5 most powerful armies in the world. South Korean Army

Great powers on earth. Which one has the most lethal power?

Rating the most powerful ground forces on the planet is not an easy task. Each country has its own unique security situation, which determines the composition of the armed forces in general and ground forces in particular.

Geographical, political, diplomatic and financial issues all determine the size of the ground force. Do these countries have unfavorable environments, as in the case of India, Afghanistan or Jordan, or do they have good neighbors, as in the case of the United States, Luxembourg or Canada? Are they focused on tasks within the country, externally, or are they ready to act in both directions? What military expenses can the country's government afford?

The end of the Cold War entailed a shift of heavy military power to the east. The British Army plans to downsize from 120,000 in 1990 to 82,000 in 2020. The French Army has fallen to 119,000 from 236,000 in 1996. The largest reduction in ground forces has occurred in Germany , where the army has shrunk from 360,000 in 1990 to 62,000.

At the same time, some Asian armies are well over half a million strong - among them India, Pakistan, North Korea, South Korea and China. Myanmar, Iran and Vietnam are also worthy of mention, as they all have armies that are at least five times larger than Germany's ground forces.

Numbers are not the primary metric: North Korea's ground forces are estimated to number 950,000, but the North Korean military is outdated and unable to project ground-based military power beyond the Korean Peninsula. But technology alone does not provide solutions to all problems.

Can a 62,000-strong German army defeat an Indian army of 1.1 million? Perhaps this is not how we should approach assessing ground forces. If you swap two armies, the needs of each of these countries will not be fully satisfied. Taking into account all of the above, a rating of the five most powerful ground armies on our planet is proposed.

United States

The undisputed leader in ground forces is the United States. Its army of 535,000 soldiers, many with combat experience, is supported by state-of-the-art equipment and a robust logistics system. As a result, the United States has the only ground forces in the world capable of conducting multi-divisional combat operations outside its hemisphere. And the core of the United States ground forces consists of ten combat divisions, supported by a small number of combat brigades. Each division consists of three armored brigades, a mechanized infantry brigade, a light infantry brigade, a Stryker armored fighting vehicle brigade, an airborne brigade and an air assault brigade, and is supplemented by one aviation and one artillery brigade. In total, the division consists of 14,000 to 18,000 troops, depending on the type of each individual unit.

The United States Army still relies on the so-called Big 5 weapons systems developed during the Carter-Reagan years. It includes the M1 Abrams main battle tank, M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, M270 multiple launch rocket systems and Patriot surface-to-air missile launchers - all of which have been in service for 30 years. Deep modernization makes it possible to maintain their striking capabilities at the proper level, as well as the significance of these systems on the modern battlefield.

A significant part of the American army consists of special forces and commando-type commando units. The U.S. Army Special Operations Forces include three Ranger battalions, seven Special Forces teams, the brigade-sized 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and Delta Force. The total strength of the US Army Special Operations Command alone is 28,500 people.

People's Liberation Army of China

The Chinese army—officially the People's Liberation Army Ground Force—is the largest in Asia. It has 1.6 million troops and is tasked with securing China's borders as well as projecting ground-based military power into neighboring regions and increasingly globally.

The 1991 Gulf War, in which the United States and its coalition of allies quickly dispatched a much larger Iraqi army, shocked Chinese military leaders. The Chinese military has traditionally relied on personnel, but this approach is being challenged by advances in technology.

As a result, China's ground forces have undergone significant changes over the past two decades. The personnel was reduced by several million people. The number of field armies and shock divisions was also significantly reduced. At the same time, China's rapid economic growth has allowed it to quickly increase defense spending, as well as finance modernization using high technology.

Although the Chinese army is inferior in priority to the naval and air forces, it has nevertheless received a number of modern weapons systems at its disposal. The Type 99 tank has undergone several major upgrades over the past decade as the Chinese army attempts to develop and field a tank that can be compared to the American M1 Abrams. Deliveries of the first true Chinese attack helicopter, the WZ-10, have begun. Despite the influx of new equipment, the Chinese army still has a huge amount of obsolete equipment in active units, including Type 59 tanks. Full modernization will take at least another decade, and maybe two, as the pace Chinese economic growth is slowing down.

The Rapid Deployment Force is a key component of China's ground forces. Chinese army units could be deployed on the Indian border in the Himalayas, in areas adjacent to the East China and South China Seas, and to invade Taiwan. In addition to the armored, mechanized and infantry units that make up the Rapid Deployment Force, China's army has three airborne divisions and three amphibious brigades. In addition, divisions located in the Shenyang Military Region could be urgently deployed to secure borders with North Korea or even used within the country.

Indian Army

With 1.12 million soldiers, the Indian Army is the second largest in Asia. India, located between its traditional rivals Pakistan and China, needs a ground force capable of protecting its long territorial borders. Local insurgents operating within the country, as well as the need to conduct operations in a country of 1.2 billion people, also force India to maintain a significant military force with a large number of infantry units.

The best divisions of the Indian Army are divided among four Strike Corps, three of which are located on the border with Pakistan and one on the border with China. India also has two amphibious brigades, the 91st and 340th infantry brigades, and also has at its disposal three amphibious battalions and eight special forces battalions.

The Indian Army has undergone significant modernization over the past decade, largely aimed at making conventional weapons more effective in the event of a conflict with Pakistan. The so-called “cold start” doctrine, according to which the Indian Army's strike corps must be able to attack Pakistan in a short period of time, requires high mobility of army units located along the western borders. Indian Arjun tanks, Russian-made T-90 tanks, as well as American AH-64 Apache helicopters will be used to defeat the Pakistani army even before the use of nuclear weapons.

The rise of China and what India sees as a violation of its borders in the Himalayas has led New Delhi to station an additional 80,000 troops on its border with China - the same number of soldiers the British Army will have in total in 2020.

Russian ground forces

Russian ground forces were formed from the remnants of the Soviet army. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many units were simply incorporated into the Russian army. Due to decades of underfunding, many Russian ground forces are still equipped with Soviet-era weapons. Russian ground forces are receiving and, in accordance with existing plans, will continue to receive a large amount of new and modern equipment.

The number of Russian ground forces is 285,000 - about half the size of the US army. The Russian ground forces are quite well equipped and fully mechanized. Despite this, the sheer size of Russia (one soldier per 60 square kilometers of its territory) means that the concentration of ground forces is low.

Despite their relative small numbers, Russia's ground forces have gained significant combat experience since the end of the Cold War, accumulated during unsuccessful operations in Chechnya in the early 1990s, and subsequently leading up to the current conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian army inherited from the Soviet Union airborne units, as well as marine units, the number of divisions in which by the middle of the first decade of the 2000s was reduced from six to four. The division includes 6,000 troops, which is not much, but these units are highly mobile and equipped with airborne combat vehicles. There are approximately 9,000 marines distributed among the main Russian fleets, and they are technically an integral part of the naval forces.

In a few years, Russian ground forces will have new tanks at their disposal - the Armata universal combat strike platform. These vehicles represent a breakthrough compared to the legacy of the T-72, T-80, T-90 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. The Armata complexes are a completely new family of weapons, a universal platform capable of performing the functions of a tank, infantry fighting vehicle, artillery installation and technical support vehicle.

British Army

Although the British Army is small by world standards, it is arguably the most capable in Europe. It is well balanced and includes light infantry, airborne troops, armored, mechanized and aviation units - all of which allow it to carry out a wide variety of operations.

The British Army currently has 120,000 soldiers. The British Army will be restructured by 2020, reducing the number of regular troops to 82,000, but at the same time increasing the role of reservists. By 2020, the British Army's fielded ground forces will consist of seven brigades - one airborne brigade, three armored mechanized brigades and three infantry brigades.

Like the American Army, British ground forces are armed with modernized systems inherited from the Cold War. The Challenger II main tank and Warrior infantry fighting vehicle are in service with mechanized units. While tried and true, they will eventually become obsolete and will have to be replaced at some point, at considerable expense.

The British Army's special forces and special operations units are small, but they are among the best in the world. The British Army has three airborne battalions within the 16th Airborne Brigade, as well as the world-famous 22nd Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment. In addition, 8,000 Royal Marines, a largely land force, are under the command of the Royal Navy and are capable of deploying three commando air assault brigades.

Kyle Mizokami lives and works in San Francisco and has published articles in publications such as The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, War is Boring, and The Daily Beast; he is also one of the founders of Japan Security Watch, a blog dedicated to defense and security issues.

With the advent of the first state, the army became one of the main components of its independence and the security of citizens. The diplomatic part, as well as the allies on the map, are also important, but if you look at the history textbook, you will see that they are of little help in military conflicts. And as Alexander III said: “We have only two faithful allies - the Russian army and navy.” This statement, naturally, is true not only for our country, but also for other powers. Today's political map of the world includes more than 160 military state formations, differing from each other in numbers, weapons, some doctrines and their history.

The famous commander Napoleon often said that a large army is always right, but today's realities dictate their own rules. So, these days there are slightly different concepts of strength and superiority over the enemy. Here, not only the number of troops is taken into account, but also the efficiency of equipment with the level of training of personnel, as well as their motivation.

The most powerful armies in the world

A modern army is far from a cheap pleasure, and mass conscription alone is not enough. One tank or helicopter costs tens and sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars, and only wealthy powers can fork out for such expensive equipment.

Very often in the media, and in any other discussion fields, you can hear arguments about whose army is the strongest. This way of posing the question is not entirely correct, because a full-scale war would be needed to verify someone’s assertion. And in theory, we have a large number of factors that show the advantage or weakness of a particular army.

Let's try to make a rating of the most powerful armies in the world, which would include countries that are superior to their opponents in numbers, equipment and funding. We will also take into account the development of the military-industrial complex (military-industrial complex) and remarkable army traditions. When considering each participant in the ranking of the strongest armies in the world, the nuclear factor was not taken into account, so we will determine strength according to the old Slavic principle - “wall to wall.” By the way, the presence of weapons of mass destruction still keeps most large states from military conflicts, because war can lead not just to losses, but to the destruction of our planet.

Russia.
China.
India.
South Korea.
Japan.
Türkiye.
Great Britain.
France.
Germany.

Let's take a closer look at the participants.

Germany

The Bundeswehr comes last in the ranking of the world's armies in terms of combat effectiveness. Germany has ground, air and medical forces. The number of troops fluctuates around 190 thousand fighters, and the entire German army consists of professional mercenaries, and the state budget includes a significant expenditure item of $45 billion.

Despite such a seemingly modest number of troops compared to other participants in the ranking of the best armies in the world, the German military forces are provided with the latest weapons, have excellent combat training and unshakable military traditions that can only be envied. The Germans might be higher on the list, but the country's foreign policy is relatively peaceful. Here, apparently, a significant role was played by the fact that they already fought quite a lot in the last century. In the ranking of the world's armies from Global Firepower, Germany shares its place with France and Great Britain from year to year.

France

Despite its “romanticism,” the republic can stand up for itself if something happens. France found itself in ninth position in the ranking of the world's armies thanks to its rich military traditions, impressive military-industrial complex and considerable number of troops - about 230 thousand soldiers.

To maintain the army, the country's budget includes a line item of $44 billion. The French military-industrial complex is able to provide its troops with everything they need - from pistols to tanks and orbital satellites. The country of romantics, like Germany, does not seek to solve external problems with the help of the army. In addition, it does not have any significant conflicts, as well as disputed territories.

Great Britain

Great Britain is in eighth position in the ranking of world armies. This country, with the help of smart politicians and generals, was a world military power that everyone took into account. But that was a long time ago, and current realities have not turned out in the best way for her.

The number of British troops fluctuates around 190 thousand fighters, and the state budget includes expenditure items of more than $50 billion. The British have a completely decent military-industrial complex, which gives the army everything it needs: pistols, machine guns, tanks, helicopters, planes, satellites and a fleet. By the way, the latter is not much inferior to the United States in terms of tonnage and equipment.

The UK is involved in most of the conflicts where the Americans conduct operations (the Middle East), so the soldiers have plenty of experience to gain from.

Türkiye

Turkey, which is ambiguous in this regard, is in seventh position in the ranking of world armies. Its military formations are considered the strongest in the Middle East. It is not surprising: the descendants of the Janissaries, who were always looking for war, created a powerful military machine with a high-quality component that could well compete with the Israeli army.

The number of troops fluctuates around 510 thousand fighters, but, unlike other countries, the state has budgeted a modest $20 billion for the military-industrial complex. The Turkish army was distinguished by the presence of a large number of ground equipment - about 3,400 units of armored vehicles, and operational combat aircraft - about 1,000 pairs of wings. In addition, Türkiye has a fairly impressive fleet on the Black Sea.

Japan

Japan is in sixth position in the ranking of world armies. In general, the Land of the Rising Sun does not seem to have its own army at all. This function is performed by regular self-defense forces. Despite such a seemingly modest name, this military formation has more than 250 thousand soldiers.

The Japanese have a solid air force, ground forces and an excellent navy. The latter is considered one of the best in the whole world. The Japanese army has about 1,600 aircraft, 700 tanks, more than a dozen submarines and a couple of large aircraft carriers. The budget includes about $47 billion for military needs, which is quite enough and comparable to the size of the Armed Forces.

South Korea

The fifth position in the ranking of world armies is occupied by the Republic of Korea. The number of regular state troops fluctuates around 630 thousand fighters. The country has been at war with Pyongyang for several decades now, and some peace agreements and treaties cannot stop the military clashes between the parties.

In such a situation, the South Korean army must always be in full combat readiness, therefore special attention is paid to training, discipline and the quality of conscription in the country. The state spends more than $34 billion on military needs. The Republic of Korea is largely devoted to and reveres the United States, so it does not experience any particular problems with either additional funding or providing the army with military equipment and small arms.

India

The country of elephants and tea - India - is in fourth position in the ranking of world armies. This is a state with a high population density and a fairly rapidly developing economy, as well as a military-industrial complex. More than $50 billion is spent from the budget to provide an army of 1.3 million soldiers.

India has many territorial disputes with its neighbors Beijing and Islamabad, so the armed forces have to always be on alert. During the Soviet era, Indians purchased weapons from us, but after all the coups and economic torment, the government decided to give preference to Western models. In addition, the Indian government has outlined large-scale reforms, which also imply the development of its military-industrial complex, so preference is given to suppliers who are ready to open their production on their territory.

China

In third place in the ranking of the world's armies is the PLA from the Middle Kingdom (People's Liberation Army of China). Here the fighters, as they say, press with numbers. According to the most rough estimates, the size of the Chinese army ranges from 2 to 2.5 million people, and this is the largest military formation on the planet.

In order to feed such a horde, the country’s budget includes items worth more than $120 billion. China strives to top this rating, but, alas, it cannot be taken by numbers alone. A good half of all the equipment that is in service is already old and is breaking down. The purchase of a new one requires substantial financial expenditure, as well as the opening and development of one’s own production capacity. Therefore, the Chinese government is very close “friends” with Russia and receives a good discount on weapons.

Russia

Despite the “silver” rating, the domestic Armed Forces are superior in many respects not only to the named participants in the rating, but also to its leader. As for numbers, here we are only in fifth place with 800 thousand personnel. More than $75 billion is spent annually on the Russian army.

The Russian Armed Forces boast the most powerful ground forces in the world. More than 15 thousand tanks, a huge number of operational armored vehicles and helicopters of various classes - from medical rescue to military tactical models.

The Russian Air Force is armed with almost 4 thousand aircraft of various types and purposes. Our strategic bombers pose a particular danger to other states. They are capable of delivering any targeted strikes, including nuclear ones, at a distance of thousands of kilometers from their home base.

In addition, Russia has distinguished itself with a powerful navy, where only submarines with an impeccably trained crew instill fear in the ships of potential enemies and allies. Despite the venerable age of the surface forces and combat units outdated since the times of the USSR, the government has budgeted large sums for updating equipment, and in the near future the situation will change for the better for us. It should also be noted that the country’s military-industrial complex does not depend on third-party developers and manufacturers - the Russian military machine is completely autonomous.

USA

The United States of America is in first place in our ranking. In terms of troop numbers, America is second only to China - 1.3 million personnel. One of the most significant factors that any general in another country would envy is the budget of the US Army - $612 billion!

Such funding made it possible to equip the American army with the most advanced technologies: the latest weapons, equipping soldiers with modern gadgets for high-quality combat in any conditions, as well as an enviable salary and pension for contract soldiers. Such an attitude towards the army and its needs contributes to the introduction of its troops almost anywhere on the planet and conducting several military campaigns there at once.

The United States also has one of the most powerful fleets in the world: about 10 aircraft carrier groups, about 80 submarines, as well as a large number of aircraft and auxiliary vessels attached to them. American defense enterprises attract the best specialists to work. They are developing not only the latest laser and robotic equipment for the army - there are breakthroughs in the medical military environment: prosthetics, “smart” suits that can significantly increase the army potential of a soldier, and other technological areas.

The Russian army is among the top three strongest in the world; in the Credit Suisse rating, the Russian military is rated along with the armies of China and the United States. What is the real balance of power among states ready for military conflicts?Medialeaks publishes a list of the 20 most powerful armies in the world according to the organization.

At the end of September, the financial organization published a report in which it indicated the TOP 20 most powerful armies in the world. Based on this graph, our publication made a detailed list and added its comments.

When compiling the rating, such parameters as the budget, army size, number of tanks, aircraft, combat helicopters, aircraft carriers and submarines, and partly the presence of nuclear weapons were taken into account. The technical level of weapons influenced the position on the list to a lesser extent, and the real combat capability of a particular army was practically not assessed.

Thus, assessing the situation of some countries may raise questions. Let's say the Israeli army is inferior to Egypt by two positions, mainly due to the number of soldiers and tanks. However, in all clashes, the first won an unconditional victory over the second, despite the numerical superiority.

It is interesting to note that no Latin American countries were included in the list. For example, despite the size of the population and economy, Brazil's military doctrine does not imply serious external or internal threats, so military spending in this country amounts to only about 1% of GDP.

It is also somewhat strange that the list did not include Iran with its half a million soldiers, one and a half thousand tanks and 300 combat aircraft.

20. Canada

Budget: $15.7 billion
Number of active army: 22 thousand.
Tanks: 181
Aviation: 420
Submarines: 4

The Canadian Army is at the bottom of the list: it does not have as many numbers and does not have as much military equipment. Be that as it may, the Canadian military takes an active part in all US operations. In addition, Canada is a participant in the F-35 program.

19. Indonesia

Budget: $6.9 billion
Number of active army: 476 thousand.
Tanks: 468
Aviation: 405
Submarines: 2

Indonesia made the list thanks to its large number of military personnel and the noticeable size of its tank force, but for an island country it lacks naval forces: in particular, it has no aircraft carriers and only two diesel submarines.

18. Germany

Budget: $40.2 billion
Number of active army: 179 thousand.
Tanks: 408
Aviation: 663
Submarines: 4

After World War II, Germany did not have its own army for 10 years. During the confrontation between the West and the USSR, the Bundeswehr numbered up to half a million people, but after unification, the country's authorities abandoned the doctrine of confrontation and sharply reduced investments in defense. Apparently, this is why the German Armed Forces ended up even behind Poland in the Credit Suisse rating. At the same time, Berlin is actively sponsoring its eastern NATO allies.

17. Poland

Budget: $9.4 billion
Number of active army: 120 thousand.
Tanks: 1,009
Aviation: 467
Submarines: 5

Poland was ahead of its western neighbor in military power due to its greater number of tanks and submarines, although for the last 300 years the Polish Army has lost in most military conflicts. Be that as it may, Warsaw increased spending on the army after the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the outbreak of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

16. Thailand

Budget: $5.4 billion
Number of active army: 306 thousand.
Tanks: 722
Aviation: 573
Submarines: 0

The Thai army has been in control of the situation within the country since May 2014; the armed forces are the main guarantee of political stability. It employs a significant number of people and has a large number of modern tanks and aircraft.

15. Australia

Budget: $26.1 billion
Number of active army: 58 thousand.
Tanks: 59
Aviation: 408
Submarines: 6

Australian military personnel consistently take part in all NATO operations. In accordance with national doctrine, Australia must be able to stand alone against external invasion. The defense forces are formed on a professional basis, the army is well equipped technically, there is a modern fleet and a large number of combat helicopters.

14. Israel

Budget: $17 billion
Number of active army: 160 thousand.
Tanks: 4,170
Aviation: 684
Submarines: 5

Israel is the most underrated participant in the ranking. The IDF won all the conflicts in which it participated, and sometimes the Israelis had to fight on several fronts against an enemy many times larger than them. In addition to the huge number of the latest offensive and defensive weapons of its own design, Credit Suisse's analysis does not take into account the fact that the country has several hundred thousand reservists with combat experience and high motivation. The calling card of the IDF is female soldiers who have proven that the weaker sex with a machine gun is no less effective than the stronger. Not to mention the fact that, according to unverified data, Israel has about 80 nuclear warheads in its arsenal.

13. Taiwan

Budget: $10.7 billion
Number of active army: 290 thousand.
Tanks: 2,005
Aviation: 804
Submarines: 4

The authorities of the Republic of China believe that they are the legitimate government of the Celestial Empire and sooner or later they must return to Beijing, and until this happens, the army is always ready for the invasion of usurpers from the mainland. And although in reality the island’s armed forces are unlikely to be able to resist the PRC army, two thousand modern tanks and 800 aircraft and helicopters make it a serious force.

12. Egypt

Budget: $4.4 billion
Number of active army: 468 thousand.
Tanks: 4,624
Aviation: 1,107
Submarines: 4

The Egyptian army was ranked due to its numbers and quantity of equipment, although, as the Yom Kippur War showed, even a threefold superiority in tanks is offset by high combat skills and the technical level of weapons. At the same time, it is known that about a thousand “Abrams” of the Egyptian Armed Forces are simply mothballed in warehouses. Nevertheless, Cairo will acquire two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, not supplied by France to the Russian Federation, and about 50 Ka-52 combat helicopters for them, which will make Egypt a truly serious military force in the region.

11. Pakistan

Budget: $7 billion
Number of active army: 617 thousand.
Tanks: 2,924
Aviation: 914
Submarines: 8

The Pakistani army is one of the largest in the world, it has many tanks and aircraft, and the United States supports Islamabad with equipment. The main threat is internal; local leaders and the Taliban rule in hard-to-reach areas of the country. In addition, Pakistan has not reached an agreement on 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 engaged in an arms race. Pakistan has medium-range ballistic missiles and about a hundred nuclear warheads

10. Türkiye

Budget: $18.2 billion
Number of active army: 410 thousand.
Tanks: 3,778
Aviation: 1,020
Submarines: 13

Türkiye claims to be a regional leader, so it is constantly building up and updating its armed forces. A huge number of tanks, aircraft and a large modern fleet (though without aircraft carriers) allow the Turkish army to be considered the strongest among the Muslim countries of the Middle East.

9. UK

Budget: $60.5 billion
Number of active army: 147 thousand.
Tanks: 407
Aviation: 936
Submarines: 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. 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.

8. Italy

Budget: $34 billion
Number of active army: 320 thousand.
Tanks: 586
Aviation: 760
Submarines: 6

7. South Korea

Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 624 thousand.
Tanks: 2,381
Aviation: 1,412
Submarines: 13

South Korea retains numerous armed forces, although in terms of quantitative indicators in everything except aviation, it continues to lose to its main potential enemy, the DPRK. The difference, of course, is in the technological level. Seoul has its own and Western latest developments, Pyongyang has Soviet technology 50 years ago.

6. France

Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 202 thousand.
Tanks: 423
Aviation: 1,264
Submarines: 10

The French army is still the main military force in Africa and continues to actively intervene in local conflicts. The nuclear attack aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was recently commissioned. Currently, France has approximately 300 strategic nuclear warheads, which are located on nuclear submarines. There are also 60 tactical warheads.

5. India

Budget: $50 billion
Number of active army: 1.325 million
Tanks: 6,464
Aviation: 1,905
Submarines: 15

The third largest army in the world and the fourth largest army in the world. The fact that India has approximately a hundred nuclear warheads, three aircraft carriers and two nuclear submarines in service makes it the fifth most powerful country.

4. Japan

Budget: $41.6 billion
Number of active army: 247 thousand.
Tanks: 678
Aviation: 1,613
Submarines: 16

The most unexpected thing in the ranking is Japan's 4th place, despite the fact that formally the country cannot have an army, but only self-defense forces. Business Insider attributes this to the high level of equipment of Japanese aircraft. In addition, they include 4 helicopter carriers and 9 destroyers. At the same time, Japan does not have nuclear weapons and this, together with the small number of tanks, makes us think that the position of this army is greatly overestimated.

3. China

Budget: $216 billion
Number of active army: 2.33 million
Tanks: 9,150
Aviation: 2,860
Submarines: 67

The second economy in the world has the largest active army, but in terms of the number of tanks, planes and helicopters it is still noticeably inferior not only to the United States, but also to Russia. But the defense budget is 2.5 times greater than the Russian one. As far as is known, China keeps several hundred nuclear warheads on alert. However, some believe that in reality the PRC may have several thousand warheads, but this information is carefully classified.

2. Russia

Budget: $84.5 billion
Number of active army: 1 million
Tanks: 15,398
Aviation: 3,429
Submarines: 55

Syria has demonstrated once again that Russia rightly continues to hold a solid 2nd place among the strongest, according to Business Insider. The Russian Armed Forces are second only to China in terms of the number of submarines. And if the rumors about China's secret nuclear stockpile are not true, it is far ahead in this area. It is believed that Russia's strategic nuclear forces have about 350 delivery vehicles and about 2 thousand nuclear warheads. The number of tactical nuclear warheads is unknown and could be several thousand.

1. USA

Budget: $601 billion
Number of active army: 1.4 million
Tanks: 8,848
Aviation: 13,892
Submarines: 72

The US military budget is comparable to the previous 19th. The Navy includes 10 aircraft carriers. It is characteristic that, unlike Moscow, which relied on tanks back in Soviet times, Washington is developing combat aviation. In addition, the American authorities, despite the end of the Cold War, continue to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the development of the latest military technologies, thanks to which the United States remains a leader not only in everything related to killing people, but also in the field, for example, robotics and prosthetics.

United States

People's Liberation Army of China

Indian Army

Russian ground forces

British Army

The European Parliament approved a resolution to strengthen the centralization of the European Union and create the post of EU Finance Minister and a common European army. The resolution was proposed by former Belgian Prime Minister and person responsible for Brexit negotiations Guy Verhofstadt.

European Parliament approval could mark the start of reform of the EU's founding treaty.

The Belgian politician believes that within the European Union it is necessary to give priority to the decision of the majority of countries, without waiting for the approval of all EU members on a particular issue.

Guy Verhofstadt heads the liberal bloc in the European Parliament and is considered the leader of European federalists who advocate expanding and strengthening the union.

This year, the European Union is facing elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands - in each of these countries, polls show that Eurosceptic populists can count on significant popular support.

This army can become one of the strongest in the world.

The strongest

It is now difficult to predict what the balance of power will be in 10 years, but rough assumptions can be made based on the current state.

Given these assumptions, it is possible to imagine which countries will have the most powerful ground combat forces in 2030.

Below are the five countries with the most powerful militaries in 2030.

India

The Indian Army will be one of the strongest in the world. Recently, Indian ground forces have been tested in combat conditions, in particular in Kashmir and in a number of other, smaller operations.

At the same time, the Indian army remains well prepared, particularly for military operations against Pakistan.

In addition, a well-trained army is an important tool in negotiating domestic and international issues.

And if previously the technical equipment of the Indian army seriously lagged behind world leaders, now India has access to world achievements in this area.

Russia, Europe, Israel and the United States are selling their equipment to India, and in addition, the country is increasing domestic production and developing the military-industrial complex.

Here are the main indicators of the Indian Army as of last year:

military budget - $51 billion,

total number of troops - 1,408,551,

the total number of tanks in service is 6464,

total number of aircraft in service - 1,905,

the total number of submarines is 15.

France

Of all the European countries, France will remain the country with the most powerful army in the future.

France remains committed to being one of the decisive forces on the world stage, and also believes in the need for effective troops that will allow it to maintain this role.

This will continue in the future, and France's role will probably even increase as it gains more control over the military apparatus in the EU.

France's military-industrial complex remains one of the most powerful in the world, working both for export and for the country's domestic needs.

The army is equipped with modern equipment and forms the backbone of the European Union Armed Forces.

In addition, she has modern equipment for combat. And the desire of the country's authorities to support the military industry plays into its hands.

The French army has extensive experience in combat, in particular it took part in military operations in Afghanistan and North Africa.

Here are the main indicators of the French army as of last year:

military budget - $62.3 billion,

total number of troops - 205 thousand,

the total number of tanks in service is 623,

the total number of aircraft in service is 1,264,

the total number of submarines is 10.

Russia

The Russian military has undergone significant transformation since the end of the Cold War. The military-industrial complex, which supported the Red Army, in the 90s. experienced not the best of times, but is currently experiencing its recovery.

Improvements in the Russian economy have allowed the country to invest more in the development of the army and in supporting the military-industrial complex.

And now the Russian army plays one of the main roles on the world stage. In particular, Russian troops are taking part in operations in Syria.

The Russian army will be one of the most powerful armies in 2030.

Here are the main indicators of the Russian army as of last year:

military budget - $84.5 billion,

total number of troops - 766,033,

the total number of tanks in service is 15,398,

the total number of aircraft in service is 3,429,

the total number of submarines is 55.

USA

The US Army has been considered the gold standard since 1991. Iraq and other countries in the Middle East have become the main platform for US military operations.

The US Army in the future will also remain among the leaders in the world, and in addition, the army with maximum access to innovation and the most modern developments in the military-industrial complex in the world.

However, experts note that many types of equipment used by the American army were developed during the Cold War and by now such equipment is already outdated.

However, the US Army has the world's largest fleet of surveillance drones.

If we talk about the experience of conducting combat operations, the American army has a huge amount of it: Afghanistan, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries are just the countries in which the US army has conducted operations in the last 20 years.

Here are the main indicators of the US Army as of last year:

military budget - $601 billion,

total number of troops - 1,400,000,

the total number of tanks in service is 8,848,

the total number of aircraft in service is 13,892,

the total number of submarines is 72.

Experts say that the US will never be conquered as the country has a strong navy and its location is also very advantageous.

There are about 1 million people serving in the country. In addition, the country has created cyber troops that are waging war against cybercrimes.

China

Since the 1990s. The Chinese army was undergoing reform. For many years, the army was the guarantor of the country's internal and external security. As a result of the reform, the army became a commercial organization that controls many small enterprises.

The situation began to change along with the rapid economic growth of the country. Having gained access to funding and innovative technologies, the army began to reform and gradually began to turn into one of the most powerful military organizations in the world.

Experts note that the times when the Chinese army placed the main emphasis on ground troops are in the past.

The reform included the implementation of large-scale army modernization projects.

Although the Chinese military does not have the same access to funding as the US army, it does have one major advantage: its sheer number of troops.

The only drawback is the lack of real combat experience. China's military has not seen military action since the Sino-Vietnamese War, nor has it actively participated in major conflicts.

However, this does not prevent the Chinese army from remaining one of the most powerful armies in the world.

Here are the main indicators of the Chinese army as of last year:

military budget - $216 billion,

total number of troops - 2,333,000,

the total number of tanks in service is 9,150,

the total number of aircraft in service is 2,860,

the total number of submarines is 67.

China increases its military budget by 12% every year.

The nuclear arsenal includes about 400 nuclear weapons.