Which country has the most military? With fire and sword: a complete list of the most powerful armies in the world

Time moves forward, the world does not stand still. Humanity has long realized that war brings only destruction and death. But this awareness does not give the effect that we would like. The globe is engulfed in wars, and even countries that are not waging war are aware of the existence of many factors that do not allow them to relax. All this leads to the fact that each country is trying to increase its military forces in order to feel secure.

The international 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 strongest armies in the world look like.

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

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

It is from these angles 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 - winner of the race

This country very predictably took first place. If you ask common man which one is the best strong army world, then fifty percent will answer that the US military forces, and they will be right.

According to the above characteristics, the USA wins in three. The first of these is the number of aircraft. 13,643 units of aircraft - that's what the US Army can boast of. This country is also the undoubted leader in the number of aircraft carriers, there are 10 of them, while Russia or China have only one each. And the third, probably one of the most important qualities due to which the United States does not lose ground in the arms race, is the budget. Invests more than 612 billion dollars The White house to its troops every year, and the US Army proves that it is worth the money spent on it.

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

The Pentagon also does not lag behind in modern military developments, which gives ever new, unprecedented types of weapons that have ever greater power and greater range.

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

10. France

Active Army: 362,485

Military reserve: 419,000

France is one of the few countries whose armed forces have almost the full range of modern weapons and military equipment of their own production - from small arms to attack nuclear aircraft carriers (which, besides France, only the United States has).

In 2003, the country completed the second part of the reform of the armed forces, which began in 1996. As part of this reform, conscription was abolished and the transition to a professional, smaller, but more effective army took place. This reform will continue until 2015.

9. Iran

Active Army: 545,000

Military reserve: 650,000

In 1979, the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, during which the monarchy was overthrown and an Islamic republic was proclaimed. Since then, this country has been a serious source of tension in the region.

Iran's armed forces consist of two main parts: troops under the Ministry of Defense and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, under the direct command of the Supreme Leader, with a total of 545 thousand personnel.

Iran's combat capabilities are kept strictly secret. It is known that since 1992, Iran has been producing its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, guided missiles, submarines and even fighter jets.

8. Türkiye

Active Army: 612,900

Military reserve: 429,000

The Turkish army has existed for more than 2 thousand years. During World War II it adhered to neutrality. However, the Turks were involved in the Korean War, and the largest conflict of the 20th century for Turkey was the War of Independence, which involved Russia, Great Britain, Greece and Italy.

Military service in Turkey is compulsory. In terms of the size of its ground forces, Türkiye ranks second in NATO.

7. Pakistan

Active Army: 617,000

Military reserve: 515,500

The Pakistan Army was founded in 1947. There are more than 600 thousand military personnel who are volunteers.

Pakistan's military history includes conflicts with border states such as Afghanistan and India, the Gulf War, Magadisho and Somalia. Pakistan is also a US ally in the global war on terrorism, providing assistance in the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and along the Pakistani border.

6. South Korea

Active Army: 653,000

Military reserve: 3,200,000

There are three types of armed forces in Korea: the army, the air force and the navy. As in the USA, they are independent of each other.

At the head of the army is a committee of chiefs of staff, which plays the role of the general staff and exercises operational leadership of the armed forces.

The Korean Ministry of Defense is a civilian organization responsible for the military's budget, supplies, and personnel matters.

5. North Korea

Active Army: 1,106,000

Military reserve: 8,200,000

The Korean People's Army was founded in 1939 and has more than a million soldiers. No less impressive is the number of reserve soldiers who can be raised in the event of hostilities - 8 million people.

The main conflicts in North Korean history are the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Disagreements and tensions between North and South Korea still exist and, technically, this conflict is not officially over yet.

4. Russia

Active army: 1,200,000

Military reserve: 754,000

Russia has undergone numerous changes in its military history since 863. Today the army is called the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The day of its foundation is considered to be May 7, 1992.

Previous Russian military organizations, including the Red Army, have been involved in numerous regional conflicts, world wars, and the Cold War. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was known as the most powerful army in the world, surpassing the American army in all respects, including the number of soldiers and the volume of nuclear weapons.

Call for military service starts at age 18.

3. India

Active army: 1,325,000

Military reserve: 1,747,000

The Indian Army has its roots in stone Age. Today she is most famous a large number volunteers in the army and number over 1 million people.

The Indian Army was involved in both world wars and several wars for its own independence. India also has a contentious relationship with Pakistan.

2. United States of America

Active Army: 1,477,896

Military reserve: 1,458,500

The United States Army dates back to 1775, when the Continental Army was created to fight in the Revolutionary War.

The States have taken part in all world wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and now in the war against global terrorism.

The United States has an active combat force of over 500,000 personnel and over a million reservists and National Guard soldiers. America's army bases are located all over the world. Military service is on a voluntary basis.

1. China

Active army: 2,285,000

Military reserve: 800,000

The People's Liberation Army of China is the largest army in the world, with more than 2.2 million people serving in it. And this after a significant reduction in recent years.

It was founded in 1927. Participated in the Sino-Japanese conflict, World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars.

Technically, military service is compulsory at age 18. At the same time, China never experienced problems with personnel, since there were always even more than enough men who joined the army voluntarily.

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

Today we present an annually updated, official ranking of the world's armies, in full list included the most powerful armies in the world in 2018.

Read updated according to Globalfirepower.

The top 10 was compiled according to data from a specialized resource.

• number of armies of the world (regular number of troops, reservists)
• weapons (airplanes, helicopters, tanks, navy, artillery, other equipment)
• military budget,
• resource availability, geographical location,
• logistics.

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

In 2018, the rating included136 countries. New to the list are Ireland (116th), Montenegro (121st) and Liberia(135 position).

By the way, San Marino has the weakest army in the world in 2018 - only 84 people.

10. German Army

Germany's military budget increased from 45 to 46 billion dollars. At the same time, the number of military personnel decreased - from186 up to 178 thousand people. The German army is completely professional, i.e. There has been no compulsory conscription in the country since 2011.

9. Turkish Armed Forces

In the past, the country of luxurious beaches and beautiful tomatoes ranked eighth in the top armies of the world. The number of its armed forces is 350 thousand people, and its military budget is 10.2 billion dollars.

8. Japan Self-Defense Forces

The Land of the Rising Sun worsened its military performance and dropped one place in the list of the best armies in the world. The military budget decreased from 49 to 44 billion dollars, but the number of military personnel did not change - over 247 thousand people.

7. South Korean Army

Compared to the previous ranking, South Korea “jumped” from 10th to 7th place. There are 625 thousand military personnel serving in the Korean army. The eternal rival, North Korea, has 945 thousand soldiers. And the defense budget South Korea is 40 billion dollars.

6. British Army

Although the country's position on the list has not changed, it has improved its performance in terms of army size (197 thousand people versus 188 thousand people). However, it still remains the smallest army in the ranking.

England's military budget decreased compared to 2017 from 55 to 50 billion dollars.

5. French Army

The French army, which opened the top 5 most powerful armies in the world, is small in number. Currently, 205 thousand people serve in it. At the same time, the country's defense budget is $40 billion.

4. Indian Armed Forces

The country's military budget is $47 billion. The number of Indian armed forces is 1,362,000 people, the country's army is the third largest in the world.

3. Chinese Army

The Celestial Empire has the largest human population military force in the ranking of the world's armies. It employs 2,183,000 people. According to Wikipedia, there are 1.71 military personnel per 1,000 inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. And China’s military budget is huge, comparable to the army - $151 billion (increased from $126 billion compared to 2017).

2. Russian Army

The Russian armed forces are superior to almost all armies of the world in terms of weapons power in all branches of the military - air, ground and sea. The size of the Russian army for 2018 is 1,013,000 people. The military budget is $47 billion. Among the superpowers, Russia has a very high rate of the number of military personnel per 1000 inhabitants - 5.3 people.

1. US Army

The most powerful army in the world, according to Globalfirepower, American. By the way, it is not the largest in terms of numbers, but the most powerful in terms of available weapons, including nuclear potential, which is not taken into account by experts. The size of the US Army is 1,281,900 people, and the defense budget is 647 billion.dollars.

Comparison table of armies of the world (Infographics)

No matter how armed the army is, the morale of the soldiers will play an important role in winning a world war. In this regard, it is a big mistake to consider the current distribution of seats to be absolutely correct.

If the world were ideal, then no armies or weapons would be needed and there would never be wars. But the reality is that threats both abroad and within the state pose national security at risk. This reality forces many states to have a powerful army in the form of human potential and weapons.
There are several outstanding armies that are widely known for their size, combat experience and military equipment. They are among the ten largest armies in the world.

1. China

The world's most populous country, China, unsurprisingly ranks first in the world in terms of army size. People's Army. This nation is known not only for its large territory, but also for its huge population and, accordingly, the largest army. The Chinese People's Liberation Army was founded in 1927.

Its main part consists of citizens aged 18 to 49 years. Number of people: 2,300,000. Budget $129 billion per year. About 240 installations for launching nuclear missiles. The Chinese army is well trained and has large resources in weapons and mobilization resources in the event of war, it can put 200,000,000 people under arms. It is armed with 8,500 tanks, 61 submarines, 54 surface ships and 4,000 aircraft.

Russian army

The Russian army is one of the most experienced in the world. Its strength is 1,013,628 military personnel (according to the presidential decree of March 28, 2017). The annual budget is $64 billion and ranks 3rd in the world in terms of military spending. It is armed with 2,867 tanks, 10,720 armored vehicles, 2,646 self-propelled guns, and 2,155 towed artillery pieces. Russia also has the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world.

3.United States of America

US Army

The US Army was founded in 1775. The United States currently has 1,400,000 active military personnel and 1,450,000 in the active reserve. The defense budget is what truly sets the US apart from all the other countries on the list; it is over $689 billion per year.
The United States also has the most trained troops and a powerful arsenal. Its ground forces use 8,325 tanks, 18,539 armored combat vehicles, 1,934 self-propelled guns, 1,791 towed artillery pieces, and 1,330 nuclear warheads.

Indian Army

Located in southern Asia, India is the world's largest arms importer. With a strength of 1.325 thousand soldiers and officers. The Army's military budget is $44 billion a year. There are also about 80 nuclear warheads in service.

5. North Korea

North Korean Army

North Korea has a well-trained and coordinated army of 1,106,000, as well as a large number of reservists, 8,200,000 as of 2011. It also has a large number of weapons, they include: 5,400 tanks, 2,580 armored vehicles, 1,600 self-propelled guns, 3,500 towed artillery pieces, 1,600 air defense systems and other powerful weapons. Military conscription in this state is compulsory for everyone; the period of military service is 10 years.
While the totalitarian regime in North Korea built a large army, most of its military equipment is considered obsolete. However, they have nuclear weapons, which in turn poses a threat to the stability of peace in this region.

6. South Korea

Photo of the South Korean Army

Next on the list of the largest armies in the world is the South Korean army. In this state, the conscription age is from 18 to 35 years, the service period is 21 months.
Its armed forces are called the Republic of Korea Army. It uses both domestic and imported weapons. It is armed with 2,300 tanks, 2,600 armored vehicles, 30 air defense systems and 5,300 artillery pieces. The number of its troops reaches approximately 1,240,000 people.

7. Pakistan

Pakistan Army

The Pakistan Army rightfully ranks among the largest armies in the world. Its population is 617,000 people and personnel reserve about 515,500 people as of 2011.
Its ground forces use a wide range of weapons: 3,490 tanks, 5,745 armored vehicles, 1,065 self-propelled guns, 3,197 towed artillery pieces. Air Force are armed with 1,531 aircraft and 589 helicopters. The naval force consists of 11 frigates and 8 submarines. With a budget of just over $5 billion, it is the smallest budget of the top ten military powers. Pakistan may be a small country in size, but it is undoubtedly one of the largest armies in the world in terms of size and military prowess. This army is also a permanent ally of the United States.

Iranian army

They say that the most powerful army in the Middle East is the army of Iran. Iran is also known for its large troop numbers. It has approximately 545,000 personnel, divided into 14 infantry divisions and 15 air bases. Their army is equipped with 2,895 tanks, 1,500 armored vehicles, 310 self-propelled guns, 860 air defense systems, 1,858 aircraft and 800 helicopters. The defense budget is just over $10 billion.

Turkish army

Türkiye has the largest army at the meeting point of Asia and Europe. Citizens are called up for service at the age of 20. The conscription lasts approximately 6 to 15 months, depending on educational level students. The number of Turkish army is 1,041,900 people, of which 612,900 are regular military personnel and 429,000 are in reserve. Its army is also well armed and has 4,460 tanks, 1,500 self-propelled guns, 7,133 armored vehicles, 406 air defense systems, 570 airplanes and helicopters. The annual budget of this army is 19 billion dollars.

10. Israel

Israeli army

The army of the State of Israel is known as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Men over 18 years of age are subject to conscription every year. Every year, about 121,000 men can be drafted into the army to serve in any of its military branches. Currently, the Israeli army consists of 187,000 regular military personnel and a reserve of 565,000 people. As a result, the number of troops in the Israel Defense Forces is about 752,000. The army is equipped with last word equipment and is armed with 3,870 tanks, 1,775 armored vehicles, 706 self-propelled guns, 350 towed artillery pieces, and 48 air defense systems.

Not all countries in the world need a large army for reliable protection. However, maintaining peace and order would be impossible without a well-organized and armed army.

Most of the 20th century was spent in wars. By the beginning of the new millennium, serious geopolitical changes had occurred in the world; Cold War, broke up Soviet Union, and behind it the world socialist system. It would seem that the intensity of passions around the issue of world leadership should have decreased, and if not stopped, then at least slowed down. This, unfortunately, did not happen.

Economy and army

War is a continuation of politics in conditions when diplomatic norms cease to apply. And attaches and plenipotentiary representatives feel much more confident if the threatening silhouettes of aircraft carriers, tanks, strategic bombers and intercontinental missiles are discerned behind the tails of their coats.

Which army in the world is stronger? By what criteria can this be determined? By the amount of the military budget, the number of military personnel, the presence of modern weapons or information saturation? As an example, it is worth considering the four most significant armies in the world: American, Israeli, Chinese and Russian. They differ in the principles of configuration, in numbers, and in the amount of resources consumed, representing unique models of armed forces.

U.S. Army

The defeat of the command-administrative system in the field of production and distribution of vital material goods caused a certain euphoria in the camp of the winners. The immediate conclusion was that if free market countries are economically stronger, then in a military sense their superiority is undeniable, as is the assertion that the most powerful army in the world is the American one.

In terms of the size of its military budget, the United States is the world leader. The annual amount of funds spent by the Pentagon is an astronomical amount, approaching seven hundred billion dollars. This money is enough for five types of troops (Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the army itself) constantly received the most amazing weapons, ahead of their time and at a fantastic technical level. At least, this is how the situation looks, according to the media (American, of course). In practice, things are not so rosy. After Hussein's impressive victory over Iraq and the "exemplary beating" of Yugoslavia, the list of military victories somehow began to decline. In other words, the US armed forces were unable to fulfill any of the tasks set by the government and the president. Afghanistan, Libya and Syria are actually controlled by armed groups, which are commonly called illegal. The most powerful army in the world is powerless in its fight against international terrorism. Instead of the notorious “surgical strikes,” it inflicts damage on civilians, which causes increased resistance. It should be taken into account that it was the solution of local problems that became a priority for the Pentagon after 1991.

American army problems

Over the past two decades, the level of training of personnel has decreased. Americans do not want to serve, they are not satisfied with the salaries and the risks to which the soldiers are exposed. The most powerful army in the world today is largely staffed by visitors, foreigners willing to don the uniform for the prospect of citizenship. The focus on technical superiority also influenced the physical training of US military personnel.

Nevertheless, the American army remains strong, and its area of ​​​​responsibility still includes the entire Earth(this is how the Pentagon leaders understand their mission). The US fleet is the largest in the world (almost 2,400 units), its nuclear potential is approximately the same as that of Russia (about 2 thousand warheads), and its personnel number almost one and a half million people. There are numerous military bases abroad.

As for the latest models of military equipment, then, apparently, among them there are both successful ones and those that do not deserve such laudatory epithets. The military-industrial complex is interested in large orders, which dictates the requirements for weapons. They must, firstly, be large, secondly, look impressive, and thirdly, they simply must be expensive. What any country can learn from the Americans is the ability to provide their soldiers with everything they need - from food and medicine to clothing and toilet paper. In supply matters, the U.S. Army is the best army in the world.

Chinese folk

According to the tradition established back in the hot year of 1927 by Mao Zedong, the Chinese army is called the People's Liberation Army. She really led fighting against the Japanese invaders. The issue was resolved by itself after the successful offensive of the Soviet troops.

In 1950-1953, the PLA tried to liberate the southern part of the Korean Peninsula from capitalists, but it failed. There were also unsuccessful attacks on the USSR (1969) and Vietnam (1979). Yes, Tibet was also liberated from monks. Currently, China has no foreign policy problems that require a military solution, except, perhaps, semi-recognized Taiwan and the Senkaku Archipelago, but these issues have long since become diplomatic.

Chinese assets

The PLA banners are not covered in military glory. However, this does not prevent us from saying that, if it is not the most powerful army in the world, it is at least a force that neighboring countries are forced to reckon with. The military budget is one hundred billion (translated into US dollars). The nuclear potential is approximately equal to that of France. The number of soldiers and officers has no equal (almost 2.3 million). There is also a militia (12 million people). Artillery - 25 thousand guns. Three-quarters of aviation consists of fighter aircraft, which indirectly indicates the defensive nature of the military doctrine. In the event of an attack on the PRC mobilization reserve estimated at 300 million bayonets. It can be assumed that no one will dare to commit aggression against China. This country has the strongest army in the world in terms of numbers.

Tsahal

Israel is a small country. There are, of course, smaller states, but they didn’t have to fight as much. The hostile environment has time and again sought not just to harm Israel, but to destroy it. Position in modern conditions aggravated by short distances and, consequently, short flight time of ammunition delivery vehicles. The IDF, of course, is not the strongest army in the world; the country simply does not have enough economic potential and population to compare with the PRC, the USA or Russia in power and number of weapons, but the very fact of the existence of the Jewish state speaks volumes more eloquently than any statistical data. high efficiency of its defense system.

Jewish "chips"

In order to defeat a numerically superior enemy, special methods and techniques are needed. These in the Middle East include:

The maximum possible military training population. Both men and women (unmarried) serve in Tsahal.

Powerful intelligence network. The intelligence services, the main one of which is the Mossad, provide the country's leadership with detailed information about possible risks and promptly inform them of any problems that have arisen.

The best possible examples of military equipment, both imported and produced in the country.

Ideological training, expressed in instilling in young people the desire to defend their homeland.

The unique organizational and management structure of the armed forces.

There is reason to believe that, even with its small numbers, the IDF is the best army in the world today. This refers to the ability to quickly solve problems necessary to maintain the viability of the State of Israel.

after the collapse of the USSR

After the collapse of the USSR, difficult times came for the former Soviet military. The soldiers and officers of the Union, who knew from childhood that the most powerful army in the world was ours, experienced a real shock in 1991. Facilities mass media persistently and clearly explained that Afghan war was fought in vain, the Czechoslovak events of 1968 were criminal, the USSR lost the war with Finland, and the sanctity of the Victory itself is in big question. The moral crisis was accompanied by a material one. The financial support of the Russian military in the conditions of a raging spontaneous market looked like a mockery. The first Chechen campaign revealed many systemic flaws. The place of the Russian army in the world could no longer be considered a leading one. It seemed that the complete collapse of the armed forces was inevitable, followed by the collapse of the federal state into separate principalities. But…

Russian Army today

The crisis was overcome. The country's leadership was able to maintain the basis of its defense capability - a nuclear shield that protects against direct military pressure from the outside.

However, new threats have emerged in the form of numerous local conflicts. With a modest military budget of $56 billion (at comparable prices), Russia has surpassed all its potential rivals in terms of efficiency in the use of funds. Military personnel receive a decent salary and are socially protected. Systematic modernization of the material part is being carried out. Even analysts who are unfriendly towards the Russian Federation are forced to admit that today the Russian army is the strongest in the world, at least in the range of tasks outlined for it. The criteria for such a high rating are indicators such as mobility, communications, coordination of actions, good supplies and high morale of personnel. Local conflicts recent years, in which the Russian military took part, confirm the opinion of experts.

Unfortunately, the army gains experience in wars. A country, for a long time being in the world, often ceases to value its protectors. But there is another important aspect to this issue. Even the most combat-ready army in the world will be powerless if the task assigned to it is criminal or does not correspond to national interests. Our successes demonstrate that we are okay with this.