Since ancient times, the armed forces have been the main and main guarantor of the independence of any country and the security of the citizens inhabiting it. Diplomacy, interstate treaties are also important factors of international security, but as practice shows, when it comes to a military conflict, they often do not work.

International analytical company GlobalFirepower annually publishes on its portal a rating of the strongest armies in the world. The ranking includes 133 countries. Top ten most strong armies the planet, according to Global Firepower, looks like this:

10. Egypt

The ranking of the top 10 most powerful armies on the planet is opened by Egypt, with a total strength of 380,000 armed forces. In service there are 3,723 tanks, 60 warships (including missile boats and landing ships), 1,107 aircraft and 4 submarines.

The scale of the Egyptian military's influence on the country's economy is shrouded in mystery: Egypt's military budget "is secret, this industry, among other things, is not taxed."
As of 2015, the country's military budget was $ 5.5 billion.

The Egyptian army was in the ranking due to the number and quantity of equipment, although as the war showed Doomsday, even a threefold superiority in tanks is leveled by high combat skills and 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 acquired two Mistral-class helicopter carriers not supplied by France to the Russian Federation, and about 50 Ka-52 combat helicopters for them, which made Egypt really serious military force in the region.

9. Germany

In ninth place is the Bundeswehr - the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. It includes the ground forces, Navy, aviation, medical and sanitary service and logistics service.

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

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

8.Turkey

The army of this country is considered the most powerful among the Muslim armies of the Middle East. The descendants of the militant janissaries managed to create a very combat-ready armed forces, which in the region are second only to the Israeli army in terms of power. That is why Turkey is in the eighth place in the ranking.

The number of the Turkish armed forces is 510 thousand people, however, the military budget of this country is only 18 billion dollars. The Turks are the closest allies of the United States in the region, not counting, of course, Israel.

Turkey has a large number of armored vehicles (3,370 tanks) and combat aircraft (over 1,000 units). True, most of the tanks are outdated. The Turkish Navy is the strongest in the Black Sea, it has modern surface ships and submarines. The country is actively developing its military-industrial complex, with the help of the United States, Germany and France.

7. Japan

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

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

Japan has a serious air force, ground troops and an imposing navy that is considered one of the strongest in the world. Japan has more than 1600 combat aircraft, 678 tanks, 16 submarines, 4 helicopter carriers.

This country has the third largest economy in the world, so it is not difficult for Japan to allocate serious money for the maintenance and development of its army. Japan's military budget is $ 47 billion, which is not bad for an armed force of this size.

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

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

6.UK

The sixth place in the ranking is occupied by the United Kingdom - a country that has managed to create world empire where the sun did not go down. But this is in the past. Today the number of the British armed forces is 188 thousand people. The military budget of the country is $ 53 billion. The British have a very decent military-industrial complex, which is able to manufacture tanks, aircraft, warships, small arms and other types of weapons.

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

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

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

5. France

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

4. India

In fourth place in the top 10 ranking are the Indian Armed Forces. This huge, densely populated country with a thriving economy has a military of 1.325 million and spends approximately $ 50 billion on defense.

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

The Indian government spends significant sums annually on the purchase of new weapons. And if earlier the Indians mainly bought weapons made in the USSR or Russia, now they increasingly prefer more high-quality Western models.

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

3. China

In third place in the ranking is the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA). It is the largest military force on the planet, with a population of 2.333 million. China's military budget is in second place in the world, second only to the United States. It is $ 126 billion.

China is striving to become the second superpower after the United States, and this cannot be done without a powerful armed force.

Today, the Chinese are armed with 9,150 tanks, 2,860 aircraft, 67 submarines, a large number of combat aircraft and multiple launch rocket systems. For quite a long time, there has been a debate about how many warheads the PRC has in stock: the official figure is several hundred, but some experts believe that the Chinese have an order of magnitude more of them.

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

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

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

In service with the Russian Air Force - 3,429 aircraft different types and destination. Among which there are strategic bombers capable of delivering nuclear strikes against an enemy located at a distance of thousands of kilometers.

Russia has a powerful navy, and its submarines are especially dangerous. Their number is 60 units. The Russian surface fleet is somewhat outdated and is mainly represented by ships made in the USSR, but in last years the country's leadership spends huge amounts of money on its renewal.

It should be noted the most powerful military-industrial complex, which Russia inherited from the Soviet Union. He is able to independently produce almost the entire range of weapons for modern land army and the navy. Russia is one of the largest arms exporters in the world, second only to the United States.

1. USA

In the first place in the top 10 are the United States of America. In terms of the number of personnel, the US army is second only to China (albeit significantly), its strength is 1.381 million people. At the same time, the US military department has a budget that generals of other armies can only dream of - $ 612 billion.

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

Today, the US Army is armed with 8,848 tanks, a huge number of armored vehicles and other military equipment, 3,892 military aircraft. If in years Cold war Soviet strategists focused on tanks, while the Americans actively developed combat aviation. Currently, the US Air Force is considered to be the strongest in the world.

The United States has the most powerful navy, with ten aircraft carrier groups, more than seventy submarines, and a large number of aircraft and support ships.

The Americans are leaders in the development of the latest military technologies, and their spectrum is very wide: from the creation of lasers and robotic combat systems to prosthetics.

And now about those who very much want to be the most formidable, strong and dangerous, but something does not work out.

As for the mighty Ukrainian army, which the head of the independent Petro Poroshenko at the end of 2016, hastily called "the strongest in Europe", it modestly sits down ... in 30th place (between the eternally neutral Sweden and independent Myanmar). And the gallant army of Georgia is dangling somewhere in a wagon train of the ninth decade. Where footcloths are dried, the dwarf armies of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

30.Ukraine

According to the rating of military power for 2017, the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is 160 thousand people, the number of reservists is 1 million. multiple launch rocket systems. GFR experts counted 234 combat aircraft, including 39 fighters and 33 attack helicopters. The Navy, according to the GFR, is armed with one frigate ("Getman Sagaidachny"), one minesweeper and three coastal defense ships

82. Georgia

The structure of the Armed Forces of Georgia includes the Ground Forces, the Special Operations Forces, the National Guard, as well as units and institutions of central subordination. Until 2008, it also included the Navy and the Air Force, but both of these branches of the Armed Forces were practically destroyed during the "Five Day War". Subsequently, the Air Force (in a small volume) was revived as a unit of the Ground Forces. As for the Navy, the Georgian leadership decided not to restore it.

95. Lithuania

The ground forces number 8.2 thousand troops (one rapid reaction brigade, two motorized infantry battalions, two mechanized battalions, one engineer battalion, one military police battalion, one training regiment and several territorial defense units), in service were 187 M113A1 armored personnel carriers; 10 BRDM-2; 133 105 mm field artillery guns; 61 120-mm mortars, up to 100 recoilless 84-mm Carl Gustaf guns, 65 ATGMs, 18 anti-aircraft guns and 20 RBS-70 portable anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as over 400 anti-tank grenade launchers of various systems.

The Air Force has 980 military personnel (three airbases and five squadrons), two L-39ZA aircraft, five transport aircraft (two L-410 and three C-27J) and nine Mi-8 transport helicopters.

The naval forces number 530 people, one small anti-submarine ship "Project 1124M", three Danish patrol ships of the "Fluvefisken" class (P11 "Zemaitis", P12 "Dzukas", P14 "Aukšaitis"), one Norwegian patrol boat of the "Storm" class (P32 Skalvis), three other types of patrol boats, two British-built Lindau minesweepers (M53 and M54), one Norwegian-built mine-sweeping force headquarters (Jotvingis), one survey vessel and one tug.
coast guard - 540 people and three patrol boats.

103. Latvia

The Air Force has 319 military personnel, three aircraft (one L-410 and two An-2) and six helicopters (four Mi-17 and two Mi-2)
The naval forces have 587 servicemen and five ships, the main task of which is the demining of territorial waters.
Reserve armed forces are Latvian citizens who have completed military service (5,000 people). In case of general mobilization, the army will receive 14 more light infantry battalions, one air defense battalion, one artillery battalion and several auxiliary units.

110. Estonia

The authors of the study considered the Estonian army the least powerful among the Baltic countries, giving it 110th place. During the year, despite the increase in defense spending, Estonia lost three positions in the ranking.
According to the draft state budget for 2017, the costs of military defense grew to 2.17% of GDP, amounting to 477 million euros.

133. Bhutan

The army of Bhutan (about 6 thousand people) defends the rear guard - it took the last position. It is strange that the armed forces of Moldova were not included in the rating. They will obviously be stronger than Bhutanese. In fact, such ratings always cause fierce controversy among military experts. Many of them believe that in today's world, the main criterion for the strength of an army is the quantity and quality of nuclear weapons. And here, given the prevailing parity between the United States and Russia in this respect, one can still argue about the place in the rating ...

Troops are considered an important part of the country and its security. Every year, large funds are allocated from the budgets for the maintenance and modernization of weapons, training and maintenance of soldiers, and much more. Also, countries are taking special initiatives to strengthen themselves militarily.

Hypothetically, compare armies different countries the world and find out which of them is the strongest, impossible. Nevertheless, without leading to a bloody massacre, we will try to get an idea of ​​the military power of countries, taking into account: the arsenal at our disposal; implementation advanced technologies; military combat skills of soldiers; power and number of allies; the size of the army; allocated budget to support troops, etc.

Let's take a look at the TOP 10 countries with the most powerful armies in the world.

The most powerful armies in the world

10. Japan

Japan - Earth samurai who were the leading force during World War II. Interestingly, according to the peace treaty, which was signed after the end of World War II, Japan is prohibited from having an offensive army. In response to growing disputes over the expansion of China's military power, Japan began military expansion for the first time in 40 years, placing new military bases on its outer islands. "Land of the Rising Sun", for the first time in the past 11 years, increased military spending to $ 49.1 billion and by this indicator ranks 6th in the world. The Japanese Army has over 247,000 active personnel and nearly 60,000 are in reserve. The air force squadron consists of 1,595 aircraft (5th in the world). The fleet numbers about 131 warships. In addition, through his recent defense initiatives, he maintains a strong military presence in Asia.

9.South Korea

South Korea borders North Korea which has an extremely powerful army at its disposal and therefore poses a constant threat to South Korea. But a possible attack from its neighbors is not the only problem for South Korea. To meet the growing armaments of China and Japan, South Korea is ramping up defense spending, which in this moment are about $ 34 billion. The number of troops is more than 640,000 active personnel and 2,900,000 additional personnel in reserve. Air force represented by 1,393 aircraft (6th largest). Fleet - 166 ships. Also in South Korea, there are about 15,000 ground weapons, including missile systems, as well as 2,346 tanks. South Korean troops regularly take part in military exercises with the United States.

8.Turkey

In 2015, the Turkish government decided to increase its country's defense spending by 10%. This may be due to the fact that not far from Turkey there is a war between IS and Syrian troops, or perhaps because of the likelihood of a clash with a Kurdish separatist organization. Turkey's defense budget is about $ 18.18 billion. The size of the army (both regular and reserve) is just over 660,000. The Turkish Air Force has 1,000 aircraft. Also in service are 16,000 ground weapons. Turkey has strong diplomatic relations with the United States (although those ties are weakening every year) and is also involved in initiatives around the world.

7. Germany

Germany is one of the strongest economic powers in the world, but despite spending around $ 45 million each year, the army's condition seems to have deteriorated over the past few years. One of the reasons for this may be that the generation born and raised in the 1950s and 60s was against the war and was afraid of attacks from other countries with stronger armies. It still discourages people from joining the ranks of the troops. In 2011, the mandatory military service was liquidated to prevent the country from being a militarized country. The troops include only 183,000 active personnel and 145,000 reservists. Aviation is armed with 710 aircraft. Total number weapons different types- almost units.

6. France

France is another country that followed Germany and in 2013 the country's government decided to "effectively" freeze military spending and jobs in the defense sector by 10% to save money on technologically advanced equipment. France's current military budget is about $ 43 billion a year, or 1.9% of the country's GDP (well below the spending target set by NATO). The French Armed Forces have about 220 thousand active personnel and the same number of people are in reserve. Aviation is represented by over 1000 aircraft. Also in service are about 9000 ground vehicles. Even if this does not make France a formidable army, it has several trump cards: its position in the EU and the UN, as well as the presence of about 290 nuclear weapons.

5. United Kingdom

The UK is another EU member and is also pursuing a 20% reduction in military forces in 2010-2018. There are also reductions in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. The UK military budget is currently $ 54 billion. Regular army Britain has about 205,000 people. The Air Force is represented by 908 aircraft. Navy - 66 ships. Nonetheless, the British Army is still considered powerful and superior to many others through the training of its soldiers. Also, Britain has 160 nuclear weapons, which is the strongest argument. The Royal Navy plans to commission HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2020.

4. India

The Indian government decided to take advantage of the fact that the country's population is very large. The Indian army has a measurable 3.5 million men, including 1.325 million active military personnel. Huge size Indian troops is one of the reasons why India is positioned so high in our ranking and in the ranking of the best armies in the world. The army's strength is complemented by a practical 16,000 ground vehicles, which include 3,500 tanks, as well as 1,785 aircraft, along with nuclear weapons. Indian ballistic missiles could hit all of Pakistan or most of China. The current military budget is $ 46 billion, according to the government plans to increase this amount by 2020, as well as modernize some weapons.

3. China

It has another 2,800 aircraft in its Air Force. China has about 300 nuclear weapons at its disposal, along with 180 different deployment methods. China recently acquired classified information about the new F-35, and is known for successfully stealing sensitive military equipment. China is rightfully one of the top 3 military forces.

According to official data, China's defense budget is $ 126 billion, and in the near future this amount may increase by another 12.2%. The Chinese army is impressive in size, with 2.285 million active frontline personnel and an additional 2.3 million reservists - the world's largest ground forces, while operating with 25,000 ground vehicles. Chinese aviation consists of 2,800 aircraft. China also has about 300 nuclear weapons at its disposal. Considering all this, we can say that China is rightfully ranked third in our ranking of the most powerful countries in the world.

2. Russia

The military budget of Russia is $ 76.6 billion, but in the next three years it will increase by 44%. In fact, the Kremlin's spending has increased by about a third since 2008, this was especially actively reflected when he became president of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin in 2000. The Russian army has shown significant growth since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago. About 766,000 active personnel are involved in the Russian army, including about 2.5 million in reserve forces. In addition, they are armed with 15,500 tanks, making Russia the largest tank force in the world, although they are outdated like any other equipment. Russia is also a leader among nuclear states, with 8,500 active nuclear warheads at its disposal.

1. United States of America

The United States spends a whopping $ 612.5 billion annually on supporting the army. This is the budget is equal to the sum the budgets of the other nine countries combined. The United States maintains a surprisingly large army of more than 1.4 million soldiers and an additional 800,000 reservists. In addition to active ground teams, the reserve includes trained men and women who are ready to assist the troops at any given time. The advantage of the United States is that the country is the world leader in manufacturing aviation technology... Also in service with the States are 19 aircraft carriers, while all other states have a total of only 12 pieces. 7,500 nuclear warheads also help keep the United States of America ranked as the world's most powerful nation and army.

A powerful and efficient army is a guarantee of the country's significant weight in the international arena. Moreover, in connection with the well-known events in Syria and Ukraine, more and more attention is paid to the military power of different countries. Many people ask the question: "Who will win the world war?"

Today we present the annually updated, official ranking of the armies of the world, the list of which included the most powerful armies in the world in 2017.

When compiling a rating, the comparison includes:
- the number of armies in the world (regular number of troops, reservists)
- weapons (planes, helicopters, tanks, navy, artillery, other equipment)
- military budget, equipment with resources, geographical position, logistics.

The experts do not take into account the nuclear potential, but the recognized nuclear powers get an advantage in the ranking.

By the way, San Marino has the weakest army in the world in 2017 - only 80 people.

10 South Korea

Korean army- the third in Asia in terms of number - 630 thousand soldiers. The country has a very high indicator of the number of military personnel per thousand inhabitants - 14.2 people. Defense budget of Korea - $ 33.7 billion

9 Germany

The military budget of the country is $ 45 billion. The number of the German armed forces is 186,500 people. The German army is completely professional, i.e. there has been no compulsory conscription in the country since 2011.

8 Turkey

The Turkish army is the best in the Middle East. The number of the country's armed forces is 510,000 people. The military budget of Turkey is $ 18 billion. There are slightly more than 7 military personnel per thousand inhabitants of the country.

7 Japan

The Japanese army is the seventh best on the list. The combat-ready part of the army has 247 thousand servicemen. With such a size of the armed forces, the country just has a huge defense budget - $ 49 billion.

6 United Kingdom

The military budget of the country is $ 53 billion. The number of the British armed forces - 188,000 troops - is the smallest army in the ranking. But the Royal Navy of Britain is the second in the world in terms of tonnage.

5 France

Opens a list of the 5 most powerful armies in the world. The military budget of the country is $ 43 billion. The number of the French armed forces is 222,000 people. The guarantee of the combat effectiveness of this army is the presence in it of a full range of weapons of its own production, from warships to helicopters and small arms.

4 India

The military budget of the country is $ 46 billion. The number of the Indian armed forces is 1,346,000 people, the country's army is the third largest in the world.

3 China

The most numerous in the ranking of the world's armies is the Chinese army, with 2,333,000 troops. Wikipedia indicates that there are 1.71 military personnel per 1000 inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. China's military budget is $ 126 billion.

2 Russia

The Russian armed forces surpass practically all the armies of the countries of the world in terms of armament power in all branches of the military - air, land and sea. Number Russian army for 2017 - 798,000 people. The military budget is $ 76 billion. Among the superpowers, Russia has a very high number of military personnel per 1000 inhabitants - 5.3 people.

1 United States

The most powerful army in the world, according to Globalfirepower, is American. By the way, it is not the largest in number, but the most powerful in terms of the available weapons, including the nuclear potential not considered by experts. The US Army has 1,492,200 personnel and a defense budget of $ 612 billion.