675
Total aircraft strength: 856
Fighter aircraft: 88
Combat tanks 249
Total naval assets: 76 (two aircraft carriers)
4. India
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With constant threats beckoning from all directions of the country, India is forced to maintain a thriving military at all times. A big figure of 4 million military personnel and not to mention its sensibility shown in acquiring advanced weaponry over the past few decades has enabled India to maintain its edge over its rivals.
Best combat-The Indian Military forces achieved, what can be arguably said to be, one of the finest war victories in recent times, when they thwarted a 2 pronged assault by Pakistan in 1971, leading to the creation of Bangladesh. Its proficiency in the use of advanced weaponry was displayed during the Kargil Conflict of 1999.
Power Index rating: 0.1593
Defense budget: $51 billion
Total military personnel: 4,207,250
Total aircraft strength: 2,102
Fighter aircraft: 676
Combat tanks: 4,426
Total naval assets: 295 (1 aircraft carriers)
3. Russia
Russia- The last remnant of the once great Soviet Union, is no child on the global stage of weapons and war. After the USSR‘s collapse in 1990, Russian armed forces went through a bad phase for about a decade and a half. However, the science of change was evident since the mid-2000s, under new and militarily adventurous leadership.
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Best Combat- Russia’s performance in the Syrian conflict from 2016 has been extremely successful, proving once and for all that Russia is still a global power to be reckoned with.
Power Index rating: 0.0929
Defense budget: $44.6 billion
Total military personnel: 3,371,027
Total aircraft strength: 3,794
Fighter aircraft: 806
Combat tanks: 20,216
Total naval assets: 352 (one aircraft carrier)
2.China
The most populous country in the world not featuring in this list would make it a highly inaccurate endeavour. With its gigantic population, Chinese Military troops are capable of projecting power throughout the globe. China is headfast with its weapon system by swiftly accumulating the best information from around the world (especially Western nations) and applying it into their technology to the best of their use.
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Best Combat- While there have been no major conflicts in the past 4 decades which involved China, a war with this nation is definitely a nightmare for any country on earth.
Power Index rating: 0.0945
Defense budget: $161.7 billion
Total military personnel: 3,712,500
Total aircraft strength: 2,955
Fighter aircraft: 1,271
Combat tanks: 6,457
Total naval assets: 714 (one aircraft carrier)
1. USA
One simple fact shows USA’s dominance in the field of military powers. It is the fact that every single arms system they have, every single weapon, and every single aircraft are all light years ahead of their nearest rival. It is a common thought that if the United States gets in a war with any of the other nations of the world, there is a slim or practically no chance that the other side will emerge victoriously.
Best Combat- Numerous, but the latest ones which are the Afghan war and the Iraq war are some of the strongest exhibitions of their dominance.
Power Index rating: 0.0857
Defense budget: $587.8 billion
Total military personnel: 2,363,675
Total aircraft: 13,762
Fighter aircraft: 2,296
Combat tanks: 5,884
Total naval assets: 415 (19 aircraft carriers)
These were the 10 most powerful militaries of the world. This list is carefully curated based on the statistics. But if you have any other opinions about any other countries, feel free to leave it in the comments below and we may feature them in our next article.
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Sruthi Nair
