If you want peace, prepare for war. This is what the well-known wisdom proclaims. Indeed, only a strong army in modern world is the guarantor of the independence of the state, despite international law and the UN. Undoubtedly, peace initiatives recent decades reduced tension in the world, but the number of hot spots on the globe is still large. In addition to solving the usual tasks, modern military units have to take part in the fight against world terrorism. In this article, we will tell you about the most strong armies of the world and to which states they belong.

First place - United States of America

After the collapse of the USSR, the only superpower in the world remains the United States. Although after the end cold war the country's military spending has largely declined, the US military is the most powerful army in the world so far.

The country's population is about 311 million people, which provides a high mobilization resource in case of war, while in peacetime the US army is completely professional.

The number of its regular troops is 560 thousand people. There are many more in reserve. The number of combat ground equipment in service is 60 thousand units. In addition, the American army has a fairly powerful fleet, which includes more than two thousand units. No less threatening force is the country's Air Force. Quantity aerial technology exceeds 18 thousand units.

The most impressive figure is the US military budget. Its amount is more than the total military budget of all other major armies in the world and amounts to 692 billion dollars. Among other things, the Americans have a powerful missile force, which includes 32 military satellites and about 500 ballistic missiles.

The US Army has proved its worth in practice in a large number of wars in which it has participated over the past thirty years. The triumph was military operation against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, when his army was defeated without any serious losses, despite the fact that it was the most powerful army in the Middle East, in which officers who went through the Soviet school served.

Second place - Russian Federation

The second most powerful army in the world and, without a doubt, the most best army within the territory of former USSR. In many ways, it was the rich heritage that allowed the Russian army to take a high line.

After the collapse Soviet Union Russian army experienced bad times. However, already in the 2000s, the state began to pay much more attention to its combat capability. In addition, a lot of work has been done to increase the authority of the army in the eyes of the country's population.

The population of the country is about 145 million people. At the same time, the number of regular troops is one million people. A large army (twice as large as that of the United States) is necessary for the country because of the large extent of its borders. There are about 20 million people in the reserve. The number of ground combat equipment is 9 thousand units.

The fleet is traditionally the weak side of the Russian army. To date, it has only 233 ships. The number of aircraft - 2800 units. The budget of the country's Armed Forces is about 75 billion US dollars. In addition, Russia has powerful nuclear weapons and their means of delivery.

The Russian army began to be treated more respectfully as a result of the Crimean and Syrian operations. Outstanding foreign experts noted the speed and efficiency with which the army is able to carry out tasks.

Third place - People's Republic of China

The most big army in the world belongs to the Republic of China. The whole history of the country is connected with numerous wars. Despite the fact that China has not participated in any large-scale military operations since the Korean War, the number of threats to this country has not decreased.

The population of the country at the moment is one and a half billion people. The number of regular troops is 2.2 million. At the same time, there is another million in reserve. The number of combat ground equipment - 58 thousand units. IN Lately China is actively building up its fleet, and the production of modern aircraft carriers has been launched. The number of ships today is only 972 units, but this number is growing. Also in service Chinese troops there are about 5 thousand aircraft.

The budget of the Chinese army is 106 billion US dollars. The current military doctrine of the PRC is aimed at fighting in the east. Recently, China built several islands off its coast, which caused protests from Japan and the United States. In addition, there is still a desire to resolve the Taiwan issue by force. In addition, the country's neighbor North Korea has recently become completely uncontrollable and is beginning to threaten not only its traditional adversaries, but also countries such as China and Russia.

China also has powerful nuclear forces. They lag behind the level of the Russian or American army, but they can still cause irreparable harm to their opponent.

Fourth place - India

India became an independent power only in the middle of the last century, but during this time its troops managed to take part in several local wars. The state has tense relations with Pakistan, which is a Muslim region former India, owned by the English crown. There are still territorial disputes between these two neighbors. In addition, in the history of the country there were some disputes with another powerful neighbor - the PRC. That is why India is obliged to have a powerful armed forces.

The population of the country is 1.2 billion people. Regular troops - 1.3 million people. There are 2 million more people in the reserve. In the service of the Indian Armed Forces there are 13 thousand units of ground military equipment and about two hundred warships. The country's aviation includes about 2.5 thousand aircraft. The budget of the army is about 50 billion US dollars.

Fifth place - UK

The English army was once the most formidable weapon on the planet. Her fleet was especially famous. The British Empire was called the queen of the seas, its troops could fight anywhere in the world, thanks to a well-established system of maritime supply. No wonder the Empire's holdings were so vast that the sun never set on it.

A lot of time has passed since then, the colonies have gained independence, but even today the UK has a very combat-ready army. The population of the country is 62 million people, the size of regular units is 220 thousand people, plus the same number is in reserve. The UK Armed Forces has about 20,000 units of ground combat equipment. Interestingly, today's fleet of the country is much more modest. It includes about a hundred warships. Aviation Troops has about 1600 aircraft. The military item of expenditure of the budget is 75 billion US dollars.

The country's troops participated in a limited amount in the Yugoslav conflict, the war in Iraq and the counter-terrorist operation in Afghanistan. Since 2015, the country's aircraft have been participating in the fight against ISIS formations in Syria and Iraq.

Sixth place - Turkey

As a rule, few people realize that the Turkish Armed Forces are among the most powerful armies peace. However, upon closer examination, this state of affairs becomes clear. Many times in the history of this country it was necessary to fight with its neighbors, including Russia. Today Turkey is in the most troubled region of the world. Nearby is Syria, which sucks in fighting an increasing number of participants.

In addition, there is a serious Kurdish problem in the country. The aggravation of relations with the Kurds threatens a real civil war. The number of regular troops is 660 thousand people, the same number of people are in the reserve. The armament consists of about 70 thousand military units of equipment, 265 ships and about 2 thousand aircraft.

Seventh place - Republic of Korea

The Korean War is the most terrible war since the Second World War. The most powerful countries the globe - the USSR, USA and China. So far, the Korean question has not been finally resolved. Every now and then between the two countries there are crisis situations that threaten new clashes. That is why the Republic of Korea maintains large modern troops. Regular troops consist of 650 thousand people. There are more than two million people in the reserve. About 14 thousand military equipment, 170 ships and 1.5 thousand aircraft are on guard. The country's military budget is about 30 million US dollars.

Eighth place - France

France is a country whose army participated in both world wars, where the memory of the Nazi occupation has not yet cooled down. Though modern Europe- a much more peaceful place compared to the last century, the country still maintains a fairly powerful army, also being a member of NATO. The population of the country is 64 million people, the regular troops are 230 thousand people, and the reserve is 70 thousand people. Military equipment - 10 thousand units. The fleet is about 300 ships. Aviation - 1800 aircraft. The country's budget is 44 billion US dollars.
French aircraft participated in the operation in Libya, where they supported the rebels, and today the country's air force is participating in the counter-terrorist operation in Syria and Iraq.

Ninth place - Japan

The Japanese army was a formidable weapon during the Second World War. The Japanese fleet has long successfully fought against a powerful enemy - the US Navy. At the end of WWII, Japan was forbidden to have a large army. However, despite this, modern Japan is among the top most powerful states.

Limitations in numbers forced the Japanese leadership to engage in the qualitative development of their armed forces. The population of the country is about 130 million people. The regular army has only 220 thousand people. There are about 50 thousand people in the reserve. The number of military equipment has about 5 thousand combat vehicles. The restrictions also affected the country's fleet. During the Second World War, it was one of the most powerful in the world, but today it has only 110 ships. The number of aircraft is about 1900 units. The country's budget is 58 billion dollars.

Tenth place - Israel

Israel is in tenth place in this ranking, but few other countries in the world have such combat experience. The state is quite young, and it so happened that it had to prove its right to exist throughout the 20th century. Being surrounded by unfriendly Arab countries, Israel participated in several serious armed conflicts. Despite the fact that all the wars have been won, Israel does not relax and continues to maintain a powerful army. The Palestinian question remains unresolved to this day. In addition, a new hotbed of tension that has arisen in Syria also threatens Israel. Relations remain difficult with Iran and Hezbollah (the Lebanese group), which still do not recognize the Jewish state.

The population of the country is only 8 million people. The regular army has 240 thousand people, 60 thousand people are in the reserve. The number of military equipment is 13 thousand units. The country's fleet consists of 65 ships. Aviation - about 2 thousand aircraft. The country's budget is 15 billion US dollars.

Since ancient times, the armed forces have been the main and main guarantor of the independence of any country and the security of its citizens. Diplomacy, interstate treaties are also important factors of international stability, but as practice shows, when it comes to a military conflict, they often do not work. The events in Ukraine are clear proof of this. Indeed, who wants to shed the blood of their soldiers for the interests of others? Today we will try to answer the question - whose army is the strongest in the world, whose military power is unrivaled?

As once said Russian emperor Alexander III: "Russia has only two reliable allies - its army and navy." And he is one hundred percent right. Naturally, this statement is true not only for Russia, but also for any other state.

Today there are more than 160 armies in the world different numbers, weapons and military doctrines.

One of the greatest commanders in history, the French emperor Napoleon I believed that "big battalions are always right", but in our time the situation has changed somewhat.

It should be understood that the power modern army is determined not only by its numbers, it largely depends on the effectiveness of its weapons, the training of fighters, and their motivation. The time of mass recruiting armies is gradually fading into the past. Modern armed forces are a very expensive pleasure. The cost of the latest tank or fighter aircraft is estimated at tens of millions of dollars, and only very rich countries can afford a large and strong army.

There is another factor that emerged after the end of World War II - nuclear weapons. Its power is so terrifying that it still keeps the world from starting another global conflict. Today, two states have the largest nuclear arsenals - Russia and the United States. A conflict between them is guaranteed to lead to the end of our civilization.

On the Internet, disputes often flare up about which is the most powerful army in the world. This question is somewhat incorrect, since only a full-scale war can compare armies. There are too many factors that determine the strength or weakness of certain armed forces. When compiling our rating, we took into account the size of the armed forces, their technical equipment, the development of the military-industrial complex, army traditions, as well as the level of funding.

When compiling the top 10 most powerful armies in the world, the factor of the existence of nuclear weapons was not taken into account.

So, meet the strongest armies in the world.

10. Germany. Opens our ranking of the top 10 most powerful armies on the planet Bundeswehr - armed forces Federal Republic Germany. It consists of the ground forces, the navy, the air force, the medical and sanitary service and the logistics service.

The number of armed forces of the Bundeswehr is 186 thousand people, the German army is completely professional. The country's military budget is $45 billion. Despite the rather modest size (compared to other participants in our rating), the German army has a very highly trained, equipped with the latest types of weapons, but the military traditions of Germany can only be envied. It should be noted the highest level of development of the military-industrial complex of the country - german tanks, aircraft, small arms are deservedly considered one of the best in the world.

Germany could count on a higher place in the top 10, however foreign policy this country is peaceful. Apparently, the Germans fought enough in the last century, so they are no longer drawn to military adventures. In addition, Germany has been a member of NATO for many years, so in the event of any military threats, it can count on the help of the United States and other allies.

9. France. In ninth place in our ranking is France - a country with the richest military traditions, a very advanced military-industrial complex and significant armed forces. Their number is 222 thousand people. The country's military budget is $43 billion. The military-industrial complex of France makes it possible to provide its army with almost all the necessary weapons - from small arms to tanks, aircraft and reconnaissance satellites.

However, it should be noted that the French, like the Germans, do not seek to resolve foreign policy issues by military means. France has no disputed territories with its neighbors, as well as frozen conflicts.

8. UK. In eighth place in our ranking is the UK - a country that has managed to create world empire where the sun never set. But that's in the past. Today, the strength of the British armed forces is 188 thousand people. The country's military budget is $53 billion. The British have a very worthy military-industrial complex, which is able to manufacture tanks, aircraft, warships, small arms and other types of weapons.

England has the second (after the USA) navy in terms of tonnage. It includes nuclear submarines, two light aircraft carriers are being built for the country's Navy.

The British Special Operations Forces are considered among the best in the world.

Great Britain is involved in almost all military conflicts where the United States is present (the first and second conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan). So the experience of the English army does not hold.

7. Turkey. The army of this country is considered the strongest among the Muslim armies of the Middle East. The descendants of the warlike Janissaries managed to create a very combat-ready armed forces, which in the region are second only to the army of Israel in their power. That is why Turkey is in seventh place in our ranking.

6. Japan. In sixth place in our top 10 ranking is Japan, which formally does not have an army at all, its functions are performed by the so-called “self-defense forces”. However, do not let this name mislead you: the country's armed forces number 247 thousand people and are in fourth place in terms of numbers in Pacific region.

The main rivals that the Japanese fear are China and North Korea. In addition, the Japanese have not yet concluded a peace treaty with Russia.

Japan has serious military air force, ground forces and an impressive navy, which is considered one of the strongest in the world. Japan has more than 1600 combat aircraft, 678 tanks, 16 submarines, 4 helicopter carriers.

This country has the third most powerful economy in the world, so it is not difficult for Japan to allocate serious money for the maintenance and development of its army. Japan's military budget is $47 billion, which is pretty good for a military of this size.

Separately, it should be noted the high level of development of the country's military-industrial complex - in terms of their technical equipment, the Japanese armed forces are considered one of the best in the world. Today in Japan they are developing a fifth-generation fighter, and it will probably be ready in the coming years.

In addition, Japan is one of the closest US allies in the region. There are American bases on the territory of the country, the USA supplies Japan newest species weapons. However, despite this, Japan plans to further increase defense spending. Well, the descendants of the samurai do not hold experience and fighting spirit.

5. South Korea. Fifth place in our top 10 ranking is occupied by another state in Southeast Asia - South Korea. This country has an impressive armed forces with a total strength of 630 thousand people. It is in third place in the region, behind only China and North Korea. South Korea has been living in a state of war for more than sixty years - peace between Pyongyang and Seoul has never been concluded. The armed forces of the DPRK number almost 1.2 million people, the North Koreans consider their southern neighbors the main enemy and constantly threaten them with war.

It is clear that in such a situation, South Korea has to pay a lot of attention to the development of its own army. Every year, $33.7 billion is allocated for defense needs. The South Korean army is considered one of the most equipped not only in its region, but also in the world. South Korea is one of the closest and most devoted allies of the United States in the region, so the Americans supply Seoul with the latest weapons, and there are US bases in the country. Therefore, if the conflict between the DPRK and South Korea does start, it is not a fact that the northerners (despite their numerical superiority) will emerge victorious from it.

4. India. In fourth place in our top 10 ranking is the armed forces of India. This huge, populous, booming economy has a military force of 1.325 million and spends approximately $50 billion on defense.

In addition to the fact that India is the owner of nuclear weapons, its armed forces are the third largest in the world. And there is a simple explanation for this: the country is in a state of permanent conflict with its neighbors: China and Pakistan. IN recent history India had three bloody wars with Pakistan and a huge number of border incidents. There are also unresolved territorial disputes with a strong China.

India has a strong navy, which includes three aircraft carriers and two nuclear submarines.

Every year, the Indian government spends serious sums on the purchase of new weapons. And if before the Indians mainly bought weapons made in the USSR or Russia, now they increasingly prefer higher-quality Western models.

In addition, recently the country's leadership has been paying much attention to the development of its own military-industrial complex. A few years ago, a new strategy for the development of the defense industry was adopted, which is carried out under the motto "Make in India". Now, when buying weapons, Indians give preference to those suppliers who are ready to open production facilities in the country and share the latest technologies.

3. China. In third place in our ranking of the top 10 strongest armies is the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA). These are the largest armed forces on the planet - their number is 2.333 million people. China's military budget is the second largest in the world, second only to the United States. It is 126 billion dollars.

China is striving to become the second superpower after the United States, and it is impossible to do this without a powerful armed forces, it definitely cannot do without the largest army in the world.

Today, the Chinese are armed with 9150 tanks, 2860 aircraft, 67 submarines, a large number of combat aircraft and multiple launch rocket systems. There has been some debate about how many warheads the PRC has in stock for quite some time: the official figure is several hundred pieces, but some experts believe that the Chinese have an order of magnitude more.

The Chinese army is constantly improving its technical level. If ten or fifteen years ago most of the types of military equipment in service with the PLA were outdated copies of Soviet models, today the situation has changed dramatically.

At present, the PRC is working on the creation of a fifth-generation fighter, its latest developments in the field of tank building and missile weapons are not much inferior to samples made in Russia or in the West. great attention paid to the development of naval forces: recently, the first aircraft carrier appeared in the PRC Navy (the former Varyag, bought from Ukraine).

Given the vast resources (financial, human, technological) that China has, the armed forces of this country in the coming years will become a formidable rival for the countries that occupy the first positions in our ranking.

2. Russia. In second place in our top 10 ranking are the Russian armed forces, which in many respects remain the strongest on the planet.

In terms of the number of personnel, the Russian army ranks only fifth, behind the United States, China, India and North Korea. Its number is 798 thousand people. The budget of the Russian defense department is $76 billion. However, at the same time, it has one of the most powerful ground forces in the world: more than fifteen thousand tanks, a huge number of armored vehicles and combat helicopters.

1. USA. The United States of America is in first place in the top 10. In terms of the number of personnel, the US Army is second only to China (albeit significantly), its number is 1.381 million people. At the same time, the US military department has a budget that the generals of other armies can only dream of - $ 612 billion, which allows it to be the most powerful country in the world.

The strength of modern military forces depends largely on their funding. Therefore, the huge American defense budget is one of the main components of its success. It allows Americans to develop and purchase the most advanced (and most expensive) weapons systems, supply their army at the highest level, and simultaneously conduct several military campaigns in different parts of the world.

Today, the US Army is armed with 8,848 tanks, a huge number of armored vehicles and other military equipment, and 3,892 military aircraft. If during the years of the Cold War, Soviet strategists focused on tanks, the Americans were actively developing combat aircraft. The US Air Force is currently

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

The other day, experts from an international analytical group published a rating of the armies of the world in terms of the level of military power of Global Firepower (often the analytical structure itself is also called in the same way). The level of military power was determined by the classification of the mentioned group. The index of military superiority of some armies over others has recently been published annually and takes into account such indicators of the armed forces of various countries as the ratio of the number of armed forces to the population of the country, the composition of the Air Force, Navy (Navy), the number of tanks, as well as the volume of the defense budget. It is important that the level of military power in this case does not take into account the country's possession of nuclear potential.

In total, in 133 countries of the world, the army of each of which has been assigned a certain coefficient. Moreover, in this case, the principle of inverse proportionality works: the lower this coefficient, the greater the total power of the armed forces of a state is considered.

The top three countries in terms of global power in this ranking are as follows.

At the first place - United States of America. The declared indicators are: the coefficient is 0.0857, the population is 323.9 million people, the number of armed forces is 2.36 million, of which 990 thousand are reservists. The number of aviation assets is 13762 aircraft and helicopters, of which 2296 are fighters, 947 are attack helicopters. Total number tanks from the US Army - 5884 units. The number of warships of the US Navy is 415, of which 19 are aircraft carriers, 70 are submarines. The defense budget of the American army, as is known even without the compilers of this rating, cannot be compared with the military budgets of other countries of the world. Its total volume, named in Global Firepower for 2017, amounted to $588 billion. And this is only the "unclassified" part of the Pentagon's treasury.

In second place, the compilers of the rating place Russia with a coefficient of 0.0929. Russian population figures (about 142 million people are indicated) differ from official data in the Russian Federation for the reason that foreign analysts continue to pretend that Crimea is not part of Russia.

Indicators for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Global Firepower: strength - as much as 3.37 million people. It was decided to include in this value everyone who is not only in the personnel of the Armed Forces of the country, but also reservists plus civilian personnel. The direct personnel composition is indicated at the level of 798.5 thousand military personnel. Just a few days ago, information was published on the full strength of the RF Armed Forces according to data not from foreign experts, but directly from the RF Ministry of Defense. The statistics (published by TASS Global Firepower) are actually as follows: 1 million 13 thousand 628 military personnel.

As you can see, the scatter with the data of foreign "partners" differ not only in terms of population, but also in terms of the size of the Armed Forces directly.

The statistics in Global Firepower for Russia are as follows: aviation means - 3794, of which 806 are fighters, 490 are attack (attacking) helicopters. Number of tanks: 20216. Number of warships in the Navy: 352, including one aircraft-carrying cruiser (Admiral Kuznetsov) and 63 submarines. The military budget of the Russian Defense Ministry in 2017 is estimated at $44.6 billion.

Closes the top three People's Republic of China. The coefficient in this case is 0.0945. The indicated population is 1.373 billion people. The number of PLA (People's Liberation Army of China) is 3.7 million, of which 1.45 million are listed as reservists.
The number of military aircraft in China is 2955, of which 1,271 thousand fighters and 206 attack helicopters. According to these statistics, the Chinese army has caught up with and surpassed the US army in terms of the number of fighter aircraft, and it has surpassed it by almost 50%. This information from Global Firepower is in conflict with information in Chinese official sources. The Chinese themselves say that the number of fighters of various modifications, including the Russian Su-27 and Su-30, is no more than 950 units, of which about 500 are Chengdu J-7. Wikipedia gives almost 1,500 fighters altogether, including in their total number aircraft that are not physically in the PLA Air Force, but contracts for which have been concluded.

The number of tanks in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, according to the compilers of the global rating under consideration, is 6457. The number of warships is 714. If you believe this value, it turns out that China's combat fleet is almost twice as large as the US Navy's combat ship structure. It is specified that among these 714 warships there is 1 aircraft carrier, 51 frigates, 68 submarines, 35 corvettes, etc. The Chinese defense budget is said to be $161.7 billion. The official statistics on the defense budget published by the Chinese media are as follows: $151.8 billion.

In the top five in terms of military power, such countries of the world as India(4th place) and France(5th). It is noted that the population of India is about 110 million less than the population of China, while the total number of armed forces, including reservists, is declared at the level of 4.2 million people, which is half a million more than in China. The Indian defense budget exceeds the Russian one and is about $51 billion. For comparison: the military budget of France with the 5th announced line in terms of military power amounted to 35 billion US dollars in 2017.

Places from 6th to 10th were distributed as follows: Britain, Japan, Turkey, Germany and (rather surprisingly) Egypt. At the same time, the “Egyptian Navy” section indicates the presence of two aircraft carriers. We are talking about helicopter carriers that France sold to Cairo after the well-known sanctions against Russia. The presence of these ships, according to the compilers of the rating, allows Egypt with a military budget of $ 4 billion and 454 thousand military personnel to bypass in the rating, for example, Pakistan And South Korea.

On the 15th position, the compilers of the rating put Israel, noting that the military budget of this country is one of the most impressive per capita in the world. With a population of 8.1 million and a military force of 168,000, the budget is over $15.5 billion.

The DPRK was given the 23rd place (and why, then, are the USA, Japan and South Korea shuddering? ..). And the most "cool" army in Europe - Ukrainian - 30th position. By military power Ukraine estimated so that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are already on the 14th position above the army Syria, 19 lines above the army The Republic of Belarus and 28 above the sun Azerbaijan.

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

How to determine the real alignment of forces among the states participating in military conflicts? When compiling the 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 in 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 position was also influenced by the economic situation of the countries.
The Global Firepower organization evaluates the military potential of more than one hundred countries according to 50 different criteria. In 2016, the United States ranked first in the world in terms of having 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 everyone in the size of the army.
Not so long ago, the National Interest magazine made a forecast on 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 military 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 is losing one position to Egypt, mainly due to the number of employees and tanks. However, in all clashes, the first country always defeated the second, despite the numerical superiority. It is also strange that the list does not include Iran with its half a million soldiers, 1500 tanks and 300 combat aircraft. Our readers will probably have many more questions for the authors of this list.

Australia

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

Germany

Budget: $40.2 billion
Number: 180 thousand people
Tanks: 408
Aviation: 663
Subs: 4
After the Second World War, 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 investments in defense. Apparently, this is why in the Credit Suisse rating, for example, the GDR Armed Forces were behind even Poland (and Poland is not in this rating at all). At the same time, Berlin actively sponsors the eastern allies in NATO. After 1945, Germany was never directly involved in major operations, but they sent troops to support their allies during the Ethiopian Civil War, the Angolan Civil War, the Bosnian War and the War in Afghanistan.
Whenever we hear about the German military, it is somehow impossible not to think of 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 recruitment processes.

Italy

Budget: $34 billion
The number of active army: 320 thousand people.
Tanks: 586
Aviation: 760
Subs: 6
The totality of the military forces of the Italian Republic, designed to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. They consist of ground forces, naval forces, air forces and the carabinieri corps.
Italy has not been directly involved in armed conflicts in any countries in recent times, but has always been involved in peacekeeping missions and has deployed its troops in the war on terrorism.
Weak during the Second World War, the Italian army currently owns two active aircraft carriers, which house a large number of helicopters; they have submarines, which allows them to be included in the list of the most powerful armies. Italy is not currently at war, but is an active member of the UN - willingly transfers its troops to countries that ask for help.

Great Britain

Budget: $60.5 billion
Active Army: 147,000
Tanks: 407
Aviation: 936
Subs: 10
After the end of World War II, Great Britain abandoned the idea of ​​​​military dominance around the world in favor of the United States, but the Royal Armed Forces still have significant power and take part in all NATO operations. After World War II, there were three big wars with Iceland in Great Britain, which did not become victorious for England - it was defeated, which allowed Iceland to expand its territories.
The United Kingdom once ruled over half the world, including India, New Zealand, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, but the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland becomes much weaker over time. The UK military budget has been cut due to BREXIT and they are planning to reduce the number of their soldiers in time until 2018.
Her Majesty's fleet includes several nuclear submarines with strategic nuclear weapons: a total of about 200 warheads. By 2020, the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth is expected to be commissioned, which will be able to carry 40 F-35B fighters.

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; it is constantly at war with Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and other Arab countries.
Israel has won five consecutive victories in previous wars against Hamas and Palestine since 2000, with heavy reinforcements from the US military.
A country that is not recognized by 31 countries (of which 18 are Arab) is still fighting against its enemies. By law, all citizens of Israel, including those with dual citizenship and living in another country, as well as all permanent residents in the territory of the state, upon reaching 18 years of age, are subject to conscription in 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 privates and officers may be called up annually for reservist duties for up to 45 days.
The IDF's greatest strength is the use of technology in upgrading its missile defense systems. The army consists of 3 types of armed forces: land, air force and naval forces. Implementation of the decision on the creation of the fourth type of armed forces - cybernetic troops has begun. The visiting card of the IDF is female military personnel who have proven that the weaker sex with a machine gun is no less effective than the strong one. Not to mention the fact that according to unverified data, Israel has about 80 nuclear warheads in service.
Israel is traditionally the most undervalued member of the Credit Suisse rating. The IDF has won all the conflicts in which it has participated, and often the Israelis had to fight on several fronts against an enemy many times superior in number. In addition to a huge amount 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 people
Tanks: 4,624
Aviation: 1,107
Subs: 4
Having fought on the side of the Arab alliance against Israel in 4 wars, Egypt has never fought a major battle against any other countries, but has participated several times in operations against ISIS terrorist groups. As in Israel military service is obligatory for Egyptian men, they happen to be 9 years old. Today, Egypt is trying to keep the peace in its own country and wage a war on terrorism.
The army of Egypt was in the ranking due to the number and amount of equipment, although as the war showed doomsday, even a threefold superiority in tanks is offset by high combat skills and the technical level of weapons. Initialed or signed as of 2014 contracts totaling more than $3 billion for the supply from the Russian Federation of 24 MiG-29m/m2 fighters, air defense systems, anti-tank Cornet, combat helicopters: Ka-25, Mi-28 and Mi-25, Mi-35 . Light weapons. Coastal anti-ship systems. All contracts started after the suspension of military and financial assistance to Egypt from the United States. 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-type helicopter carriers and attack helicopters for them, this will make Egypt a truly serious military force.

Pakistan

Budget: $7 billion
The number of active army: 617 thousand people
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 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, within which they are conducting an arms race.
Pakistan's army is one of the largest in the world, it has a lot of tanks and aircraft, the US supports Islamabad with equipment. The main threat is internal, in remote areas of the country ruled by local leaders and the Taliban. Pakistan has medium-range ballistic missiles and about a hundred nuclear warheads. Pucks love and respect their MC immensely, and often seek justice from the military (instead of the courts and the government). Pakistan is said to have friendly relations with the superpowers, including the US, 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, even though their biggest enemy India has been backed by Russia in previous wars against Pakistan.

Turkey

Budget: $18.2 billion
The number of active army: 410, 500 thousand people
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 two major battles with Cyprus in 1964 and 1974 and won, taking 36.2% of the territory of Cyprus. They are still 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. Great amount tanks, aviation and a large modern fleet (though 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, which has the second largest military in NATO after the US, is one of the best trained military forces in the world. Turkey owns a "treasure" of more than 200 F-16s, the second largest fleet after the United States. Despite the presence a large number well-trained military, 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 re-established an elected government.

France

Budget: $62.3 billion
Active Army: 205,000
Tanks: 623
Aviation: 1,264
Subs: 10
France is one of the few countries whose armed forces have an almost complete range of modern weapons and military equipment of their own production - from small arms to attack nuclear aircraft carriers (which, apart from France, only the United States has). France is the only country (other than Russia) that owns a system of radar guided missiles.
The military history of France spans over 3,000 years. France took part in the First and Second World Wars and faced major defeats. Other major events military history of this country: the French-Thai War, the Tunisian War of Independence, the Algerian War of Independence in 1954-1962. After that, France did not participate in major battles, but sent its troops to the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. French army- is still the main 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, conscription was canceled and a transition to a mercenary army took place, which was less numerous, but more effective. The total strength of the French armed forces was significantly reduced.
Recently, the attack nuclear aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" was put into operation. Currently, France has approximately 300 strategic nuclear warheads, which are deployed on nuclear submarines. There are also 60 tactical warheads.

South Korea

Budget: $62.3 billion
Active Army: 625,000
Tanks: 2,381
Aviation: 1,412
Subs: 13
The main war in which this country participated was the Korean War in 1950. Often this Cold War conflict is seen as a proxy war between the United States and its allies and Chinese and Soviet forces. The composition of 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, regular Chinese troops were formally considered to be 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 withdrawn 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 name "War against America to support the Korean people." In 1952-53, many things changed in the world (the new president in the USA, the death of Stalin, etc.), and the war ended with a truce.
The South Korean military is highly backed by the US military, which makes it 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, of course, is in the technological level. Seoul has its latest and Western developments, Pyongyang has Soviet technology 50 years ago.
Interestingly, North Korea is considered the leader in the number of submarines (35th 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 noisy diesel-powered Romeos, which were obsolete in 1961.

India

Budget: $51 billion
Active Army Strength: 1,408,551
Tanks: 6,464
Aviation: 1,905
Subs: 15
Currently, 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 of 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 armed forces themselves, India has a variety of paramilitary forces 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 a nightmare for Japan, which suffered nuclear strike from the United States. After defeat in World War II Imperial Army Japan was dissolved, and military factories and educational establishments closed. The occupying authorities banned even martial arts. A ban on the manufacture of Japanese swords was also established, 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 that has suffered from nuclear attacks is not allowed to raise its own army.
However, already during the period of American occupation, the creation of armed formations: in 1950, a reserve police corps was created; in 1952 it was converted to the Security Corps, in 1954 it was converted to the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The Japan Self-Defense Force is the modern name for the Japanese armed forces. The armed forces include: ground forces, sea and air self-defense forces of Japan. It can be argued that today Japan has a very large and relatively modern armed forces, powerful enough in the Asia-Pacific region and capable of solving almost any task. On September 19, 2015, the Japanese Parliament authorized the use of the Self-Defense Forces to participate in military conflicts abroad.
Japan's high-tech military is equipped with cutting-edge gadgets and the latest weapons, making it one of the strongest on this list. Recently, Japan deployed its troops for the first time since World War II in South Sudan within the UN peacekeeping missions. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are armed with 4 helicopter carriers and 9 destroyers. However, 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 the national military history to try to retell it in one paragraph.
A great power has just under a million military personnel. Ground Russian army is rightfully considered the most powerful in the world, which is provided with the latest military equipment. The budget allocated by the state for the needs of the army, the production and purchase of military equipment, is more than 84 billion dollars. The air force includes over 3,000 aircraft. No less equipped is the navy, 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 rightly continues to hold a firm place among the strongest, as many experts believe. The RF Armed Forces are inferior to China only in the number of submarines. And if the rumors about a Chinese secret nuclear stockpile are not true, then it is far ahead of him in this area. It is believed that as part of the strategic nuclear forces Russia has about 350 carriers and about 2,000 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 big threat to China and the US. 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 air bases to the existing eight. In addition, more than a thousand new helicopters are planned to be put into operation.

China

Budget: $216 billion
Active Army Strength: 2,333,000
Tanks: 9,150
Aviation: 2,860
Subs: 67
The People's Liberation Army of China is the official name of the Chinese armed forces, the largest in terms of numbers in the world. China is the most populated country in the world with the largest number of soldiers; approximately 2,333,000 people serve (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 US. Legislation provides for conscription for men from the age of 18; volunteers are accepted until the age of 49. The age limit for an army reserve soldier is 50 years. Armed forces The PRC is divided into five military command zones and three fleets organized along territorial lines: east, north, west, south, and center.
After the capitulation of Japan, the USSR handed over to the PLA captured weapons of the Kwantung Army: ships of the Sungari River Flotilla, 861 aircraft, 600 tanks, artillery, mortars, 1200 machine guns, as well as small arms, ammunition and other military equipment.
Chinese officials say that in the course of developing weapons, 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, PRC defense spending increased sharply in 2001-2009.
The second economy in the world has the largest active army, however, 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 we know, China keeps several hundred nuclear warheads on combat duty. However, some believe that in reality the PRC may have several thousand warheads, but this information is classified.

USA

Budget: $601 billion
Troops: 1,400,000
Tanks: 8,848
Aviation: 13,892
Submarines: 72
The USA is directly or indirectly involved in almost all the wars that have been taking place on planet Earth since the discovery of America. The US military budget is comparable to previous countries in the ranking. Navy has 10 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 goes to the development of the army and military equipment - about 600 billion dollars. American soldiers have at their disposal the most modern military equipment which is updated periodically. The US has a nuclear capability that includes 7,500 nuclear warheads. The country is also famous for its tanks, and their armored vehicles have more than 8 thousand units. The state also has the largest air force in the world, with some 13,682 aircraft.
Some experts say that the US can never be invaded because 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 they had used up about 22 gallons of fuel per day per soldier.
The US is investing billions of dollars to develop the latest military technology, keeping the US at the forefront in areas such as robotics. Recently, the US Army has been looking to create new Cyber ​​Corps and increase soldiers in the Cyber ​​Crime Unit. Their responsibility will be to ensure the security of networks and information databases of systems and to protect against cyber attacks.