The size of the army in different countries. Firepower: the strongest armies in the world according to Global Firepower

Analytical agencies constantly compare the armies of the world in order to find out the potential of the armies of the strongest states. Graduation goes both in individual regions, continents, and around the world. By comparing the number of personnel and weapons of the Armies of the World, a rating of the best armed forces on the planet is compiled.

Soldiers on alert

Despite the supremacy international law in fact, the right of the strong is in effect. This is all the more important for countries applying for certain positions - this promises not only international authority, but also the conclusion of financial contracts for the export of weapons.

Most analytical companies and intelligence agencies in the world have the best armies in the world. different countries in the order below.

TOP-10 - the most powerful armies in the world

10 - South Korea

The South Korean Armed Forces are ranked 10th in the ranking, which describes the most powerful armies in the world. This country is forced to keep a large army on its balance sheet with a troubled kindred neighbor - North Korea - on the northern frontier.

This aspect greatly influences the socio-political state of the country and its militarization. The armed forces of South Korea are the third largest in the Asian region - the number of military personnel is 630 thousand people.

The number of military personnel is 630 thousand people.

The human resource is 25 million people. The principle of command and control is copied from the American model - the most powerful army is divided into commands and brigades.

The ground forces are armed with 2,500 tanks, which is far from a modest figure for such a state. However, most of the tanks are old prototypes, which were armed with the most powerful armies of the world in the past.

Including American cars of the last millennium. A new type of tanks developed in the army in 2007 is the K2 vehicle, built on a German chassis using its own developments. The combat potential of the ground forces ranks third to fourth in Asia.

Korea is the strongest army in the world in the Asia-Pacific region

The Air Force is represented by American-made equipment (South Korea is one of the largest sales markets for American defense companies, constantly occupying a leading position in the acquisition of weapons).

The basis of the aircraft fleet is made up of the F-series models as well as modernized own developments. The number of units is 1.5 thousand aircraft and helicopters (the government plans to expand the aircraft fleet by 200-300 units, due to the arrival of new models of F-35 multipurpose fighters)

The backbone of the navy is made up of coastal ships and one aircraft carrier (helicopter carrier) and 15 submarines made in Germany.

The navy is not the forte of the Korean army.

Such a country does not need to have an ocean-going fleet, since the main enemy is located in the neighborhood in the north.

South Korea is forced to maintain a huge army and militarize society because of its neighbor, constantly being in tension and on the eve of another war. Therefore, the armed forces are on high alert, which has a positive effect on the combat capability of the army.

The South Korean army is rightfully considered one of the best on the continent.

9 - Germany

Once one of the most powerful armies in the world, it is gradually giving way to developing countries. After the end of " Cold war»The Bundeswehr is annually subject to reductions, both in personnel and in technology and funding. Germany occupies the 9th line in the ranking of the TOP-10 Armies of the World.

Personnel of 186 thousand soldiers and officers. The human reserve is 30 million people. The number of troops mobilized is the largest in Europe. The government of the country pins great hopes on the allied countries and, above all, on the United States in providing support. Does not consider the scenario of a war on its territory.

Personnel of 186 thousand soldiers and officers.

The basis of the ground forces are leopard tanks of various generations and modifications in the amount of 500 units (a significant part of the equipment is in storage and is not capable of combat). Tanks of modification 2A9 in the troops of 50 units.

Also in support of the armored forces are infantry fighting vehicles PUMA and Marder in the amount of 1 thousand units. The principle of command and control consists in dividing the country's territory into districts - commands and operational groups of forces.

The air force consists of 700 units of mainly attack helicopters Eurocopter Tiger and Eurofighter aircraft.

On paper potential air force great, but not so long ago a scandal erupted when, after an inspection by the Ministry of Defense, it turned out that 40% of the equipment could not take off due to a lack of spare parts (this situation applies to most European armies, whose forces look impressive for the most part on paper).

Also, the air force still retained sufficient potential in transport aviation, where there are about 50 machines.

The German Army is the strongest Army in Europe

Bundesmarine - the German naval forces have 6 new submarines and about 30 ships of the near and far sea zone of action of the Frigate, Corvette and Minesweeper types. The main striking force of the fleet is precisely submarines as the most modern type of ships.

In general, the German armed forces are a classic modern European army - quite compact and highly mobile for solving individual tasks to counter limited threats mainly outside the country, but unprepared for large-scale combat missions in a large theater of operations.

8 - Turkey

The Turkish army is rightfully considered one of the most powerful in the Middle East and is in eighth place in the TOP armies of the world, thanks to its large number and arsenal of weapons. The personnel numbers 500 thousand servicemen, and the mobilization reserve is about 40 million people.

In addition, the Turkish army has experience in conducting small operations. The structure of the army is mixed - divisional and brigade, and the military forces are divided into operational commands.

The personnel numbers 500 thousand servicemen.

Ground forces form the backbone of the armed forces, in terms of the number of tanks - 2.5 thousand units, Turkey is the largest state in the region. However, the basis of the tank fleet is made up of obsolete and requiring modernization American M60A tanks, whose service life has long expired.

The military industry of Turkey is in its infancy and is only developing weapon systems (one of which is a new tank - Altay). Also in the ground forces there are several thousand armored infantry vehicles and armored personnel carriers (including Russian-made).

The Air Force has the backbone of the American F-16 fighter jets, with a licensed production plant also located in Turkey. The number of aircraft reaches 1 thousand units. The structure of the air force is dominated by strike technology and the transport sector is underdeveloped.
Special attention is paid to the Turkish military fleet. In service there are 12 submarines (several more have been ordered at shipyards in Germany) and about 20 warships. In terms of strike capabilities and displacement, the Turkish fleet is in the Black Sea a direct competitor to the Russian Black Sea Fleet and is superior in some components.

In general, despite a modest military budget of $ 8 billion, Turkey is a rather powerful regional power capable of competing with any country in the region in a local conflict, but the lack of new military equipment and poor training of the army do not allow it to move above 8th place.

7 - Japan

After the defeat in World War II, the country's armed forces were significantly curtailed, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The country has introduced a ban on the use of the name Japanese army. Official name- Self-Defense Forces, which occupy the seventh line of the TOP-10 most powerful Armies in the World.

The number of military personnel is 245 thousand people.

The number of military personnel is 245 thousand people (at the present stage, service in the armed forces of the country, according to the majority of Japanese residents, is not prestigious), and the number of mobilization reserves is 54 million people.

The ground forces have 700 units of tanks. It is noteworthy that all types of tanks in service are of their own production, and tank building is developing in the country (the modern model is Type-10, which is recognized as the most high-tech in the world, but the number of units in the army does not exceed 20). Also in service are 1 thousand units of other self-propelled equipment - which includes infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers and self-propelled howitzers;
The core of the fleet is American-made equipment - F-4 and F-15 attack aircraft, in addition, Japan ordered 40 F-35 aircraft, which should strengthen the air component of the armed forces, taking into account the decommissioning of old models of equipment. The class of helicopters is not developed, 70 vehicles are in service, mainly transport;
The naval component of the self-defense forces has always been a priority. The basis of sea power is 4 helicopter carriers and 39 long-range destroyers. In general, the naval component is the most powerful component of the armed forces. In terms of fleet size, Japan is one of the leading powers in Asia.

The Self-Defense Forces of Japan are self-sufficient for waging small local wars, however, in case of war, they are called upon to contain the enemy until the arrival of allied troops. The army will not be able to provide adequate resistance, for example, in the event of aggression from China, which Japan alongside considers the main enemy.

6 - UK

The British Armed Forces are in the past the most powerful army in the world (in the TOP 10 they have the sixth line today). They are located closer to the middle of the ranking, thanks only to the presence of nuclear weapons.

According to official data, it is armed with 215 warheads. The personnel is 190 thousand servicemen, and the mobilization reserve is 30 million people.

The personnel is 190 thousand servicemen.

The main striking force of the armed forces - the navy, given the geographic location of the country and its history, the navy was preferred.

The ground forces are represented by 240 tanks, of which 100 are modern Challenger 2 units, the rest of the vehicles are outdated morally and technically. Also in service with 800 units of armored vehicles - infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. The problem of the ground forces is a lack of funding, constant reductions (the country does not have enough capabilities and equipment to form a single full-fledged corps in a war).

The air force is represented mainly by American and European technology. The basis of the aircraft fleet is made up of drums aircrafts F series Eurofighter Typhoon.

In the future, it is also planned to update the aircraft fleet by purchasing new F-35 multipurpose fighters. The helicopter fleet is modest and mainly consists of transport units and Ah-64 Apache attack helicopters. In total, about 850 pieces of equipment are involved in aviation.

The British Navy has always been considered one of the strongest in the world. He long ago ceded these laurels to his closest overseas ally, but he continues (at least on paper) to be considered one of the most powerful in the world.

The main striking force is the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, recently launched and representing a new family of aircraft carriers and 8 multipurpose nuclear submarines with nuclear warheads on board. Surface fleet also represented by a number of frigates and destroyers, while the ships are new.

In the absence of nuclear weapons, it would be difficult for the British armed forces to climb up the ranking so, since, having a relatively powerful fleet in a military conflict, not to win a victory, a balanced army is needed.

5 - France

The French army has a centuries-old glorious history However, like all European armed forces, it is moving towards sequestering military spending and reducing military capabilities. The armed forces of this country took the fifth line in the TOP-10 of the most powerful armies in the world.

The personnel numbers 220 thousand soldiers and officers.

France is a member of the nuclear club with 300 warheads, of various types of basing. The personnel numbers 220 thousand soldiers and officers, the mobilization reserve is about 30 million people. The army is built on the brigade principle.

The ground forces have 400 tanks, about 100 of which are represented by modern Leclerc models. Also, the ground forces have about 2 thousand units of various armored vehicles from armored vehicles to self-propelled howitzers.
The Air Force has about 1.3 thousand units of aircraft, which are based on attack aircraft Eurofighter Typhoon, Tornado and a number of Mirage aircraft of its own design. The helicopter fleet is represented by Gazelle machines and transport units.
The fleet is armed with one aircraft carrier (there are plans to build a second ship of the same class), as well as about 40 ships of the frigate and destroyer class. According to its capabilities, the French fleet is considered the second in Europe.

The French Armed Forces are more balanced in composition and armament than the British Army. Also in service is a larger number of nuclear warheads and carriers of this type of weapon.

4 - India

India has the most powerful army in the region. It has become a major arms importer in the world. The country pays attention to the development of the armed forces. The defense budget is only increasing from year to year. In addition, the country has an impressive nuclear potential.

The number of the army reaches 1 million 340 thousand people.

The size of the army reaches 1 million 340 thousand people, and the mobilization resource is inexhaustible - 600 million soldiers.

The ground forces are based on Russian-made T-90 tanks of early modifications. This type licensed tanks are produced at factories in India, and the number exceeds 1 thousand units, which is more than the developer of this type of weapon - Russia. Also in the presence of tanks of our own design, made on the basis of Soviet tank t-72. The ground forces also have a lot of other armored vehicles - the number is 3.5 thousand units;
The air force has a motley composition. The fleet has both European equipment (Mirage, Typhoon), and Russian - SU 30SM and even American. The helicopter fleet is also diverse, MI-17 helicopters predominate in the transport component, and European helicopters prevail in the attack one;
The naval forces are armed with nuclear submarines, the Vikrimidatya aircraft carrier (a former Soviet aircraft-carrying cruiser) and a number of other attack ships. The naval component is only developing and is the weak link of the armed forces.

The Indian army is numerous, has nuclear weapons and has the ability to inflict unacceptable damage on the enemy. The number of weapons in the armies of the World is inferior to that which India owns.

The PRC army is perhaps the most dynamically developing in the world. In recent years, it has increased significantly. The defense budget is only increasing every year and is currently considered the second largest in the world. The nuclear component is also undergoing modernization; according to official data, the number of warheads is quoted from 300 to 1,000 units.

The number of military personnel is 2.3 million soldiers and officers.

The number of military personnel is 2.3 million soldiers and officers, and the mobilization resource is the largest on the planet - 700 million people. The army has a brigade structure, and the whole country is divided into military districts. Also, China is one of the three countries with a full-fledged triad of nuclear forces.

The ground forces have an impressive number of tanks - 6.5 thousand units. Moreover, there is an intensified renewal of the tank fleet and the replacement of outdated models with tanks of a new generation - TYPE 99M. These tanks, at least according to the statements of the Chinese side, are not inferior to and surpass all the world's leading models of this type of equipment. In addition, the Chinese army has a fleet of other armored vehicles - 5 thousand units of infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, which are also undergoing enhanced modernization.

The Air Force is represented by aircraft of its own production (licensed copies of Soviet and Russian equipment) and aircraft from Russia (SU 30, SU-34). In the air sphere, there is also an intensive rearmament on our own modern models.

The number of aircraft and helicopters is approaching 3,000.

The naval component was also strengthened by an aircraft carrier and a number of nuclear submarines. So, the fleet included 100 new ships in just 5 years. The Chinese fleet is considered the most powerful in Asia and is able to withstand the American Pacific Fleet.

There is a tendency to further strengthen the position of the Chinese army, followed by moving, if not to the first place in the rating, then exactly to the second, due to the huge number, the presence of components for the delivery of nuclear weapons and financial injections. When it comes to talking about which army is the strongest in the world, many experts argue that China will soon become the leader.

2 - Russia

In the 90s, the Russian army presented a deplorable sight. On paper, being the most powerful shard Soviet army, due to a chronic lack of funding, she could hardly make ends meet.

The equipment was massively sold out, the soldiers did not receive proper training. This resulted in heavy losses in local conflicts. However, the period of decline has long passed, and the Russian army has renewed its appearance.

The composition of the armed forces is 1 million people.

The Russian Army confidently holds the second place in the TOP-10 Armies with a payroll of the armed forces of 1 million people. The mobilization resource is 70 million people, and the number of nuclear warheads is the largest in the world. The management principle is based on the division of the country into separate military districts.

The Ground Forces have the largest tank fleet in the world. In service and storage - 20 thousand tanks. Basically, these are T-72 models of various modifications, there are also several thousand T-80s and about 600-800 T-90 tanks. The adoption of the new generation T-14 "Armata" vehicles, as well as mobile complexes on its platform, is underway.

Russia is the most powerful army World in armored vehicles, the number of which exceeds 20 thousand units. Armored vehicles are represented by models BMP-1 and 2 (as well as several hundred new BMP-3), BTR-70 and 80 (the troops also have several hundred new BTR-82A), also in service a large number of armored vehicles - 7 thousand units.

The air component has 3.8 thousand units, which is the second largest in the world. Air fleet presented different kinds equipment, ranging from transport aircraft models IL-76, An-12 and An-26, strike fighters MIG-29, SU-27 and SU-30 and bombers SU-34 Tu-22, Tu-95 and Tu-160.

The helicopter fleet is represented by transporters Mi-8, Mi-26, and attack helicopters Mi-24, Mi-28N and Ka-52.

As a legacy from the USSR, the Russian fleet received a huge number of powerful warships. The old equipment is being modernized and new ships are being commissioned. It is armed with a nuclear cruiser, an aircraft carrier and a large number of nuclear submarines (63 units), destroyers and frigates.

In terms of strike capabilities, the Russian Navy is confidently ranked second in the world. The number of warships is 300.

In general, the Russian armed forces are balanced with a slight tilt towards the ground forces, they have good combat experience, which is confirmed by the operation in Syria and are being rearmed.

The rearmament program until 2025 is designed to facilitate an almost complete re-equipment and change the appearance of the Russian army to modern weapons.

Also, our country has a huge number of carriers of nuclear charges and is able to give an adequate rebuff up to the application nuclear strike any enemy. The most combat-ready armies of the world are unable to withstand Russian weapons.

1 - The US Armed Forces is the most powerful Army in the world

The United States Armed Forces is the most powerful Army in the World. It has a huge military budget and a large number of military bases abroad. In addition, the army is considered high-tech and has an impressive combat experience, conducting continuous military campaigns in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

The payroll of the army is 1.4 million people, and the resources for mobilization are 160 million people. Also, the United States ranks second in the number of nuclear warheads and first in the number of carriers (with a predominance of sea-launched missiles in the component).

The payroll of the army is 1.4 million people.

The ground forces are armed with 5 thousand tanks of various modifications. The predominant type among them is the M1 - Abrams, developed in the 80s (broad plans are presented to modernize the existing tank fleet to modern standards).

The rest of the tanks are old M60A models. Also in service are several thousand units of armored vehicles - infantry fighting vehicles and armored vehicles of the new generation.

The air force is the largest in the world. It is armed with 7,000 aircraft types (from reconnaissance to unmanned aerial vehicles) and 7,000 helicopters, both transport and attack.

Also, the management has plans to expand the aircraft fleet by several thousand units by introducing 5th generation aircraft and replacing outdated models. Also, the army has the most impressive fleet of strategic aviation represented by B-52, B-1 and B-2 aircraft, capable of carrying a large number of nuclear weapons.

The US Army is the strongest Army in the world

The navy is also the largest among the world's navies. There are 11 aircraft carriers and 200 attack warships on permanent combat duty. There are also 70 multi-headed nuclear submarines of various modifications. In terms of total tonnage, the fleet has no equal and is not expected in the near future.

The US Army is considered the most powerful in the world, as it is capable of striking and operating in large groups of troops on any continent and against any enemy, besides, possessing a large number of carriers of nuclear weapons, it is capable of destroying any country without receiving unacceptable damage (except Russia and China).

An integral part of any state is the army, whose role is to protect the country and the people living in it from serious threats, such as military clashes within, or aggression from other powers. Introducing 10 most powerful armies in the world 2018 of the year.

10 Egypt

At the 10th position in the list of the strongest armies in the world in 2018 - the armed forces of Egypt. The state is home to 95.69 million people, while 428.5 thousand soldiers are serving in the army. The overwhelming majority of them are conscripts, 415 thousand are in the Air Force reserve. At the end of 2015, 5.5 billion US dollars were allocated from the state budget for the country's defense.

9

With a total population of more than 80 million inhabitants, the active living force is estimated at 180 thousand soldiers. The country has 145 people liable for military service and a good material base. The navy has 81 pieces of equipment, and the air fleet has 676 combat ships of various modifications. At the disposal of ground military formations - 6481 units of equipment. More than 36 billion US dollars are annually allocated from the country's budget for defense needs.

8

According to the results of the latest population census, 79.4 million people live in Turkey, 186.6 thousand of whom are liable for military service. The indicator of active manpower is 410.5 thousand people. The Navy is armed with 194 combat units, the air fleet has 1,007 aircraft, ground military units have 13,850 pieces of equipment at their disposal. Defense expenditures from the state treasury amount to US $ 18.2 billion per year.

7

There are almost 127 million people in the country, of which 57.9 thousand are liable for military service. The ARS indicator is equal to 250 thousand people. The combat reserve of the Navy is 131 units of equipment, the fleet has at its disposal 1591 newest aircraft. Ground military units have 4330 pieces of equipment in their arsenal. More than 40 billion US dollars are annually allocated from the state budget to ensure a peaceful life for citizens. It is noteworthy that after the defeat in World War II, numerous international treaties prohibit Japan from conscripting a more strictly specified number of people into the army. Despite this, the army of this state is one of the most trained in the world thanks to excellent funding and high development of modern technologies.

According to the latest data, in the near future, the Japanese army will be equipped with offensive weapons, which will certainly have a positive effect on its position in the ranking of the world's most powerful armed forces.

6

British subjects living in the country are 64.1 million people, 182 thousand of them are liable for military service. АЖС are considered to be 150 thousand people. As for the material base, the Navy has 76 pieces of equipment at its disposal, the air fleet has 879 combat ships, ground units have 6,624 combat units in their arsenal. The budget expenditures for financing defense needs are estimated at 55 billion US dollars.

5

The total number of the country's inhabitants is 66.5 million people, of which 195.7 thousand ordinary soldiers and more than 100 thousand policemen are considered liable for military service. 205 thousand soldiers are active manpower. The Navy has at its disposal 120 pieces of equipment. IN navy there are 118 vessels of various modifications, in the arsenal of ground units 7890 combat units. More than 35 billion US dollars are spent on defense needs each year. Distinctive feature French troops is that they use technology exclusively of their own production, and more than 15 percent of the soldiers are representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.

4

India is home to 1.2 billion people, of which 2.14 million are persons liable for military service. The AWS indicator is equal to 1.3 million people. The navy has 295 units of equipment, military aviation - 2086 units. On the balance sheet of ground units - 21165 units of equipment. The country's budget expenditures on the army are also considerable - $ 40 billion. The Indian army consists exclusively of people serving under contract, the salary of the military is one of the highest in the state.

3

It is not the first year that the third place in the Top 10 most powerful armies in the world goes to China. It is one of the most populous states in the world with 1.36 billion people. The reserve has 2.3 million soldiers, the able-bodied manpower is 2.3 million. The Navy has 715 ships in its arsenal, and the aviation has 2,942 aircraft. The ground units are armed with 23665 units of military equipment. China spends $ 155.7 billion on defense each year.

2

Taking into account the population of 142.42 million people, the number of persons liable for military service in Russia is 2.4 million. The number of regular troops is 770 thousand people. In the arsenal of the Navy - 352 combat units, on the balance of the air fleet - 3547 units of military equipment. Ground military equipment 61086 pcs. The defense of the country is one of the priority tasks of the state, more than 46.6 billion dollars are spent on it annually.

Not everyone will agree that the Russian army only gets the second place in the world ranking.
In our opinion, the Russian armed forces are reasonably inferior to the American ones. Take at least the population size
countries. It is likely that the most powerful army on the planet was possessed by the USSR, but the times are not the same ...

1

Military and economic experts regularly define the Global Firepower Index. Of course, comparing the armies of the world in terms of statistical indicators is not an ideal solution, but more objective (for example, to check everyone in the conditions real war) no rating yet. GFP counts 66 various indicators: from geographic location countries to the degree of industrial development.

A new report for 2018 was released in November. This year, experts analyzed the armed forces of 136 states.

When compiling the Global Firepower Index, not only is a scrupulous calculation of tanks, aircraft and warships is carried out, but also the number of the personnel of the army and its reserve, the level of financing of the military sphere, the country's transport infrastructure, oil production, the size of the public debt and even the length coastline- in a word, all the factors that can affect the combat effectiveness of the national army.

The presence of a nuclear arsenal is not taken into account, but the nuclear-weapon states receive a "bonus". The three leaders - the United States, Russia and China - have remained unchanged for four years.

America has been ahead of everyone in military spending for a long time. In second place in terms of the military budget, also for many years, China. In third place is Russia. The Chinese army is the largest in the world. Russia is the first in the world in terms of the number of tanks.

This is what the top 10 most militarily powerful countries in the world look like in 2018.

10. Germany

Defense budget - $ 45.2 billion

432 tanks

Aircraft carriers - 0

714 aircraft

The size of the army is 208,640 people.

9.Turkey

Defense budget - $ 10.2 billion

2,446 tanks

Aircraft carriers - 0

1,056 aircraft

The size of the army - 710,500

8. Japan

Defense budget - $ 44 billion

679 tanks

4 helicopter carriers

1508 aircraft

The strength of the army - 310457

7. South Korea

Defense budget - $ 40 billion

2654 tanks

1 aircraft carrier

1560 aircraft

Army size - 625,000

6.United Kingdom

Prince Harry during military service... Instagram photo of the Royal Navy Marine Corps.

Defense budget - $ 50 billion

227 tanks

2 aircraft carriers

832 aircraft

The size of the army - 279230

5. France

Photo: page Armed Forces of France on Facebook.

Defense budget - $ 40 billion

406 tanks

1305 aircraft

Navy - 118 (1 aircraft carrier and 3 helicopter carriers)

The size of the army - 388,635

4. India

Defense budget - $ 51 billion

4426 tanks

1 aircraft carrier (aircraft-carrying cruiser of project 1143, former "Admiral Gorshkov")

2185 aircraft

The size of the army - 1,362,500

3. China

Defense budget - $ 151 billion

7716 tanks

1 aircraft carrier ("Liaoning" - completed "Varyag")

3035 aircraft

The number of the army - 2,663,000

2. Russia

Photo: website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Defense budget - $ 47 billion

20,300 tanks

3914 aircraft

Navy - 352 (the only aircraft carrier out of service)

The strength of the army is 1,013,628.

1. USA

Photo site army.mil.

Defense budget - $ 647 billion

5,884 tanks

20 aircraft carriers

13362 aircraft

The total number of ships of the Navy - 415

The size of the army - 1281900

It is worth noting that the most important criterion for evaluating an army is combat operations. And this parameter is not taken into account by the Global Firepower Index. Russia and the United States also have a clear advantage here, for example, over China. Russia was at war with Georgia and, how to put it, probably with Ukraine. Plus is conducting a military operation in Syria. And the United States fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also participates in operations in Syria.

The GFP reading counts only the amount of spending by states on defense, not considering what percentage of a country's GDP they make up. For the top three in the ranking, these figures (data from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute - SIPRI) for 2017 are as follows: China spends 1.9% of GDP on defense, Russia 4.3%, and the United States 3.1%. Only Saudi Arabia spends more than Russia (as a share of GDP) on defense in the world - 10%.

A new edition of the annual The Military Balance is due out today. It is published - always in a very impressive volume - by the International Institute strategic research(IISS). This organization, located in Britain, is considered one of the most authoritative in this field. The IISS has been publishing its annual reviews of military strength and the state of troops of different countries since 1959.

This year, as in the past, the survey will feature information on the military capabilities and military economies of 171 countries. Detailed data indicate each country's combat strength, army personnel, weapons stockpiles, and the economic performance of the military-industrial complexes.

Analysts in uniform consider these reports to be a reference book, some just a useful source, but they agree to admit that the staff of the institute try to be objective when preparing their annual document. Well, at least within the limits that the mentality of a person of the West allows.

No text yet, but three main characters have already been identified

The report should be released on February 14, but the real customers will be able to start analyzing it only from tomorrow morning. For the time being, Tsargrad analysts have an extended annotation at their disposal. It is clear from it that the main heroes of the document will be three countries - the United States, Russia and China. Moreover, the latter two will be devoted to additional (along with the traditional descriptions of new orders for weapons and delivery schedules) articles.

Against the general background of the description of the modernization of strategic forces in these three countries, there will be separate reviews of Chinese and Russian aviation weapons (recall the recent "leak" of information about the Russian strategic air-launched cruise missiles Kh-101, discussed with reverence and slight tremors in their voice in the American magazine The National Interest), as well as the development of artificial intelligence in the interests of defense. Russia will "receive" an additional "bonus" in the form of thematic texts on the modernization of its strategic forces.

As new products in the fresh The Military Balance-2018, the military development is assessed in detail in China, Russia and the United States, as well as in France and Great Britain. This, presumably, indirectly but indisputably declares the "pool" of the first five leading armies of the world. A kind of standing committee of the "Security Council" of the secret military "UN" of our world. The similarity complements the indication of a separate analysis of the military capabilities of Norway, Qatar, Sudan, Uganda and Venezuela - as if they were non-permanent members of the armed and very dangerous "Security Council", without the right to veto ...

In addition, they promise to describe and graphically depict major events in the field of defense procurement in 2017, as well as show and outline a number of new weapons developments. Among them, the Russian Su-57 (T-50) combat aircraft is separately mentioned. Much attention will be paid to the naval forces. "National cyber capabilities" are considered separately.

The first armies of the world were identified by Russian military experts

While the world militarized public is waiting for the release of a new IISS survey, Constantinople asked Russia's leading military experts to express their opinion on the top strongest armies in the world.

The military expert Igor Korotchenko (editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, director of the Center for Analysis of the World Arms Trade LLC), who is closest to what the IISS is doing, in professional activity, although he was skeptical about the very compilation of such ratings, spoke traditionally academic:

"This is not about which army is the largest, but which army is the strongest and most efficient, which army has the widest range of weapons for solving certain tasks of political leadership."

Based on these considerations, the expert believes that, "at least, the US and Russian armies will lead this rating," since "today both the US and Russia are the largest militarily powers - in terms of both parity and availability in arsenals, including strategic nuclear weapons. "

Further, the rating will include, according to Korotchenko, China, Japan, Great Britain, India. "Well, I don't exclude the possibility that the army of North Korea," he added the top 7 most efficient armies in the world. But at the same time he made a reservation: “I must say that compiling such ratings is a rather artificial thing. real situation only war can. And God forbid that it happened. "

“But we can say with confidence today that the Russian Armed Forces are rightfully one of the best in the world, both in terms of their technical equipment, and in terms of combat and morale. Therefore, regardless of the compilers of the ratings, we can sleep peacefully, considering that the army reliably ensures our security, "Igor Korotchenko summed up.

But another well-known military expert, Viktor Litovkin, has a completely different rating of the world's armies: the fifth place, perhaps, I can place the Turkish army. "

When asked why this is so, the expert just shrugged his shoulders: "This is in terms of numbers. The United States has the largest army, China is in second place, North Korea is in third. And so on." these armies exceed 1 million 200 thousand people, at least, "he said.

“But if we take in terms of power, in terms of combat potential, then, of course, in the first place is the United States, in the second place is Russia, in the third place is China,” Viktor Litovkin emphasized. more difficult. This is the French army, and the British, and the German, and so on. "

Viktor Baranets, another prominent Russian expert in the military field, military observer of Komsomolskaya Pravda, stated and substantiated his point of view in great detail: NATO countries, often smack of a very serious politicization. This time. Secondly, the methods of compiling ratings among specialists raise very serious questions. I mean that it is difficult, for example, today to compare the American and Russian armies, which in terms of the number and quality of nuclear weapons they are in no way inferior to each other. But the Americans still like to put themselves in the first position, and push Russia to the second. "

“I believe that today the level of the Russian army, and its combat readiness, mobility, logistics, weapons - all this suggests that Russian army in no way inferior to the American one, - the expert emphasized. - True, the Americans have a favorite argument: Russia possesses general-purpose forces, that is, non-nuclear forces in smaller quantities and in lesser quality. And here I would partly agree: in the years after the collapse Soviet Union we seriously damaged the general-purpose forces and took a very long time to restore them. "

As for the world top armies, Viktor Baranets outlined the following order in it: “I am absolutely sure that the Americans will put themselves first in this rating. They simply stated in unison that the greatest military threat to the armed forces of the United States of America is the Russian army. In third place, of course, will be the Chinese army. This is an army with nuclear weapons, it is considered the largest in the world in terms of the number of bayonets under military banners. it has almost 2.5 million people.

“In fourth place, no matter what we say, I would still put a half-million Turkish army. We must not forget that besides the fact that it has a half-million contingent, it is very well armed. It has a very serious degree of combat readiness, as evidenced by actions of its units in Syria, "Baranets said.

"As for the further rating, I would put the Indian army in fifth place - considering its number, of course. And then I would put the North Korean army. Because both armies have nuclear weapons," he summed up.

1. USA
2. Russia
3. China
4. India
5. Turkey
6. North Korea
7. France
8.UK
9. Germany

In principle, the assessments of "Constantinople" coincide with this reeting ... almost. Because it is necessary to take into consideration one more, no, even two circumstances.

The first is that in terms of nuclear potential, Russia and the United States are equal to each other. This is officially recorded in the START Treaty. According to the law of mathematics, we are therefore obliged to remove these quantities from the formula. As well as the nuclear weapons of other powers. Let's also remove other equals - weapons of the same class and quality, logistics, management.

And then the remaining aspects of the issue come to the fore in the formula: the size of the army, the quality of its main weapons, its training, cohesiveness, combat experience and morale.

And in this sense, one does not even need to guess: the armies of Russia and the United States each have their own touchstone for the manifestation of these qualities: Syria, respectively, and Afghanistan. The war is being fought by conventional means, the war is fought primarily by air and by special operations. The war there, and here, has approximately the same political background in the form of a legitimate government trying to cope with the armed opposition.

Now let's look at the results that Russia has achieved in Syria, and which the United States has achieved in Afghanistan. They are, to put it mildly, opposite.

Add to this the fighting spirit, which in one army gives rise to heroes one after another, and which forces the other army to huddle in bases and hide behind the backs of government troops - and the picture will be complete.

1.Russia (morale, combat experience, weapons)
2. China (numbers, weapons, ideology)
3. USA (weapons)
4. DPRK (morale, strength, ideology)
5. Israel (combat experience, fighting spirit, weapons, ideology)
6. India (number, armament)
7.Turkey (combat experience, weapons)
8.Iran (fighting spirit, combat experience, ideology)
9. Vietnam (fighting spirit, weapons)
10. France (weapons)

All that remains is to compare with the list that will be issued by the IISS. But for some reason there is confidence that whatever it may be, the top 10 "Constantinople" will be more correct.

Time moves forward, the world does not stand still. Humanity has long realized that war brings only destruction and death. But this realization does not give the effect that one would like. Earth engulfed in wars, and even countries that are not at war are aware of the existence of many factors that prevent them from relaxing. All this leads to the fact that each country is trying to build up its military-armed forces in order to feel safe.

The world community understands that it is impossible to completely abandon weapons, since there are people, for example, terrorists or extremists, who will continue to destroy civilians for their religious reasons. And everyone is wondering what the top of the strongest armies in the world looks like.

To compile such a list, you need to select a number of criteria by which the armies will be judged. This is:

maximum conscription of people into the ranks of the army;
number of tanks;
the number of aircraft;
nuclear combat power;
the number of aircraft carriers;
number of submarines;
military budget.

It is from these sides that we will consider the armies of the world. The ranking of countries is very interesting and sometimes predictable. Let's take a closer look at our winners.

1. USA is the winner of the race

This country very predictably took first place. If you ask an ordinary person what is the strongest army in the world, then fifty percent will answer that the US military forces, and they will be right.

According to the above characteristics, the United States wins three. The first is the number of aircraft. 13643 units of aircraft - this is what the US Army can boast of. Also, this country is the undoubted leader in terms of the number of aircraft carriers, there are 10 of them, while in Russia or China there is only one. And the third, probably one of the most important qualities, due to which the United States does not lose its positions in the arms race, is the budget. More than $ 612 billion is poured into its military by the White House every year, and the US military is proving to be worth the money.

In addition, the status of the most high-tech and combat-ready also belongs to this army. The United States has its own all over the world, which allows them to significantly scare potential enemies. After all, they can inflict a blow in just a couple of hours after receiving an order for that.

The Pentagon also does not lag behind in modern military developments, which gives all new, hitherto unseen, types of weapons that have ever greater power and a long range of destruction.

All these factors help to understand that the United States is ahead of all other armies in the world. The rating is deservedly led by this country, but it is not the only one that deserves attention.