The largest army in history. What are the largest and most powerful armies in the world

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. The military power of 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.

15. 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, it participated in both the First and Second World Wars 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, they are technically well equipped, they have a modern fleet and many combat helicopters. Dream large quantity personnel, but with a serious budget, the Australian Armed Forces are able, if necessary, to deploy their troops in several locations at the same time.

14. 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.

13. 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, where 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.

12. UK

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 has become 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.

11. 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. Business card IDF - 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 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.

10. 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 compulsory for Egyptian men, they can be up to 9 years old. Today, Egypt is trying to keep the peace in its own country and wage a war on terrorism.

The Egyptian army was in the ranking due to the number and quantity of equipment, although, as the Yom Kippur War showed, even a threefold superiority in tanks is offset by high combat skills and 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.

9. 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 over the internal politics of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), when the Indian army took revenge on 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.

8. 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. A huge number of 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 of a large number of well-trained military personnel, the Turkish Armed Forces are not particularly popular among the people. In early 2016, when the military attempted a coup, they were defeated by ordinary citizens who took to the streets and re-established an elected government.

7. 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 in the 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. The 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.

6. 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.

5. 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.

4. 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 was hit by a nuclear attack from the United States. After the defeat in World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army was disbanded, and military factories and educational institutions were 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 began: 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. Japan recently deployed its troops to South Sudan for the first time since World War II as part of 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.

3. 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. The Russian ground army is rightfully considered the most powerful in the whole world, which is provided with the latest military equipment. The budget allocated by the state for the needs of the army, 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 Russia's strategic nuclear forces have 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.

2. 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. The Chinese armed forces are divided into five military command zones and three fleets organized according to the territorial principle: east, north, west, south and center.

After the capitulation of Japan, the USSR handed over to the PLA the 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.

1. 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. The Navy has 10 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 periodically updated. 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 USA can never be invaded because it has the strongest fleet with the maximum number of ships and submarines. The 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.

It is difficult to judge the strength of the army until it enters into hostilities. For example, the authoritative rating of the international company global firepower takes as a basis the real ability of the armed forces of a country to repel aggression. The main indicator, in this case, should be the effectiveness of the conduct of hostilities, the victories won and the rate of losses during the battles, both human and military equipment.

Based on the criterion of efficiency, before considering the most powerful armies in the world, let's take a short look into the past and find out what is the strongest army in the history of Mankind.

Army of Alexander the Great

Macedonian troops rightfully entered the strongest armies of the past. The armed forces of Macedonia began to create the father of Alexander Philip II, and the son only continued the reforms of his father and won brilliant victories.

During his short life, the Macedonian ruler did not suffer a single defeat. And his most glorious victory was the defeat of the Great Persian Power.

The basis of his army and the main striking force was the heavy cavalry, consisting of geytars, the so-called friends of the ruler. The infantry also played an important role. The Macedonian army was the first in the world to use a kind of prototype of field artillery.

ancient roman army

Usually the number of the Roman army was 100 thousand people, but during the period of conquests and major military clashes it reached 250 thousand.

The basis was the infantry, divided into legions. During battles, infantry and cavalry lined up in a special way in the form of a phalanx. The army had strict discipline and excellent weapons, which largely determined the victories of the Roman army.

History confirms the strength of the army of the Ancient World, because with its help Rome conquered all of Europe and part of Asia, and also won the Punic Wars with Carthage.

Army of the Mongol Empire

The creation of the strongest armed forces began in 1206, when Genghis Khan managed to unite disparate tribes into one powerful empire.

Having absorbed all the best achievements of the previous tribes of the Great Steppe, Genghis Khan recognized the strongest army, besides, it was the most terrible army of that time, which terrified the enemy. Strong and fearless warriors of Genghis Khan and his descendants conquered the entire Middle East, China and owned Russian lands for 240 years.

Everything was based on strict discipline and collective responsibility for cowardice and misdeeds. But cruelty towards the enemy and the civilian population was due to the mentality and lifestyle of the nomads.

Ottoman army

At its peak, with the help of its armed forces, the Ottoman Empire conquered the Middle East, the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, the Northern Black Sea region and North Africa.

In 1453, she managed to storm the most impregnable city of the Middle Ages, Constantinople, and for more than 500 years she was one of the strongest and most powerful in the region.

And the successes were due to the fact that the Turks were the first in the world to use the latest achievements in weapons production. These were guns, muskets. Its one condition for victories was the use of elite units - the Janissaries.

Summing up, the top of the most powerful armies in the world in history is also worth mentioning the Napoleonic armed forces, the Wehrmacht of the Third Reich, as well as the Russian and Soviet army, which, as everyone knows, was able to win both the first and second in different periods of history. But the Nazi army went down in history as the most terrible army, although many war crimes were committed by punitive units and special services of Nazi Germany.

Germany

Throughout its history, after the unification of the German states into a single country in 1871, the German army participated in many world military conflicts, and the Second World War began solely through the fault and initiative of Germany.

Today, having strong armed forces, Germany, taught by bitter experience, is in no hurry to actively participate in modern military conflicts, although it maintains a 186,000-strong army.

France

The traditions of the French armed forces were laid down by Napoleon Bonaparte, when the revolutionary army of France needed to confront the forces of the countries of the anti-French coalition.

And now France is trying to maintain the army at the proper level, allocating about $45 million annually for this. But the number is not so great - in the French armed forces there are about 230 thousand people.

United Kingdom

For a long time in world history, the British fleet was invincible, and the largest army in the world was needed by Great Britain to hold the vast territories of the colonies.

At the present stage, Great Britain, as the main ally of the United States, has a fairly strong armed force, numbering 190,000. It was also possible to maintain the strongest fleet, which, in terms of total tonnage, is second only to the American Navy.

Turkey

The Middle East has been and remains one of the most turbulent regions of the world, so Turkey is forced to maintain numerous armed forces, and lay out $ 18 billion for their maintenance.

The population of Turkey is commensurate with the number of military units in which 520,000 servicemen are serving. But we note that in technical terms, the Eastern State is inferior to other countries, since the equipment is mostly old models.

Japan

Let's start with the fact that Japan does not officially have an army, but contains self-defense forces. But Article 9 of the Constitution of the country of the Rising Sun prohibits the use of the military outside the country.

The aggressive behavior of North Korea and the traditional confrontation with China in the Pacific region are forcing the Japanese government to revise its military doctrine, as well as to reform the self-defense forces. The Japanese economy allows to allocate 47 billion dollars annually to the military.

South Korea

Our list of armies in the world in 2017 continues with one of the strongest and most powerful armies in the Southeast region. The course of history and the confrontation with the northern neighbor are forcing the South Koreans to maintain a 630,000-strong army and allocate large funds for its maintenance and modernization.

For comparison, we note that in North Korea there are 1.2 million military personnel. But the technical equipment is inferior to that of South Korea, a major modernization of which is taking place with the direct participation of the United States, and the combat capability of the army is supported by joint exercises.

India

By all indicators, India is rightfully included in the top of the most powerful armies in the world, and yet the armed forces were created quite recently, after gaining independence in 1947.

The confrontation with Pakistan and the high threat of terrorism are forcing the Indian government to maintain an army of 1.33 million troops, annually allocating about $ 50 billion for their maintenance. The economic growth of the eastern state in recent decades allows India to purchase the latest weapons.

It's time to get acquainted with the largest armed forces in terms of numbers, because in China they have 2.333 million military personnel, and the budget is $ 126 billion. In addition, in terms of its potential, the Chinese army is the most powerful army in the world.

In a short period, China has managed to create a competitive military force and is actively developing its military missile forces. But China is also one of the most peaceful countries in the world. The largest military units in the world have not taken part in military clashes for a long time. The East is a delicate matter, and the Chinese prefer to solve their problems at the negotiating table.

Russia

Few will argue that the army of the Russian Federation is the most powerful and combat-ready, and its combat readiness is always maintained at a high level. Maybe the real threat from the NATO bloc is exaggerated, but somehow I don’t want to check this by reducing the number of Russian military and weapons.

Today, there are more than 800 thousand people in the military service in the Russian Federation, and the defense budget is growing every year. But this is required by the current geopolitical situation, as well as the advancement of NATO countries to the East. So, the military units of Russia are the most combat-ready army and the largest in terms of equipment of all those presented.

USA

If we take into account the size and amount of funding, then, of course, the United States has the strongest army. In addition, the US armed forces are constantly taking part in various military conflicts, which affects the increase in its combat capability.

The military and the most powerful arms manufacturers have a greater influence on the political life of the United States. This is partly why the number of US armed forces exceeds 1.3 million soldiers and officers, and the cost of weapons annually fluctuates in the amount of $600 billion. The United States is ahead of other countries in the world in terms of the number of weapons.

And again, speaking about the top of the most powerful armies in the world and comparing the effectiveness, one can take as a basis the military operations of the coalition led by the United States in Syria and Iraq, and compare with the military operations of the Russian troops in the same region. It can be treated differently in the expediency of Russia's participation there, but the fact that the actions of Russian armed units are much more effective is indisputable.

In conclusion, we note that there is a certain pattern in the fact that the 10 most powerful armies of the world in modern times are formed in states with glorious military traditions and strong economies.

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

Tank Armata

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

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

The authors indicate the following factual sources: cia. gov, CIA World Factbook, wikipedia. com, available data in the media and bloggers. Some values ​​were estimates when official data were not available, the introductory section says.

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

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

Of course, the quality of the military is different. The US military is 100 percent manned by contract soldiers. The level of their material and technical equipment is high.

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

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

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

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

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

3. Air force- the rating takes into account aircraft and helicopters of all types of troops. Here, the leadership of the US Army, this obliges, of course, their "island" position. The alleged theater of operations is in Eurasia, and equipment and soldiers must be delivered there.

The United States has 13,892 aircraft, of which 2,207 are fighters, 2,797 attack aircraft, 5,366 transport aircraft, and 6,196 helicopters.

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

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

4. Naval forces. In the rating, helicopter carriers are also included in the concept of an aircraft carrier. The concept of "ships - total" also includes auxiliary vessels. In terms of the number of warships, the Chinese army is in first place, in total - 673, the second - the United States (473), and the third - Russia (352 units).

There are big differences in the "range" and quality of the ships, primarily in aircraft carriers. When people in the United States talk about military dominance in the world, they mean, first of all, the superiority of fleets in the oceans. Of course, 20 aircraft and helicopter carriers is a huge force, considering that the crew of such ships reaches 5 thousand people.

In Russia and China, Global Firepower counted one aircraft carrier each. Russia surpasses rivals in the number of minesweepers - 34 (USA -11, China - 6) and coast guard ships - 65 (USA -13, China -11). For submarines, the quantitative picture is approximately the same (USA - 72, Russia - 55, China - 67).

Russia is actively re-equipping its fleet. Sergei Shoigu said that by 2020 the Russian Navy will receive eight new missile submarines, 16 multi-purpose submarines and 54 surface warships of various classes.

In general, the Chinese fleet has made fantastic progress in two decades, it was built virtually from scratch and today it ranks second in power and quality in the Pacific region after the US fleet.

The Americans have the opposite dynamics, all American experts recognize this. The US Navy is shrinking, with only 273 warships left, fewer than it was under Reagan and even before World War I. However, only 85 ships are at sea at a given time. This is important because the Chinese, in the event of a crisis, are able to deploy their entire fleet against the United States, as well as land-based missiles and aircraft, while the Americans can only rely on ships that are at hand in the region at that moment.

This fall, the US will not send an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf for the first time due to budget cuts. According to the current US Navy procurement plan for 30 years, the fleet of multi-purpose submarines in 2022 will be 48 units less than the permissible minimum, and after another 6 years there will be only 41 submarines. Most likely, taking into account the state debt of 17 trillion dollars, there will be no money for the development of the fleet.

5. The rating takes into account data on defense budgets and the financial situation of countries. The US spends $577.1 billion annually on the military, Russia $60.4 billion, and China $145 billion. Moreover, America mainly spends on maintaining what it has, including military bases, and very little on rearmament and new developments. China and Russia have the opposite picture.

The external debt of countries is analyzed in relation to their gold and foreign exchange reserves. The United States has a debt of $15.7 trillion with reserves of $150.2 billion. Russia has $714.2 billion in debt and $515.6 billion in reserves. China has $863.2 billion in debt and $3.821 trillion in reserves.

The US military budget is an order of magnitude larger than Russia's and three times that of China's. But their huge debt is not secured by anything, gold and foreign exchange reserves are four times smaller than Russian and an order of magnitude smaller than Chinese. This speaks of the upcoming catastrophe of the dollar and the transition to the gold-backed yuan. Of course, China is in an excellent financial position, and it is China that will rapidly gain military power. But Kiai has big problems with scientific potential.

As for Russia, it will stubbornly move along the path of modernization. Maybe it lacks American and Chinese economic and financial power, but the priorities are set and the scientific potential is huge. In addition, the Russian army is underestimated because the ranking does not take into account the air defense forces, missile power and cyber forces.

What will American communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and intelligence systems be worth if there is no one to manage them? As for air defense systems, the Russian one is recognized as the most effective in the world. NATO experts unequivocally agree that in the event of an air attack on Russia, the air defense system will destroy up to 80 percent of enemy aircraft, including the latest cruise missiles flying towards the target with enveloping terrain.

The American Patriot system cannot boast of such indicators. According to the latest report from the analytical agency Air Power Australia, in the event of a large-scale military conflict between Russia and the United States, the likelihood of the survival of American aviation is completely excluded.

"In the US Army, almost half of the personnel is in the navy, which in the event of a big war will not sail anywhere, and in the air force, which also will not reach with the current development of air defense, -. - That is, the very parameters of this the ratings are somewhat incorrect, because the power of all armed forces is taken, including those that cannot be used anywhere.

And the expeditionary forces do not have the power that can destroy everything. Therefore, this entire rating is a comparison of the incomparable."

“There is a lot of advertising in America - we are the first here, we are the first there, and when you start looking at the numbers, it turns out that this is just self-advertising. The basis of firepower is missile weapons, in which we are superior to everyone,” said the expert.

"The Russian army is the best in the world"

Imagine for a second: your child came up to you and asked a seemingly simple question: what is the best army in the world? Well, or, if the example is not suitable with a child, then imagine a “business” conversation with the men in the garage, in which this question suddenly pops up. And questions of a global scale in a “business” garage conversation are sure to pop up. What would you say?

If, as they say, offhand, then the first thing that can come to mind is, of course, the words about "invincible and legendary", which was able not only to protect the state in the most extended borders, but also to unite seemingly completely different peoples . Whoever says that our country is from its origins a state built on brotherhood and good neighborliness of various confessions and ethnic groups is nonsense! They gathered us all: Slavs, Varangians, Tatars, Chechens and others with fire and sword. Many peoples wanted to abandon the “brotherhood” at first, but, seeing bows, arrows, battering rams and other “motivators” of good neighborly relations, they decided that maybe it would be better to live side by side. Some, I must say, peoples are still trying to give up our fiery neighborhood, but this is far from always possible, since the descendants of the invincible and legendary are ready to stand up for integrity. Yes, and those who not so long ago decided to dissociate themselves, now slowly bite their elbows in the closets, which, perhaps, with a cane system of universal fraternization, but with a full belly, life would be better.

It turns out that our Russian (Russian, Red, Russian, Soviet) can be called the best army in the world. But here a parallel question pops up: what is the best one? - the one that shed more than someone else's blood, or is it still more than her own? If we talk about the shedding of our own blood, then here it is ours, no doubt, that can claim the highest point of the pedestal. Let's take the losses of the Red and Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War. According to the most conservative estimates, they are almost three times the losses of the Wehrmacht. Victory at any cost is our mentality. Survived, survived, grinded! It is not for us today to judge that in such and such, they say, a battle could have decided the outcome with much smaller forces. As they say, after a fight, they don’t wave anything. But the fact that the blood spilled by our fighters is enough for a good tenth of foreign armies remains a fact. History knows many Russian (Soviet) victories, when the price of these victories was too high: the Russian-Finnish war, the Great Patriotic War, both Chechen campaigns. In this regard, those Russian commanders and admirals who won battles with minimal losses among the rank and file can be called real Russian heroes, in comparison with whom even the glory of epic heroes fades.

Or maybe the best army is the one that always fights, fights everywhere, giving no peace to itself or others? And there is such an army. At the same time, there is absolutely nothing to go deep into the centuries. Such an army can be encountered if your country has a lot of oil, there is no nuclear one, but there are plans to create it, and there is no outside support, and the person who is at the helm has not departed from this helm for...twelve years. Such an army can come quite unexpectedly, if suddenly the UN Security Council decides that somewhere in your country someone buried an ampoule with anthrax. And today this army, which claims to be the best, wanders the world and looks for where else to send its Tomahawks, Abrams and other investments from the state budget.

Or maybe the best army is the army that spends the least amount of money on maintenance, and at the same time it manages to fight and how to fight! Such an army can be attributed to the army of the Mongol-Tatars, which managed to enslave hundreds of peoples, among which we are Russians. Moreover, if we talk about army discipline, then the Mongolian army (the era of Genghis Khan and Batu) is an example of ingenious simplicity and uncompromisingness. Any disobedience to the orders of the command was punishable by death, so the Mongols, with a truly iron hand, brought their "Mongolian order" almost everywhere in Asia and in vast European territories. Some may object and say that the Mongol army won many battles only because of the presence of corrupt military leaders and civil authorities in the camp of the enemy. But this is also one of the methods of warfare that still works today and will probably always work. One of the brightest modern examples is the Afghan army. No, of course, not the one that now calls itself the state, but the one that put spokes in the wheels of the first Soviet, and then the Stars and Stripes army. And what? The expenses are minimal - a couple of millions of fake dollars, a turban, a Kalash behind your back and a MANPADS on your shoulder - and forward, as they say, with a song against the infidels. And it does help... How many people are already at war with these people in quilted robes, but their number is not decreasing.

Many will say that the best army in the world is the Carthaginian army led by Hannibal Barca. At the same time, the greatest campaign in history of the army of Hannibal with elephants through the Alps to Rome is recalled. However, that same alpine campaign, without belittling its historical role, can by no means be called a success. Arriving in Italy, Hannibal's army lost almost 80% of its original strength, but thanks to the authority of its leader, it continued to inflict crushing blows on the Romans. But this army was destined to suffer a crushing defeat from the same Roman legions in 202 BC. with Zama.

Maybe then the army of Alexander the Great is the only one that should be referred to in history as the best army in the world. The army of Alexander the Great was able to conquer many peoples living in vast territories from the Aegean Sea to the Indian Ocean. Thanks to the successful campaigns of Alexander's army, the Macedonian Empire absorbed Greece, Egypt, Persia, the states of the Middle East and Central Asia.

However, this army is a vivid example of the fact that, based only on the strong-willed qualities and talent of one person, the further future of the army is more than vague. After the death of this greatest commander, the army itself died so quickly that its power was spoken of only on the pages of the annals of glorious campaigns, and the veterans themselves in heated debates about the greatness of the Macedonian Empire.

But talking about the best army in the world, we must also mention the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. Although in this case, the Napoleonic army has much in common with the army of Alexander. The truth and the difference is also obvious: Alexander and his army died victorious, and Napoleon with the French legions - defeated.

And why can’t you call the best army if the word “army” in general is applicable to two hundred soldiers and 27 horses, the conquistador Francisco Pizarro! It was he who managed to conquer hundreds of thousands of Incas, having at his disposal such a limited military contingent. The reasons for the conquest of the entire Indian Empire are still being debated, but the fact remains - a surprisingly spectacular and effective campaign in the first half of the 16th century.

So the question of the best army in the world can still be considered open, because on this score, how many people, so many, probably, and opinions.

Even at the dawn of human civilization, people created armed formations to protect their borders. Then wars were won thanks to the size of the army and the skill of the generals. Today, the military is focusing on modern technologies, which allows even such small countries as Israel to have a powerful army. In our review, we will focus on the most modern and powerful armies in the world.

1. North Korea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is known for its repressive government and its antagonistic relationship with much of the world. North Korea currently has 4,200 tanks, 944 aircraft, and 967 warships.

Despite the impressive numbers, North Korean weapons are considered very outdated. For example, of the 70 submarines currently in service, 20 are rusty Romeo-class wrecks made with 1950s technology.

2. Saudi Arabia

The Royal Saudi Armed Forces consist of infantry, air force, navy, air defense, the National Guard, and a number of paramilitary units. In total, over 230,000 people are on active duty in the army of this country. This is one of the richest military in the world.

3. Australia

The constant development of China has led to the fact that Australia, as well as most countries in the Asia-Pacific region, began the continuous modernization of their military forces. Despite its small size, the Australian military is considered one of the best and most efficient in the world.

4. Canada

Despite the fact that this country has been one of the most peaceful and friendly throughout its history, the Canadian army is among the 25 strongest in the world. Canada currently has 181 tanks, 426 aircraft and 63 warships in service.

5. Iran

The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in total number about 545,000 people. Without a doubt, this is one of the most powerful and dominant forces in the Middle East.

6. Thailand

Historically, the military has been the backbone of unity and peace in Thai society. Although the country has an impressive number of troops and tanks in service, the most fascinating fact is that Thailand has an aircraft carrier but no combat aircraft (since all AV-8S Matador aircraft were retired in 2006) .

7. Taiwan

Under the constant threat of an invasion by a gigantic Chinese army that still hasn't given up plans to invade and occupy its neighbor, Taiwan has focused its entire military development on building a defense. That is why such a small island has more helicopters (307) than most countries in the world. Also the number of tanks (2,005) and aircraft (815) in Taiwan is quite impressive in relation to its size.

8. Poland

The tense situation in Ukraine has forced the Polish government to start spending huge amounts of money lately on the defense industry. As a result, the level of the Polish army has increased significantly in just a few years.

9. Vietnam

The Vietnam People's Army is considered one of the most prestigious and sacred concepts in the local culture. This was especially exacerbated after the brave (and victorious, in the eyes of most historians) popular army fought against such superpowers as France and the United States in the twentieth century. The Vietnamese army is an integral part of the culture of this country and is considered one of the strongest in Asia.

10 Israel

Despite its small size, both in terms of territory and population, and its very short history, Israel can proudly claim that its defense forces have been among the most active (if not the most active) in the world over the past five decades. Due to the constant tension in the region, Israel has created an incredibly strong and modernized army.

11. Brazil

With the second largest military force in the Americas (after the United States) and the largest in Latin America, Brazil currently has 486 tanks, 735 aircraft and 110 ships, and 330,000 military personnel and officers. .

Although South America is a relatively peaceful continent, Brazil shares borders with 10 countries and therefore requires a significant number of troops.

12. Indonesia

The Indonesian Army was formed during the Indonesian National Revolution when it was engaged in guerrilla warfare. Today, with about half a million troops and modern technology, it is considered one of the most powerful armies in Asia.

13. Pakistan

In Pakistan, the military is the 13th strongest in the world due to the fact that the country is constantly improving its military technology. In addition, the Pakistani military is the largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping efforts with more than 10,000 Pakistani army personnel permanently deployed overseas.

14. Egypt

The Egyptian armed forces are not only the largest in Africa and the Middle East, but also one of the largest in the world - an active staff of 470,000 people. In addition, it is one of the most ancient armies since it was created in 3200 BC.

15. South Korea

The fact that this country borders on a dangerous, unpredictable northern neighbor (North Korea) has made South Korea spend crazy money on military equipment and weapons, making its military one of the most modern and powerful in the world. At present, the Asians boast 625,000 army, 2,381 tanks and 1,451 aircraft.

16. Italy

The Italian armed forces consist of the regular army, navy, air force and carabinieri (who also serve as military police). As of the end of 2014, the 320,000-strong Italian army is the third largest in the European Union and the fifth among NATO countries.

17. Germany

The ongoing reform of the German armed forces is the most radical revision of the Bundeswehr in the history of the country. The problem of international terrorism and global cooperation have led to the need today for a smaller but more flexible force structure that will not have such a strong defensive function as in the past few decades.

18. Turkey

The Turkish military is considered the second largest in NATO (after the US military). The estimated strength of the Turkish army is 495,000 people.

19. Japan

The Japan Self-Defense Forces were created after World War II. Although they have been inactive for most of the last fifty years, tensions in the area have been on the rise lately (over North Korea in particular). This forced Japan to urgently modernize the army.

20. UK

Despite being relatively small compared to countries such as the US, Russia and China, and the fact that the British government plans to reduce the size of its armed forces by 10% by 2018, the once globally dominant United Kingdom still has one of the strongest armies in the world.

21. France

France may not be as powerful a military power as it once was, but it is still in the top ten most powerful in the world. Its main military actions recently have been the fight against terrorism in Mali, Afghanistan, Libya, and at the present time the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).

Army of the Russian Federation.

Global modernization and Putin's massive military procurement program over the past two decades have made Russia's military one of the most powerful in the world.

25. United States

Despite recent geopolitical misadventures and American withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States military continues to hold the palm of the world's most powerful military thanks to the world's largest defense budget.

However, even in the most powerful armies there are embarrassments. For example, such as appearance.