The most powerful country in terms of armament. Armies of the world: ranking of the strongest

Troops are considered an important part of the country and its security. Every year, large funds are allocated from the budgets for the maintenance and modernization of weapons, training and maintenance of soldiers, and much more. Also, countries are taking special initiatives to strengthen themselves militarily.

Hypothetically, compare armies different countries the world and find out which of them is the strongest, impossible. Nevertheless, without leading to a bloody massacre, we will try to get an idea of ​​the military power of countries, taking into account: the arsenal at our disposal; implementation of advanced technologies; military combat skills of soldiers; power and number of allies; the size of the army; allocated budget to support troops, etc.

Let's take a look at the TOP 10 countries with the most powerful armies in the world.

The most powerful armies in the world

10. Japan

Japan is the land of the samurai, which was the leading power during the Second World War. Interestingly, according to the peace treaty, which was signed after the end of World War II, Japan is prohibited from having an offensive army. In response to growing disputes over the expansion of China's military power, Japan began military expansion for the first time in 40 years, placing new military bases on its outer islands. The "Land of the Rising Sun", for the first time in the last 11 years, increased military spending to $ 49.1 billion and by this indicator ranks 6th in the world. The Japanese Army has over 247,000 active personnel and nearly 60,000 are in reserve. The air force squadron consists of 1,595 aircraft (5th in the world). The fleet numbers about 131 warships. In addition, through his recent defense initiatives, he maintains a strong military presence in Asia.

9.South Korea

South Korea shares a border with North Korea, which has an extremely powerful army at its disposal and therefore poses a constant threat to South Korea... But a possible attack from its neighbors is not the only problem for South Korea. To meet the growing armaments of China and Japan, South Korea is ramping up defense spending, which currently stands at about $ 34 billion. The troop numbers are more than 640,000 active personnel and 2,900,000 additional personnel in reserve. The air force is represented by 1,393 aircraft (6th largest). Fleet - 166 ships. Also in South Korea, there are about 15,000 ground weapons, including missile systems, as well as 2,346 tanks. South Korean troops regularly take part in military exercises with the United States.

8.Turkey

In 2015, the Turkish government decided to increase its country's defense spending by 10%. This may be due to the fact that not far from Turkey there is a war between IS and Syrian troops, or perhaps because of the likelihood of a clash with a Kurdish separatist organization. Turkey's defense budget is about $ 18.18 billion. The size of the army (both regular and reserve) is just over 660,000. air force Turkey has 1000 aircraft. Also in service are 16,000 ground weapons. Turkey has strong diplomatic relations with the United States (although those ties are weakening every year) and is also involved in initiatives around the world.

7. Germany

Germany is one of the strongest economic powers in the world, but despite spending about $ 45 million each year, the army's condition seems to have deteriorated over the past few years. One of the reasons for this may be that the generation born and raised in the 1950s and 60s was against the war and was afraid of attacks from other countries with stronger armies. It still discourages people from joining the ranks of the troops. In 2011, compulsory military service was eliminated to prevent the country from being a militarized country. The troops include only 183,000 active personnel and 145,000 reservists. Aviation is armed with 710 aircraft. Total number of weapons different types- almost units.

6. France

France is another country that followed Germany and in 2013 the country's government decided to "effectively" freeze military spending and defense jobs by 10% to save money on technologically advanced equipment. France's current military budget is about $ 43 billion a year, or 1.9% of the country's GDP (well below the NATO spending target). The French Armed Forces have about 220 thousand active personnel and the same number are in reserve. Aviation is represented by over 1000 aircraft. Also in service are about 9,000 ground vehicles. Even if this does not make France a formidable army, it has several trump cards: the position in the EU and the UN, as well as the presence of about 290 units nuclear weapons.

5. United Kingdom

The UK is another EU member and is also pursuing a 20% reduction in the armed forces in 2010-2018. There are also reductions in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. The military budget of Great Britain is currently $ 54 billion. The British regular army has about 205,000 men. The Air Force is represented by 908 aircraft. Military navy- 66 ships. Nonetheless, the British army is still considered powerful and superior to many others through the training of its soldiers. Also, Britain has 160 nuclear weapons, which is the strongest argument. The Royal Navy plans to commission HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2020.

4. India

The Indian government decided to take advantage of the fact that the country's population is very large. The Indian army has a measurable 3.5 million men, including 1.325 million active military personnel. The sheer size of the Indian army is one of the reasons why India is so high in our ranking and in the ranking of the best armies in the world. The army's strength is complemented by a practical 16,000 ground vehicles, which include 3,500 tanks, as well as 1,785 aircraft, along with nuclear weapons. Indian ballistic missiles could hit all of Pakistan or most of China. The current military budget is $ 46 billion, according to the government plans to increase this amount by 2020, as well as modernize some weapons.

3. China

It has another 2,800 aircraft in its Air Force. China has about 300 nuclear weapons at its disposal, along with 180 different deployment methods. China recently acquired classified information about the new F-35, and is known for successfully stealing sensitive military equipment. China is rightfully one of the top 3 military forces.

According to official data, China's defense budget is $ 126 billion, and in the near future this amount may increase by another 12.2%. The Chinese army is impressive in size, with 2.285 million active frontline personnel and an additional 2.3 million reservists - the world's largest ground forces, while operating with 25,000 ground vehicles. Chinese aviation consists of 2,800 aircraft. China also has about 300 nuclear weapons at its disposal. Considering all this, we can say that China is rightfully ranked third in our ranking of the most powerful countries in the world.

2. Russia

The military budget of Russia is $ 76.6 billion, but in the next three years it will increase by 44%. In fact, the Kremlin's spending has increased by about a third since 2008, and this was particularly reflected when Vladimir Putin became Russian President in 2000. The Russian army has shown significant growth since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago. About 766,000 active personnel are employed in the Russian army, including about 2.5 million in the reserve forces. In addition, they are armed with 15,500 tanks, making Russia the largest tank force in the world, although they are outdated like any other equipment. Russia is also a leader among nuclear states, with 8,500 active nuclear warheads at its disposal.

1. United States of America

The United States spends a whopping $ 612.5 billion annually on supporting the army. This budget is equal to the sum of the budgets of the other nine countries combined. The United States maintains a surprisingly large army of more than 1.4 million soldiers and an additional 800,000 reservists. In addition to active ground teams, the reserve includes trained men and women who are ready to assist the troops at any given time. The advantage of the United States is that the country is the world leader in the production of aviation technology. Also in service with the United States are 19 aircraft carriers, while all other states have a total of only 12 pieces. 7,500 nuclear warheads also help keep the United States of America ranked as the world's most powerful nation and army.

When analyzing military power, the strength of the armed forces (5% of the total score), tanks (10%), attack helicopters (15%), aircraft (20%), aircraft carriers (25%) and submarines (25%) were estimated.

The assessment determines military power exclusively in quantitative terms and does not take into account the actual potential of weapons and the level of training of personnel. Thus, the placement of some countries on the list may come as a surprise.

Here are ten of the most powerful armies the world.

10.Turkey

• Defense budget: $ 18.2 billion
• Number of personnel: 410.5 thousand people
• Tanks: 3778
• Total aircraft: 1020
• Submarines: 13

The Turkish Armed Forces are among the largest in the eastern Mediterranean. Despite the absence of aircraft carriers, Turkey is second only to five countries in the number of submarines.

In addition, Turkey has an impressive number of tanks, aircraft and attack helicopters. The country is also participating in a joint program to develop the F-35 fighter jet.

9.UK

• Defense budget: $ 60.5 billion
• Number of personnel: 146.9 thousand people
• Tanks: 407
• Total aircraft: 936
• Submarines: 10

Although the UK plans to cut its armed forces by 20% between 2010 and 2018, it is powerful enough to be reckoned with around the world.

The Royal Navy plans to adopt the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2020. Its take-off deck area exceeds 18 thousand square meters, and 40 F-35B strike fighters are placed on board.

8.Italy

• Defense budget: $ 34 billion
• Number of personnel: 320 thousand people
• Tanks: 586
• Total aircraft: 760
• Submarines: 6

The Italian army ranked high on the list thanks to the presence of two active aircraft carriers. In addition to the relatively high number of submarines and attack helicopters, they have significantly raised Italy's ranking.

7. South Korea

• Number of personnel: 624.4 thousand people
• Tanks: 2381
• Total aircraft: 1412
• Submarines: 13

South Korea has no choice but to have a large and strong army in the face of a possible invasion from the North. Therefore, the country's army is armed with submarines, helicopters, and a large number of personnel.

South Korea also has a powerful tank group and the sixth largest air force in the world.

6. France

• Defense budget: $ 62.3 billion
• Number of personnel: 202.7 thousand people
• Tanks: 423
• Total aircraft: 1264
• Submarines: 10

The French army is relatively small, but well trained, professional and mobile.

More recently, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle entered service, in addition, France regularly participates in military operations in Africa, fighting extremism and supporting local governments.

5. India

• Defense budget: $ 50 billion
• Number of personnel: 1.325 million people
• Tanks: 6464
• Airplanes: 1905
• Submarines: 15

India is one of the largest military powers on the planet. In terms of the number of personnel, it is second only to the PRC and the United States, and in terms of the number of tanks and aircraft it surpasses all countries except the United States, China and Russia.

The country also has nuclear weapons in its arsenal. India is expected to have the fourth largest defense spending in the world by 2020.

4. Japan

• Defense budget: $ 41.6 billion
• Number of personnel: 247.1 thousand people
• Tanks: 678
• Total aircraft: 1,613
• Submarines: 16

In absolute terms, the Japanese army is relatively small. However, she is exceptionally well armed.

Japan has the fourth largest submarine fleet in the world. There are also four aircraft carriers in service, although they are only equipped with helicopters.

In terms of the number of attack helicopters, the country is inferior to China, Russia and the United States.

3. China

• Defense budget: $ 216 billion
• Number of personnel: 2.333 million people
• Tanks: 9150
• Total aircraft: 2,860
• Submarines: 67

Over the past several decades, the Chinese army has grown enormously in size and capability. In terms of the number of personnel, it is the largest army in the world. It also has the second largest grouping of tanks (after Russia) and the second largest submarine fleet (after the United States).

China has made remarkable strides in its military modernization program, and is currently developing a range of unique military technologies, including ballistic missiles and fifth-generation aircraft.

2. Russia

• Defense budget: $ 84.5 billion
• Number of personnel: 766 thousand people
• Tanks: 15 398
• Total aircraft: 3429
• Submarines: 55

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation rank second in the world. The country has the largest group of tanks on the planet, the second largest air force (after the United States) and the third largest submarine fleet (second only to the United States and China).

Since 2008, the Kremlin's military spending has grown by almost a third. The country has demonstrated its mobile capabilities by deploying a military force in Syria.

1. USA

• Defense budget: $ 601 billion
• Number of personnel: 1.4 million people
• Tanks: 8848
• Planes: 13,892
• Submarines: 72

Despite budget cuts and spending cuts, the US spends more on defense than the other nine countries on the Credit Suisse Index combined.

America's main military advantage is a fleet of 10 aircraft carriers. For comparison, India is in second place - the country is working on the creation of its third aircraft carrier.

The United States also has more aircraft at its disposal than any other power, advanced technology such as the navy's new high-speed cannon, and a large and well-trained army - not to mention the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

The Russian army entered the top three strongest armies the world. The military of the Russian Federation were evaluated on a par with other armies and shared the winners' podium with China and the United States. Typically, these ratings are based on data from Global Firepower or Credit Suisse. The military power of each state is assessed according to various criteria; nuclear potential or its absence is not taken into account.

How to determine the real balance of power among the states participating in military conflicts? When compiling a rating of armies, parameters such as the budget, the size of the army, the number of weapons (armored vehicles, aircraft, aircraft carriers and submarines) are usually taken into account. The technical level of weapons affects the position on the list to a lesser extent, and it is almost never possible to assess the real combat capability of the army. Nuclear potential or its absence in this list was not taken into account. The place occupied was also influenced by the economic situation of the countries.
The Global Firepower organization evaluates the military capabilities of more than one hundred countries according to 50 different criteria. In 2016, the United States was the first in the world in such parameters as the country with the largest military budget, the largest number of aircraft carriers and the largest air fleet. Russia leads in the number of tanks (15,000) and nuclear warheads (8,484 units). China is ahead of all in terms of the size of the army.
Not so long ago, the National Interest magazine made a forecast for the combat power of the armies of the world in 15 years. The analysis was based on the following parameters: access to innovation and other important national resources, support from politicians, and the ability of the armed forces to learn and improve in a peaceful environment. As a result, the five most powerful armies, in their opinion, will include the armed forces of India, the United States, France, China and Russia.
This rating, compiled by the American portal The Richest, may raise some questions. For example, the Israeli army yields to Egypt one position, mainly due to the number of employees and tanks. However, in all clashes, the first country always won a victory over the second, despite the numerical superiority. It is also strange that the list does not include Iran with its half a million soldiers, 1,500 tanks and 300 combat aircraft. Our readers will certainly have many more questions for the authors of this list.

Australia

Budget: $ 26.1 billion
The number of active troops: 58 thousand people
Tanks: 59
Aviation: 408
Submarines: 6
The Australian Army has a long and glorious history, she fought in both World War I and World War II as part of the British Empire. Members of the Australian Armed Forces are invariably involved in all NATO operations. National doctrine requires Australia to be able to stand alone against invasion from outside. Located at the edge of the world, with no special competing neighbors, Australia is considered one of the safest countries, as land invasion is impossible. The Australian Defense Force is relatively small but technologically advanced. They are formed on professional basis only Australian citizens, technically well equipped, there is a modern fleet and many combat helicopters. With a small number of personnel, but with a serious budget, the Australian Armed Forces are able, if necessary, to deploy their troops in several locations at the same time.

Germany

Budget: $ 40.2 billion
Population: 180 thousand people
Tanks: 408
Aviation: 663
Subs: 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 the unification of East and West Berlin, the authorities abandoned the doctrine of confrontation and sharply reduced investment in defense. Apparently, therefore, in the Credit Suisse rating, for example, the Armed Forces of the GDR fell behind even Poland (and in this rating there is no Poland at all). At the same time, Berlin actively sponsors the eastern NATO allies. After 1945, Germany was never directly involved in major operations, but they sent troops to their allies in support during civil war in Ethiopia, Angolan Civil War, Bosnian War and Afghanistan War.
Whenever we hear about the German military, it is somehow impossible not to remember Adolf Hitler, who is responsible for the deaths of about 6 million Jews and many millions of people of other nations ...
The Germans today have few submarines and not a single aircraft carrier. The German army has a record number of inexperienced young soldiers, which makes it weaker; they are now planning to overhaul their strategy and implement new recruiting processes.

Italy

Budget: $ 34 billion
The number of the army in the field: 320 thousand people.
Tanks: 586
Aviation: 760
Subs: 6
The aggregate of the military forces of the Italian Republic designed to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. Consist of ground forces, naval forces, air forces and carabinieri corps.
Italy has not been directly involved in armed conflicts in any countries lately, but has always participated in peacekeeping missions and deployed its troops in the war on terrorism.
Weak during World War II, the Italian army currently owns two active aircraft carriers, where a large number of helicopters; they have submarines, which makes them one of the strongest armies. Italy is not at war now, but is an active member of the UN - willingly transfers its troops to countries that ask for help.

United Kingdom

Budget: $ 60.5 billion
The number of the army in the field: 147 thousand
Tanks: 407
Aviation: 936
Subs: 10
After the end of World War II, Great Britain abandoned the idea of ​​military domination around the world in favor of the United States, but the Royal Armed Forces still possess considerable power and take part in all NATO operations. After World War II, Great Britain had three big wars with Iceland, which did not become victorious for England - she was defeated, which allowed Iceland to expand its territory.
The United Kingdom once ruled over half of the world, including India, New Zealand, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, but the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is becoming much weaker over time. The UK military budget has been cut due to BREXIT and they plan to cut their troop numbers in time until 2018.
Her Majesty's fleet includes several atomic submarines with strategic nuclear weapons: a total of about 200 warheads. By 2020, it is planned to commission the aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth", which will be able to carry 40 F-35B fighters.

Israel

Budget: $ 17 billion
Population: 160 thousand
Tanks: 4 170
Aviation: 684
Subs: 5
The main enemy of the Arabs, Israel has been fighting for its independence since 1947; he is constantly in continuous war with Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and other Arab countries.
Israel has won five straight victories in previous wars against Hamas and Palestine since 2000, with strong US military reinforcements.
The country, which is not recognized by 31 countries (of which 18 are Arab), is still fighting against its enemies. By law, all Israeli citizens, including those with dual citizenship and living in another country, as well as all permanent residents of the state, upon reaching the age of 18, are subject to conscription into the IDF. The term of military service is 36 months - 3 years (32 months for combat units), for women - 24 months (2 years). After the end of regular service, all members of the rank and file can be called up annually for reservist training for up to 45 days.
The most strong point IDF - the use of technology in the modernization of its missile defense systems. The army consists of 3 types armed forces: land, air and naval. The implementation of the decision on the creation of the fourth branch of the armed forces - the cybernetic troops - has begun. Business card IDF are female military personnel who have proven that the weaker sex with a submachine gun is no less effective than the strong. Not to mention the fact that according to unverified data, Israel is armed with about 80 nuclear warheads.
Israel is traditionally the most underrated member of the Credit Suisse rating. The IDF won all the conflicts in which it participated, and often the Israelis had to fight on several fronts against the enemy many times superior in number. In addition to a huge number of the latest offensive and defensive weapons of our own design, the rating does not take into account the fact that there are several hundred thousand reservists in the country with combat experience and high motivation.

Egypt

Budget: $ 4.4 billion
Army size: 468 thousand
Tanks: 4 624
Aviation: 1 107
Subs: 4
Fighting on the side of the Arab alliance against Israel in 4 wars, Egypt has never fought major battles against any other countries, but participated several times in operations against ISIS terrorist groups. As in Israel, military service is compulsory for Egyptian men, they last for 9 years. Today Egypt is trying to keep the peace in its own country and to wage a war on terrorism.
The Egyptian army was in the ranking due to the number and quantity of equipment, although as the war showed Doomsday, even a threefold superiority in tanks is leveled by high combat skills and technical level weapons. As of 2014, contracts initialed or signed for a total amount of more than $ 3 billion for the supply from Russia of 24 MiG-29m / m2 fighters, air defense systems, anti-tank Kornet, combat helicopters: Ka-25, Mi-28 and Mi-25, Mi-35 ... Light weapons. Coastal anti-ship systems. All contracts started after the suspension of the military and financial aid Egypt from the USA. At the same time, it is known that about a thousand "Abrams" of the Egyptian Armed Forces are simply mothballed in warehouses. If Cairo acquires Mistral-class helicopter carriers and attack helicopters for them, it will make Egypt a truly serious military force.

Pakistan

Budget: $ 7 billion
The number of the army in the field: 617 thousand
Tanks: 2 924
Aviation: 914
Subs: 8
The first major war was fought in 1965 against the largest enemy - India, military operations were quite successful, India withdrew its troops. The second war was over domestic policy East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), when the Indian army took revenge for 1965 and played its cards, splitting the country in two. Pakistan has not reached an agreement on the borders with India: the territories of the states of Jammu and Kashmir remain disputed, formally the countries are in a state of conflict, in which they are conducting an arms race.
The Pakistani army is one of the largest in the world, it has a lot of tanks and aircraft, the United States supports Islamabad with equipment. The main threat is internal, in the hard-to-reach areas of the country are ruled by local leaders and the Taliban. Pakistan has medium-range ballistic missiles and about a hundred nuclear warheads. Packs love and respect their military infinitely, and often seek justice from the army (instead of the courts and government). Pakistan is said to have friendly relations with superpowers, including the United States, China and Turkey, who are always ready to support them. Recently, joint military exercises with the Russian army have made the Pakistani military much stronger, although their biggest enemy India has been supported by Russia in previous wars against Pakistan.

Turkey

Budget: $ 18.2 billion
The number of the army in the field: 410, 500 thousand
Tanks: 3,778
Aviation: 1,020
Subs: 13
Turkey is an active member of the UN; she took part in the Korean War between China and Korea. They fought in two major battles with Cyprus in 1964 and 1974 and won, occupying 36.2% of the territory of Cyprus. They remain involved in the ongoing wars in Afghanistan against the Taliban and ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Turkey claims to be a regional leader, therefore, it is constantly building up and updating its armed forces. A huge number of tanks, aircraft and a large modern fleet (albeit without aircraft carriers) allows the Turkish army to be considered the strongest among the Muslim countries of the Middle East.
The semi-European, semi-Asian power, with the second largest army in NATO after the United States, is one of the best trained military forces in the world. Turkey owns a "treasure" of more than 200 F-16 aircraft, the second largest fleet after the United States. Despite the presence of a large number of well-trained military personnel, the Turkish Armed Forces are not particularly popular among the people. In early 2016, when the military attempted a coup, they were defeated by ordinary citizens who took to the streets and reinstated the elected government.

France

Budget: $ 62.3 billion
The number of the army in the field: 205 thousand
Tanks: 623
Aviation: 1,264
Subs: 10
France is one of the few countries whose armed forces have an almost full range of modern weapons and military equipment of their own production - from small arms to nuclear strike aircraft carriers (which, besides France, only the United States has). France is the only country (other than Russia) that owns a radar guided missile system.
The military history of France spans over 3000 years. France took part in the First and Second World Wars and faced major defeats. Other major events in the military history of this country: the French-Thai War, the Tunisian War of Independence, the Algerian War of Independence 1954-1962. After that, France did not participate in major battles but sent troops to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. The French army is still in charge military force in Africa, it continues to actively intervene in local conflicts.
In 2015, France completed the reform of the armed forces, which began in 1996. As part of this reform, the draft was canceled and the transition to a mercenary army, less numerous, but more effective, took place. The total number of the French armed forces has been significantly reduced.
The Charles de Gaulle nuclear attack aircraft carrier was recently commissioned. France currently has about 300 strategic nuclear warheads deployed on nuclear submarines. There are also 60 tactical warheads.

South Korea

Budget: $ 62.3 billion
The number of the army in the field: 625 thousand
Tanks: 2 381
Aviation: 1,412
Subs: 13
The main war in which this country participated is the Korean War in 1950. Often this conflict of times cold war viewed as a proxy war between the United States and its allies and the forces of the PRC and the USSR. The northern coalition included: North Korea and its armed forces; the Chinese army (since it was officially believed that the PRC did not participate in the conflict, the regular Chinese troops were formally considered the formations of the so-called "Chinese people's volunteers"); The USSR, which also did not officially participate in the war, but largely took over its financing, as well as the supply of Chinese troops. Numerous military advisers and specialists were recalled from North Korea even before the start of the war, and during the war they were sent back under the guise of TASS correspondents. From the South, South Korea, the United States, Great Britain and a number of other countries took part in the war as part of the UN peacekeeping forces. Interestingly, China uses the title "War Against America to Support the Korean People." In 1952-53, a lot has changed in the world (new president in the United States, Stalin's death, etc.), and the war ended in a truce.
The South Korean Armed Forces are highly backed by the US Armed Forces, making them stronger. South Korea retains numerous armed forces, although in terms of quantitative indicators in everything except aviation, it continues to lose to its main potential adversary, the DPRK. The difference is, of course, in the technological level. Seoul has its newest and western developments, Pyongyang has 50-year-old Soviet technology.
Interestingly, North Korea is considered the leader in the number of submarines (35th place in the Global Firepower rating), which has 78 units. However, it is noted that they are almost completely unusable. A third of North Korea's submarines are the noisy diesel Romeos, which were outdated back in 1961.

India

Budget: $ 51 billion
Army strength in the field: 1,408,551
Tanks: 6 464
Aviation: 1,905
Subs: 15
At present, India is confidently among the top ten world powers in terms of its military potential. The armed forces of India are inferior to the armies of the United States, Russia and China, they are strong and numerous. Speaking about the Indian armed forces, it is worth remembering that India is the world's largest importer of weapons (as of 2012), and also possesses nuclear weapons and their means of delivery. In addition to the direct armed forces, India has a variety of paramilitary formations in which more than a million people serve: national security forces, special border forces, special paramilitary forces. The fact that India has about a hundred nuclear warheads, three aircraft carriers and two nuclear submarines in service makes it the fifth most powerful.

Japan

Budget: $ 41.6 billion
Active army strength: 247, 173
Tanks: 678
Aviation: 1,613
Subs: 16
The last battle of World War II was Japan's nightmare, which was hit by a nuclear strike from the United States. After defeat in World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army was disbanded, and military factories and educational establishments closed. The occupation authorities even banned martial arts... There was also a ban on the manufacture of Japanese swords, which lasted until 1953. In 1947, the Constitution of Japan was adopted, which legally enshrined Japan's refusal to participate in military conflicts. The only country who suffered from nuclear attacks, it is not allowed to create your own army.
Nevertheless, already during the period of the American occupation, the creation of armed formations began: in 1950, a reserve police corps was created; in 1952 it was transformed into a security corps, in 1954 it was transformed into the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The Japan Self-Defense Forces is the modern name for the Japanese armed forces. The armed forces include: the ground forces, the naval and air self-defense forces of Japan. It can be argued that today Japan has very large and relatively modern Armed Forces, powerful enough in the Asia-Pacific region and capable of solving almost any problem. On September 19, 2015, the Japanese parliament authorized the use of the Self-Defense Forces to participate in military conflicts overseas.
Japan's high-tech Armed Forces are equipped with cutting-edge gadgets and the latest weapons, making them some of the strongest on this list. Recently, Japan has deployed its troops for the first time since World War II in South Sudan as part of UN peacekeeping missions. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have 4 helicopter carriers and 9 destroyers. At the same time, Japan does not have nuclear weapons and this, together with a small number of tanks, makes some experts think that the position of this army is overestimated.

Russia

Budget: $ 84.5 billion
Active army strength: 766,033
Tanks: 15 398
Aviation: 3 429
Subs: 55
It would be disrespectful to Russian military history to try to retell it in one paragraph.
A great power has just under a million troops. The Russian ground army is rightfully considered the most powerful in the whole world, which is provided with the latest military equipment. The budget allocated by the state for the needs of the army, production and purchase of military equipment is more than 84 billion dollars. The air force includes over 3,000 aircraft. The naval fleet is no less equipped, consisting of 55 submarines and 1 aircraft carrier. The country has more than 8,000 nuclear warheads and 15,000 armored vehicles in stock.
Syria has demonstrated once again that Russia justly continues to hold a firm place among the strongest, as many experts believe. The RF Armed Forces are second only to China in the number of submarines. And if the rumors about China's secret nuclear stockpile are not true, then it is far ahead of it in this area. It is believed that as part of strategic nuclear forces Russia has about 350 carriers and about 2 thousand nuclear warheads. The number of tactical nuclear charges is unknown and may be several thousand.
One of the three most powerful and experienced armies in the world, the Russian army is a major threat to China and the United States. Russia constantly invests in its military budget and produces the latest aircraft, helicopters and ammunition. By 2020, Russia plans to add six more army aviation bases to the eight existing ones. In addition, more than a thousand new helicopters are planned to be commissioned.

China

Budget: $ 216 billion
Army strength in the field: 2,333,000
Tanks: 9,150
Aviation: 2 860
Subs: 67
The People's Liberation Army of China is the official name of the armed forces of the PRC, the largest in number in the world. China is the most populous country in the world with the largest number soldier; serve approximately 2,333,000 people (this is only 0.18% of the country's population). China is increasing its military budget by 12% every year to become a superpower against the United States. The legislation provides for conscription for men from 18 years of age; volunteers are accepted up to 49 years old. The age limit for a member of the army reserve is 50 years. The armed forces of the PRC are divided into five zones of military command and three fleets, organized according to the territorial principle: east, north, west, south and center.
After the surrender of Japan, the USSR handed over to the PLA the captured weapons of the Kwantung Army: ships of the Sungaria River Flotilla, 861 aircraft, 600 tanks, artillery, mortars, 1200 machine guns, as well as small arms, ammunition and other military property.
Chinese officials say that in the course of the development of armaments, China does not exceed the feasible level that the economy and society are able to withstand, and even more so does not seek an arms race. However, the PRC's defense spending increased sharply in 2001-2009.
The second economy in the world has the largest active army, but in terms of the number of tanks, aircraft 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 classified.

USA

Budget: $ 601 billion
Number of troops: 1,400,000
Tanks: 8,848
Aviation: 13,892
Submarines: 72
The United States is directly or indirectly involved in almost all the wars that have taken place on planet Earth since the discovery of America. The US military budget is comparable to the previous countries in the ranking. The Navy has 10 of the most powerful aircraft carriers, half of which are considered the largest in the world. The superpower has 1.4 million military personnel in reserve. A third of the country's gross income is spent on the development of the army and military equipment - this is about $ 600 billion. American soldiers have the most modern military equipment which is updated periodically. The United States has a nuclear potential that includes 7.5 thousand nuclear warheads. The country is also famous for its tanks, and their armored vehicles number more than 8 thousand units. The state also has the largest air force in the world, with about 13,682 aircraft.
Some experts say the US can never be captured as it has the strongest fleet with the maximum number of ships and submarines. American army owns about 15 million hectares of land throughout the United States and the Americans have their military bases almost all over the world (there are at least 158 ​​of them). In 2011, the Army Newsletter reported that they estimated that they had spent about 22 gallons of fuel per day per soldier.
The United States is investing billions of dollars in the development of the latest military technologies, keeping the United States at the forefront of, for example, robotics. Recently, the US Army has been seeking to create new cyber corps and increase the number of soldiers in the cyber crime department. Their responsibility will be to ensure the security of networks and information systems databases and to protect against cyber attacks.

The Global Firepower website evaluated the power of the armies of 126 countries based on 50 criteria. At the same time, the nuclear potential of the countries was not taken into account, but the state of the economy was taken into account. The authors put the US Army in the first place (0.1661 points), in the second - Russia (0.1865), in the third - the PRC (0.2315). How does the rating reflect reality? And what are the prospects for the three strongest armies in the world?

"The Russian army is the best in the world"

The authors warn that the rating did not take into account the nuclear potential of countries, the current potential of political and military leadership, the number of weapons was not a determining factor, and landlocked countries were not punished for the lack of a navy, and vice versa, maritime powers - were punished. Factors such as geographical position and the economic situation in the country.

The absolute value of the "strength index" ("PwrIndx") for a perfect army should be "0.0000", which is really unattainable. The rating is formed by a system of bonuses and penalties. For example, Austria, which is landlocked, does not receive a penalty for an insufficient navy, but receives one for a lack of a suitable merchant fleet.

The authors indicate the following factual sources: cia. gov, CIA World Factbook, wikipedia. com, data available in the media and bloggers. Some of the values ​​were estimates when there were no official data, says the introduction.

As a result, the top ten most powerful armies included the armies of the USA, Russia, China, India, Great Britain, France, South Korea, Germany, Japan and Turkey. Let's compare the indicators for the first three most powerful armies.

1. By the number of military personnel in the first place is the Chinese army - 2.333 million people, in the second - the United States (1.4 million), the Russian army - in third (766.055 thousand servicemen). The data on the personnel reserve is curious. Here, Russia is in first place with 2.485 million people, China is in second with 2.3 million, and the United States is in 1.1 million.

Of course, the quality of the military personnel is different. The American armed forces are 100 percent contracted. The level of their material and technical equipment is high.

In Russia, only now they have begun to modernize military equipment, the Chinese army still takes in numbers. But in terms of fighting spirit, Russians hardened in recent conflicts are superior to the soldiers of their "rivals." At the beginning of the year, the attack on the American cruiser Vicksbur was imitated by the Su-34. There was no electronic influence on the ship, but the Americans did not even manage to use the air defense system, and two dozen sailors submitted their resignation.

2. On ground combat systems In particular, in terms of tanks, the Russian army is in first place - 15,398 tanks (main battle tanks, light tanks and tank destroyers on wheeled or tracked vehicles). In second place is the Chinese army (9,150 tanks), in third place are the Americans (8,848 armored vehicles).

Russia has a huge advantage (at times) in armored combat vehicles (armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles), self-propelled guns, towed guns and multiple launch rocket systems. We will not give numbers here, the reader can look at them on his own. This advantage is due to the fact that our possible theater of military operations is the near abroad, and no one has yet canceled the proposed tank attack on Berlin.

New Russian tanks will consolidate this superiority. Mass delivery of the latest T-14 Armata tanks to the Russian army will begin at the turn of 2017-2018. In the United States, there are no new developments; the Pentagon rely on modernized versions of its Cold War combat vehicles - the M-1 Abrams and Bradley.

China has a third generation tank - VT-4 (MBT-3000). The Chinese claim that it even surpasses "Armata" in key parameters. But this tank is intended exclusively for export supplies, the Chinese army is not going to fight them. The question is why?

3. Air Force- the rating takes into account aircraft and helicopters of all types of troops. Here, the leadership of the US Army is obligatory, of course, their "insular" position. The proposed theater of military operations is located in Eurasia, and equipment and soldiers must be delivered there.

The United States has 13,892 aircraft, of which 2207 are fighters, 2,797 attack aircraft, 5,366 transport aircraft, and 6,196 helicopters.

In second place is the Russian army. In total, it has 3429 aircraft, of which fighters - 769, attack aircraft - 1305, transport aircraft - 1083, helicopters - 1120. China is armed with only 2860 aircraft, of which fighters - 1066, attack aircraft - 1311, transport aircraft - 876, helicopters - 908.

In terms of quality indicators, the Russians began to catch up with the Americans. General Frank Gorenz, Commander of the US Air Force in Europe, said this recently at a meeting with journalists. The general especially noted "the ability (of the Russians) to create extremely well-protected zones with the help of access restriction systems", for example, in the Crimea and the Kaliningrad region.

From time immemorial, there are many states on Earth. Almost every century, their number is updated: some countries break up 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.

In our time, basically, the armed forces are needed to preserve the sovereignty of this or that country, that is, to maintain the status of independence. There are countries that are not capable of supporting large numbers 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 military forces. The latest NATO developments and developments of a different origin, a huge amount of equipment, a large defense budget. According to the latest data, the manpower of the Vietnamese troops has already exceeded 482 thousand people.

According to the leaders of this state, this amount will be enough, especially since soon military equipment will 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 was victorious. There are more than 5 million people in the reserve.

9.Turkey

One of the strongest countries of the North Atlantic Allian. The defense budget is several tens of billions of dollars. Just like many NATO countries, there is a large number of modern military equipment and weapons. In this situation, 511 thousand people the personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces is quite enough. In general, the military Armed Forces are perfectly prepared and can professionally not only repel an attack inside the country, but also fight extremism abroad. The reserve of the Turkish army is about 379 thousand people.

8.Republic of Iran

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

7.Republic of Korea

The South Korean army is a little 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, if North Korea does decide to fight hard. 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 enough large population... Few people know that India and Pakistan were still very deep in history at enmity with each other ( Western part India professes Islam, like the rest of Pakistan). The 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 of 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 in terms of manpower. The Ministry of Defense has 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 the household 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 terms of the number of troops. It is not surprising, because this state is one of the most aggressive towards Japan, the United States and its southern neighbor. 1,200,000 military personnel... This state gives almost everything from its budget cash namely the KPA (Korean People's Army).

Despite the impressive number of people serving in the KPA, this state may well lose the war of the same South Korea. This is because the weapons of the KPA are outdated a long time ago. Until now, this country supplies the military units with developments that were operated in the Second World war... Added to them are units made in the USSR, Japan and China. The Korean People's Army's reserve is approximately 4 million.

3. India

A state with a high population density. The Indian Army includes 1,346,000 soldiers in military service. Very high number of border troops, especially on the border with Pakistan. The armament is mainly American, although India is quite successfully developing its own units of 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 at all times tried to constantly increase its influence during 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, it is trying to increase everything: the number of military equipment, the number of soldiers. The armament is powerful. The reserve of the US armed forces is 845 thousand people.

1. China

The first in terms of population, and, of course, the number of army in the 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 the Chinese troops is constantly increasing. Small arms and military equipment are produced directly in this country. True, either under the license of the country - the inventor, or analogs of existing weapons, but slightly modified in structure and properties. The reserve is small, according to the latest data, it has no more than half a million people.