25 Most Powerful Militaries In The World
By : Cajetan China ⥻
From the early days of human development and the march toward civilization, men have created armed forces with the purpose of protecting their communities and borders. As technology kept improving and warfare modernized throughout history so did the militaries of these communities which gradually became city-states, kingdoms, and empires, eventually morphing into the modern nation-state in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In an era when war and military might and strategy are more dependent than ever on technology, the competition between the world’s largest militaries focuses less on active personnel and more on equipment and contemporary warfare technologies than it used to just decades ago.
This explains why small countries like Taiwan or Israel, for example, rank so high in terms of military strength compared to other nations of hundreds of millions that lack war tech and weaponry. The list of the 25 Most Powerful Militaries In the World that follows proves how drastically the rules and tactics of war have changed in recent history and how superior technology and weapons can alter the fate of battles.
Featured image by: Infinite_Eye / Shutterstock.com
NOTE: Ranking derived from globalfirepower.com.
25
North Korea
Officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea is known for its oppressive government and its antagonistic relationship with a good portion of the world. It currently holds 4,200 tanks, 944 aircraft, and a naval force of 967. In spite of these numbers, North Korea’s weaponry is considered to be aged and obsolete with limited capabilities. For example, out of the 70 submarines it currently has, 20 are rusty Romeo-class submarines with 1950’s technology.
24
Saudi Arabia
The Royal Saudi Armed Forces consists of the Saudi Arabian Army, the Royal Saudi Air Force, the Royal Saudi Navy, the Royal Saudi Air Defense, the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG), and paramilitary forces, together totaling over 230,000 active-duty members. It’s one of the richest militaries in the world and is in charge of protecting the country’s vast wealth.
23
Australia
The unstoppable rise of China has forced Australia—as well as most countries in the Asia-Pacific region—into a continuous upgrade and modernization of their military force, which, despite its small size, is considered one of the best and most effective in the world.
22
Canada
Despite being one of the most peaceful and friendly countries throughout its history, Canada’s military is among the most powerful in the world. Currently, Canada an extensive arsenal of military weapons including 181 tanks, 426 Aircraft, and a total naval strength of 63.
21
Iran
The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran total about 545,000 active personnel and is without a doubt one of the most powerful and dominant forces in the Mid East.
20
Thailand
The military is the foundation of unity and peace in Thai society. Thailand has an impressive number of active personnel and tanks in the world. A more fascinating fact is that Thailand has an aircraft carrier but does not have an aircraft fleet (Since their AV-8S Matadors were withdrawn from service in 2006).
19
Taiwan
Under the constant threat of the gigantic Chinese army that has plans to invade and occupy the country, Taiwan has focused its military development in terms of defense operations. That’s why, for such a small island, Taiwan has more helicopters (307) than most countries, and its number of tanks (2,005) and aircrafts (815 total) is quite impressive in relation to its size.
18
Poland
The unrest and tension in Ukraine has forced the Polish government to spend outrageous amounts of money lately, and as a result the country’s military and warfare equipment has improved dramatically within only a few years.
17
Vietnam
The Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) is the country’s defense force and is regarded as one of the most prestigious and sacred things in the local culture, especially after the brave (and victorious, in most historians’ eyes) resistance it exhibited fighting against superpowers such as France and the US in the twentieth century. It’s an integral part of the country’s culture and is considered one of the most powerful in Asia.
16
Israel
Despite its small size both in area and population and its very short history, Israel can proudly claim that its defense forces (IDF) has been one of the most active (if not the most active) in the world during the past five decades. Due to constant tension in the area Israel has developed an incredibly powerful and modernized military force that is considered one of the greatest in the world.
10
Italy
The Italian Armed Forces is composed of the Italian Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Carabinieri (which serves as the narion’s military police). As of late 2014, the Italian military is the third largest in the European Union and the fifth among NATO nations with nearly 320,000 total active personnel.
9
Germany
The reform of the German military is the most radical overhaul of the Bundeswehr in its history. New challenges such as international terrorism and global cooperation require a smaller, more flexible troop structure that won’t have as defensive a role as it has had in the past few decades.
8
Turkey
The Turkish armed forces collectively rank as the second largest standing military force in NATO, after the US Armed Forces, with an estimated strength of 495,000 personnel, according to a 2011 NATO estimate. Turkey is also one of five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance, together with Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
7
Japan
The Japan Self-Defense Forces, or JSDF as they are known, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after World War II. Even though they have been inactive for the better part of the past fifty years, recent tensions in the area, particularly with North Korea, have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to Japanese society.
6
United Kingdom
Despite its relatively small size compared to countries like the USA, Russia, and China, and the fact that British government plans to reduce the size of its armed forces by 10% until 2018, the once dominant United Kingdom continues to have one of the most powerful militaries in the world.
So
5
France
So
France might not be the great military power it used to be, however, it’s still within the top ten most powerful militaries. Highlights of its involvement include the war on terror in Mali, Afghanistan, Libya, and currently against ISIS.
4
India
With over 1.3 million active personnel, it is the world’s third largest military force and the world’s second largest volunteer military. It currently ranks as the fourth most powerful military in the world overall.
3
China
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is the official name for the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China. It is the world’s largest military force, with the strength of approximately 2.3 million personnel, which is only 0.18 percent of the country’s population.
2
Russia
Massive modernization and an impressive procurement program by Putin during the past two decades have made the Russian military one of the most powerful in the world. In two instances (Ukraine and Ossetia) in which the Russian military was called upon to prove their might, they didn’t fail to impress.
1
United States
Despite its recent geopolitical misadventures and its withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States armed forces remains the most powerful in the world with the world’s largest defense budget.
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