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Firepower: The strongest armies in the world according to Global Firepower. "Ugly Eastern Trade"

Comparing the military power of different states is a difficult but interesting problem. Despite all the difficulties associated with assessing the power of the armed forces of a state, attempts are constantly being made to rank the most militarily strong states. Due to the constant tensions or open clashes that are constantly observed in different parts of the world, such ratings are in demand and attract the attention of the general public.

On July 10, the American edition of Business Insider published a material called The 35 Most Powerful Militaries In The World (“35 of the most powerful armies in the world”). As is clear from the title, the authors of the article tried to compare the armed forces of the leading countries and find out which state has the most powerful army. For convenience, the list was limited to only 35 positions, which is why the vast majority of countries in the world could not get into it.

According to Business Insider, the top ten most militarily powerful states are as follows: the United States, Russia, China, India, Great Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, South Korea and Japan. Keeping in mind recent events, it is necessary to note the position in the ranking of several other states. So, Israel could not enter the top ten and stopped at 11th place, Ukraine took 21st place, and immediately behind it in the ranking is Iran. The Syrian armed forces secured their country the 26th place in the world ranking. The last line in the list from Business Insider is occupied by the DPRK.

It should be noted that the authors of The 35 Most Powerful Militaries In The World did not independently conduct research on the armed forces of the world, but used the existing database. They took the well-known Global Firepower Index (GFP) as the basis for their work. This rating is considered one of the most famous and authoritative in the world. The purpose of the GFP database is to collect information about the armed forces of the world, its analysis and summing up. The latest rating of the armies of the world at the moment was published in April this year and contains information about the armed forces of 106 states. In the future, the number of countries included in the ranking will increase.

To compare the military power of states, the authors of the Global Firepower Index use a complex assessment methodology that takes into account over 50 different factors. According to the results of the calculations, the army receives an estimate (Power index or PwrIndex), roughly reflecting its capabilities. At the same time, for greater objectivity of assessments, a system of bonus and penalty points is used. In addition, objectivity is designed to provide several additional conditions:
- the assessment does not take into account nuclear;
- the assessment takes into account the geographical features of the state;
- the assessment takes into account not only the number of weapons and equipment;
- the assessment takes into account the production and consumption of certain resources;
- landlocked states do not receive penalty points for not having a navy;
- a fine is imposed for the limited capabilities of the navy;
- the assessment does not take into account the peculiarities of the political and military leadership of the country.

The result of the calculation is a decimal fraction with four decimal places. Ideally, the state index should be equal to 0.0000, however, achieving such high rates in reality is impossible. For example, the leader of the last rating, the USA, has an estimate of 0.2208, while Japan closes the top ten with PwrIndex 0.5586. Starting from the 25th place (Saudi Arabia), the scores of the states exceed one. Moreover, Tanzania, which is at the last 106th place in the rating, has a score of 4.3423.

Of course, the GFP rating has certain problems, but still allows you to build a relatively objective picture that takes into account many different factors. Let's turn to the Global Firepower Index database and look at what allowed countries to take the first 5 places in the ranking.

1. USA

The authors of the rating note that in recent years the United States has found itself in a difficult position. Two costly wars and difficulties with new projects, as well as cuts in the military budget, have left the Pentagon facing numerous difficulties. However, even in such conditions, the US military retained its first place in the GFP rating, with a score of 0.2208.

The total population of the United States is 316.668 million people. The total number of human resources available for service is 142.2 million. 120 million people aged 17-45 years, if necessary, can be drafted into the army. Every year, the number of potential recruits is replenished by 4.2 million people. Currently, 1.43 million people serve in the US armed forces, and the reserve is 850 thousand people.

Ground units of the armed forces have a large number of equipment of various classes and types. In total, the US uses 8,325 tanks, 25,782 armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, etc., 1,934 self-propelled artillery mounts, 1,791 towed guns, and 1,330 multiple rocket launchers.

The total number of aircraft in the Air Force, Naval Aviation and the Marine Corps is 13,683. These are 2,271 fighters, 2,601 attack aircraft, 5,222 military transport aircraft, 2,745 training aircraft, as well as 6,012 multipurpose and 914 attack helicopters.

The US Navy and other agencies currently operate more than 470 ships, submarines, boats and support vessels. 10 aircraft carriers, 15 frigates, 62 destroyers, 72 submarines, 13 coast guard ships and 13 minesweepers.

Despite the emergence of the latest weapons and equipment, the US military still needs oil and petroleum products. The United States oil industry currently produces 8.5 million barrels per day. Daily consumption is 19 million. Proven reserves in the US are 20.6 billion barrels.

The GFP ranking also takes into account the production and logistics capabilities of countries. The total US workforce is 155 million people. The country has 393 merchant ships (flying the American flag) that can use 24 major ports. The total length of roads is 6.58 million miles, railways - 227.8 thousand miles. 13.5 thousand airports and airfields are operated.

An important element of the rating is the financial component of the armed forces. The US military budget is $612.5 billion. At the same time, the country's external debt is equal to 15.9 trillion dollars. Gold and foreign exchange reserves of the country - 150.2 billion dollars, purchasing power parity - 15.9 trillion.

To predict the capabilities of a country in a defensive war, the Global Firepower Index takes into account the geographical features of countries. The total area of ​​the USA is 9.8 million square meters. km. The coastline is 19.9 thousand km, the borders with neighboring states are 12 thousand km. Waterways - 41 thousand km.

2. Russia

The total population of Russia is 145.5 million people, 69.1 million of whom can serve. Every year, the draft age reaches 1.35 million people. Currently, 766 thousand people are serving in the military, and the reserve of the armed forces is 2.48 million.

Russia has one of the largest fleets of armored vehicles. Its armed forces have 15,500 tanks, 27,607 armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and similar vehicles, 5,990 self-propelled guns, 4,625 towed guns and 3,871 MLRS.

The total number of aircraft in the armed forces is 3082 units. Of these, 736 fighters, 1289 attack aircraft, 730 military transport, 303 training aircraft, as well as 973 multipurpose and 114 attack helicopters.

More than 350 ships, boats and auxiliary vessels are used in the Navy and the border service. This is one aircraft carrier, four frigates, 13 destroyers, 74 corvettes, 63 submarines and 65 coast guard ships. Mine-sweeping forces are represented by 34 ships.

The "working hands" of Russia are estimated at 75.68 million people. There are 1143 sea and river merchant ships. The main logistical load falls on seven major ports and terminals. The country has 982 thousand km of roads and 87.1 thousand km of railways. Air transport can use 1218 airfields.

The Russian military budget is $76.6 billion. The country's external debt is $631.8 billion. Gold and foreign exchange reserves are estimated at $537.6 billion. Purchasing power parity - 2.486 trillion dollars.

Russia is the largest state in the world and has an area of ​​more than 17 million square kilometers. km. The coastline of the country has a length of 37653 km, land borders - 20241 km. The total length of waterways reaches 102 thousand km.

3. China

China closes the top three in the April Global Firepower Index rating, with a score of 0.2594. This country is increasing defense spending, which allows it to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as move up in the GFP rankings.

The PRC is the world's largest country in terms of population, with 1.35 billion people living in this country. If necessary, 749.6 million people can be called up to the ranks of the armed forces. Every year, 19.5 million people reach military age. At the moment, 2.28 million people serve in the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), and 2.3 million are reservists.

The PLA has 9,150 tanks of various classes and types, 4,788 armored vehicles for infantry, 1,710 self-propelled and 6,246 towed guns. In addition, the ground forces have 1,770 multiple launch rocket systems.

The total number of aircraft in the Air Force and Naval Aviation is 2788. Of these, 1170 are fighters, 885 are strike aircraft. Transport tasks are performed by 762 aircraft, 380 aircraft are used for pilot training. In addition, the PLA has 865 multi-purpose helicopters and 122 attack helicopters.

The Chinese Navy has 520 ships, boats and vessels. This number includes one aircraft carrier, 45 frigates, 24 destroyers, 9 corvettes, 69 submarines, 353 Coast Guard ships and boats, and 119 minesweeping ships.

Every day, China produces 4.075 million barrels of oil, which is less than half of its own consumption (9.5 million barrels per day). Proved oil reserves - 25.58 billion barrels.

China's labor force is estimated at 798.5 million people. The country operates 2030 merchant ships. 15 ports and terminals are of strategic importance. The total length of roads exceeds 3.86 million kilometers, and there are also 86 thousand kilometers of railways. Aviation can use 507 airfields.

China's defense budget reached $126 billion last year, according to GFP. At the same time, the country's external debt approached $729 billion. The country's gold and foreign exchange reserves reach $3.34 trillion. Purchasing power parity - $12.26 trillion.

The area of ​​China is just under 9.6 million square kilometers. kilometers. The coastline has a length of 14.5 thousand km, the land border is 22,117 km. There are waterways with a total length of 110 thousand km.

4. India

India received a score of 0.3872 and with its help occupies the fourth place in the GFP rankings. This state has already become the largest importer of arms and military equipment, and, apparently, will continue military-technical cooperation with foreign partners in the future.

As the world's second largest state in terms of population (1.22 billion people), India, if necessary, can conscript up to 615.2 million people into the army. Every year, the available human resources are replenished by 22.9 million people reaching military age. At the moment, 1.325 million people serve in the Indian armed forces, another 2.143 million are in reserve.

The Indian ground forces have 3,569 tanks, 5,085 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 290 self-propelled guns and 6,445 towed artillery pieces. Rocket artillery is represented by 292 multiple rocket launchers.

The Indian air fleet has 1,785 aircraft of all classes and types. The aircraft fleet has the following structure: 535 fighters, 468 attack aircraft, 706 military transport and 237 training aircraft. Transport and support tasks are performed by 504 multipurpose helicopters. The destruction of enemy equipment and forces is assigned to 20 attack helicopters.

The Indian navy is comparatively small, with only 184 ships. This number includes 2 aircraft carriers, 15 frigates, 11 destroyers, 24 corvettes, 17 submarines, 32 Coast Guard ships and boats, and 7 minesweepers.

India has relatively small oil fields, but the country remains dependent on foreign supplies. Proved reserves - 5.476 billion barrels. Every day, the Indian industry produces 897.5 thousand barrels of oil, and daily consumption reaches 3.2 million barrels.

The Indian labor force is estimated at 482.3 million. There are 340 merchant ships flying the Indian flag. The country has 7 major ports. The total length of roads exceeds 3.32 million km. For railways, this parameter does not exceed 64 thousand km. 346 airfields are operated.

This year, India has allocated $46 billion for defense needs. The external debt of the state is approaching 379 billion. The country's gold and foreign exchange reserves are estimated at $297.8 billion, and the purchasing power parity is $4.71 trillion.

The land area of ​​India is 3.287 million square kilometers. km. The country has land borders with a total length of 14,103 km and a coastline with a length of 7,000 km. The length of the country's waterways is 14.5 thousand km.

5. UK

The top five in the GFP ranking, compiled in April this year, is closed by the United Kingdom, which received a score of 0.3923. This country intends to pay special attention to its armed forces in the near future and, in this regard, is implementing several new projects.

Of the 63.4 million British citizens, only 29.1 million people can get into the army. The number of potential military personnel is annually replenished by 749 thousand people. Currently, 205.3 thousand people are serving in the armed forces. Reserve - 182 thousand.

The British Army has 407 tanks, 6245 armored vehicles for infantry transportation, 89 self-propelled artillery mounts, 138 towed guns and 56 MLRS.

The Royal Air Force has 908 aircraft. These are mainly aircraft: 84 fighters, 178 attack aircraft, 338 military transport aircraft and 312 training aircraft. In addition, the troops have 362 multipurpose and 66 attack helicopters.

The UK once had one of the most powerful navies in the world, but in recent decades it has lost its maritime power. At the moment, the British Naval Service has only 66 ships and vessels. These are 1 aircraft carrier, 13 frigates, 6 destroyers, 11 submarines, 24 coast guard ships and 15 minesweepers.

With the help of platforms in the North Sea, the UK produces 1.1 million barrels of oil daily. However, production does not cover the country's own consumption, which reaches 1.7 million barrels per day. The proven reserves of the country are at the level of 3.12 billion barrels.

About 32 million people are employed in the UK industry and economy. The country's merchant fleet uses 504 ships and 14 major ports. On the territory of the state there are 394.4 thousand km of roads and 16.45 thousand km of railways. There are 460 airfields and airports in operation.

The size of the UK military budget reaches 56.6 billion dollars, external debt - 10.09 trillion dollars. Gold and foreign exchange reserves are estimated at $105.1 billion. Purchasing power parity - 2.313 trillion dollars.

The area of ​​the island state is 243.6 thousand square meters. km. The length of the coastline is 12429 km. On land, Great Britain borders only on Ireland. The length of this border does not exceed 390 km. The total length of waterways is 3200 km.

Leadership Issues

As you can see, the states that occupy the first lines in the Global Firepower Index rating have several common features. These countries pay great attention to their armed forces, including from a financial point of view. The conclusions of the authors of the GFP rating are confirmed by other sources. For example, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), over the past few years, India (4th place in the GFP ranking), increasing the cost of buying weapons and military equipment, literally soared up the list of importing countries and took a well-deserved first place. The “silver winner” of the GFP rating, Russia, is currently implementing the State Armaments Program, according to which by 2020 a little less than 20 trillion rubles will be spent on the purchase of weapons and equipment.

The purchase of equipment and weapons can be considered one of the main factors that allow countries to stay at the top of the ranking in question. However, investments in new equipment alone cannot lift the country to the top of the list. In addition to procurement, competent management, the correct operation of various structures of the armed forces, etc. are required. When calculating the PwrIndex index, fifty factors are taken into account, each of which can affect the place of a particular country in the list. However, there is some relationship between the quantity and quality of equipment and the position of the country in the ranking. To see it, you need to turn again to the table compiled by journalists from Business Insider.

The authors of the publication The 35 Most Powerful Militaries In The World not only presented the information in a convenient way, but also noted the leaders in certain “areas”. Thus, the world leader in terms of the size of the military budget is unconditionally the United States with defense spending in the amount of $612.5 billion. The same country owns the championship in the field of aviation (13683 aircraft) and aircraft carrier fleet (10 aircraft carriers). As a result, the United States is in first place in the ranking.

Russia took second place and also leads in some respects. The Russian army has 15,000 tanks, more than anyone else. In addition, Busines Insider journalists took the liberty of supplementing the GFP rating data with information about the countries' nuclear arsenals. According to their calculations, Russia has 8484 nuclear weapons of various classes and types.

The top three is closed by the People's Republic of China, the leader in the field of human resources. Theoretically, 749.6 million people can be drafted into the Chinese army. In addition, it is necessary to note the growing military budget of China, which, according to Business Insider, is second only to the US and has already reached $126 billion.

An interesting fact is that in the table from the article “The 35 most powerful armies in the world”, leadership in one of the points remained with a small and not very powerful country militarily. North Korea ranks 35th in the GFP ranking and its revised version from Business Insider. Despite such a low position, the North Korean Navy is the world leader in the field of submarine fleet: according to available data, they have 78 submarines of various types. However, world leadership in such an area did not help North Korea rise above 35th place.

The Global Firepower Index rating, despite the fact that it was published a few months ago, is still of some interest. Due to the complexity of the methodology for determining the rating, which takes into account a large number of various factors, this rating can be considered fairly objective and shows an approximate picture of the real state of affairs in the military field. In addition, it should be noted that it can please the Russian reader, since our country has taken one of the first places in it and bypassed almost all other countries included in the rating. The publication in Business Insider, in turn, recalls the GFP rating and allows you to once again feel proud of the Russian armed forces.

According to the websites:
http://businessinsider.com/
http://globalfirepower.com/
http://sipri.org/

That the Russian air base in Kant will leave the territory of the republic after the expiration of the agreement. Earlier, Bishkek had already expressed claims about the Russian military presence, as well as neighboring Tajikistan - Dushanbe not only intended to reduce the stay of the 201st base, but also receive monetary compensation for its stay. Lenta.ru tried to understand whether allies militarily dependent on Russia are ready to aggravate relations with Moscow.

revolutionary consciousness

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev on December 1 stated that the Russian air base in Kant would leave the republic after the expiration of the contract, and explained that "Kyrgyzstan in the future should rely and hope only on its armed forces, and not on the bases of Russia, America or another country." Atambayev recalled that the agreement on the deployment of the Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan expired in 2016, and according to the agreement, it could be extended for 49 years, but it was extended only for 15 years. “It cost me my nerves, many Russian ministers did not like it, but on this issue I found understanding with Vladimir Putin,” Atambayev said.

This is not the first time Bishkek has raised the issue of the location of foreign military bases on the territory of the republic. We can recall several examples from recent history. In 2001, Washington launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. To supply its troops, the US Air Force has deployed a base at the Manas airport in Bishkek. In 2005, the “Tulip Revolution” took place in the republic, which the United States welcomed (conspiracy theorists assured that Washington arranged it). President Askar Akaev fled the country, Kurmanbek Bakiyev took the highest post in the state, and already in May 2006, the new head of state showed revolutionary consciousness: he decided that Bishkek was getting too little for using the airport and set out to demand more than $ 200 million a year from the Pentagon . The Americans, in turn, showed knowledge of the local political culture - and the parties agreed on 60 million.

In December of the same 2006, the parliament of the republic demanded a review of the conditions for the stay of the American military in the country after an American soldier shot dead a citizen of Kyrgyzstan at a base checkpoint. As reported by the media, the soldier was in a state of drug intoxication. In 2007, Washington allocated 150 million to Kyrgyzstan at a time. In 2009 Bakiyev announced the closure of the base. Formally, the base was closed, but a Transit Center arose instead. The US Air Force, under the new sign, continued to transfer cargo until 2014. At the same time, in 2011, the Pentagon once again showed understanding: Bishkek received a significant "bun" - the right to supply up to 50 percent of the fuel for the needs of the Transportation Center.

Photo: Vladimir Pirogov / RIA Novosti

read inattentively

Similar diplomatic precedents happened with the Russian base in Kant (it began operating in 2003). Part of the Russian Air Force was deployed in the country under the agreement of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, free of charge. In 2010, another coup took place in the republic - this time Bakiyev fled the country, and Almazbek Atambayev sat in the presidential chair. In February 2012, in an interview with Russian media, he complained that Russia did not pay for the rent of the air base in Kant, and "the question arises whether we need such a base." Earlier, Atambayev also named a specific amount - $15 million.

The president was gently corrected: the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defense suggested that Atambayev “either read inattentively, or did not open at all” the agreement on the deployment of the base. The press secretary of the President of Kyrgyzstan, in turn, tried to win back the situation and clarified that it was about three other Russian bases: a test base for anti-submarine weapons of the Russian Navy on Lake Issyk-Kul, a naval communications center and a seismic point. As a rent, Moscow was supposed to train the military specialists of the republic and supply equipment and equipment to the armed forces of Kyrgyzstan.

"Ugly Eastern Trade"

The situation with the Russian military in Kyrgyzstan is not unique. The Russian 201st base is stationed in neighboring Tajikistan. The division of the Soviet army, which had the same number, in 1992 turned into a Russian unit and actually took part in the civil war in the republic: it defended important facilities, helped to take out refugees, "normalized the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border." The phrase that the current President Rahmon came to power on Russian bayonets is not too much of an exaggeration. However, in 2009 Dushanbe raised the issue of increasing the rent for the base. In 2012, Tajikistan again offered to discuss the conditions for the deployment of the Russian military in the republic. Apparently, Moscow's appetite for Dushanbe seemed so excessive that even Colonel-General Vladimir Chirkin, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, made a statement. According to him, the Tajik side put forward over 20 demands to Russia, which are constantly changing and for the most part unacceptable for Russia. The general noted that Dushanbe wants to shorten the stay of the base and receive payment for its placement. “There is an ugly eastern trade that has no end in sight yet,” Chirkin said. The Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan, in response to the words of the Russian general, explained that it was simply "work to clarify the positions of the parties."

By 2013, the parties "clarified their positions": in the autumn of that year, the lower house of the Tajik parliament ratified an agreement to extend the term of the Russian military until 2042. At the same time, presidential elections were held in the republic.

The Russian military is also present in Kazakhstan, in particular, there are four training grounds in the republic. In February 2016, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic Okas Saparov, speaking at a meeting of the upper house of parliament, said that Astana plans to reduce their number to one. “When we have one common landfill, we want to increase the cost of rent and we will definitely increase it,” he stressed. Kazakhstan wanted to "completely denounce" the relevant agreement, "but it hasn't worked out yet," Saparov admitted.

In previous years, there was a discussion in the republic about how beneficial membership in the EAEU is for Kazakhstan; in 2016, Astana presides over the bodies of the union. Against this background, apparently, civil servants had to be shown that they firmly defend the interests of their country within the union.

Tashkent showed another model for protecting national interests. In 2001, the US Air Force began using the Karshi-Khanabad military airfield in Uzbekistan to transfer cargo to troops fighting in Afghanistan. In 2005, Washington insisted on an investigation into the Andijan riots that took place in May of that year. In response, Tashkent demanded that the US military leave the air base within six months. In October of the same 2005, the US Senate banned the Pentagon from transferring fees for the use of the Karshi-Khanabad airfield to the government of Uzbekistan, but financial losses did not force Tashkent to compromise its principles.

110th in combat power

As you can see, the demand for additional payment for the deployment of Russian troops is by no means a know-how of Kyrgyzstan. Why Bishkek decided to be principled in this matter can be explained by another political crisis. Atambaev's team had to meet the resistance of political opponents in organizing a referendum on changes to the constitution. The economic situation in Kyrgyzstan is deteriorating, making the position of the current administration increasingly precarious. Perhaps that is why Atambaev remembered the base in Kant: in past attempts to demand more money from partners, Bishkek regularly received some kind of bonuses.

There was another nuance in Atambayev's statement about the timing of the withdrawal of the Russian base: the President of Kyrgyzstan said that the republic should rely only on its own army. Bishkek has experience of participating in the conflict - in 1999, militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (also known as the Islamic Movement of Turkestan - the organization was recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation) invaded the Batken region of the republic. At first, the situation was unfavorable for the power structures of Kyrgyzstan: the fundamentalists, unlike the army of the republic, had experience in waging a guerrilla war. Then Tashkent turned the tide - the blows of the Uzbek Air Force made it possible to disperse the militants and force them out of the republic. Practice has confirmed that even to combat irregular armed formations, especially in mountainous areas, combat and transport aviation is urgently needed. The small republic did not have the means to fully support this type of troops. According to the Global Fight Power rating of 126 armies of the world, the armed forces of Kyrgyzstan are in 110th place in terms of combat power (below in Central Asia is only Tajikistan - 112th place). Nevertheless, Bishkek behaves in a very specific way in relations with the main military powers of the world, and it seems that such a behavior pattern is becoming characteristic of the entire region.

The most powerful armies in the world. Russia took second place in it, losing to the United States. The first ten countries with the most powerful personnel fit for military service are in the RBC review.

Population: 323.9 million people

145.2 million people, of which the active military - 1.3 million people

Air force: 13.7 thousand pieces of equipment

Ground troops: 5.8 thousand battle tanks

Navy: 415 vehicles

Military budget:$587.8 billion

Population: 142.3 million people

Personnel fit for military service: 70 million people, of which the active military - 798.5 thousand people

Air force: 3.8 thousand pieces of equipment

Ground troops: 20.2 thousand battle tanks

Navy: 352 vehicles

Military budget:$44.6 billion

Population: 1.3 billion people

Personnel fit for military service: 750 million people, of which active military - 2.2 million people

Air force: 2.9 thousand units of military equipment

Ground troops: 6.4 thousand battle tanks

Navy: 714 pieces of military equipment

Military budget:$161.7 billion

Photo: Zahid Hussain Bhat / ZUMA / Global Look Press

Population: 1.2 billion people

Personnel fit for military service: 616 million people, of which the active military - 1.3 million people

Air force: 2.1 thousand units of military equipment

Ground troops: 4.4 thousand battle tanks

Navy: 295 vehicles

Military budget:$51 billion

Photo: Florian David / ZUMA / Global Look Press

Population: 66.8 million people

Personnel fit for military service: 30 million people, including active military — 204 thousand people

Air force: 1.3 thousand units of military equipment

Ground troops: 406 battle tanks

Navy: 118 vehicles

Military budget:$35 billion

United Kingdom

Population: 64.4 million people

Personnel fit for military service: 30 million people, of which 151.1 thousand are active military

Air force: 856 vehicles

Ground troops: 249 battle tanks

Navy: 76 vehicles

Military budget:$45.7 billion

Photo: Nicolas Datiche / AFLO / Global Look Press

Population: 126.7 million people

Personnel fit for military service: 54 million people, including active military — 248.5 thousand people

Air force: 1.5 thousand pieces of equipment

Ground troops: 700 battle tanks

Navy: 131 units of military equipment

Military budget:$43.8 billion

Photo: Osman Bekleyen / ZUMA / Global Look Press

Population: 80.2 million people

Personnel fit for military service: 41.6 million people, of which 382.8 thousand are active military

Air force: 1 thousand units of military equipment

Ground troops: 2.4 thousand battle tanks

Navy: 194 vehicles

Military budget:$8.2 billion

Germany

Population: 80.7 million people

Personnel fit for military service: 37 million people, of which 180 thousand active military people

Air force: 698 units of military equipment

Ground troops: 543 battle tanks

Navy: 81 vehicles

Military budget:$39.2 billion

Population: 94.6 million people

Personnel fit for military service: 42 million people, of which the active military - 454.2 thousand people

Air force: 1.1 thousand units of military equipment

Ground troops: 4.1 thousand battle tanks

Navy: 319 vehicles

Military budget:$4.4 billion

The Global Firepower project has compiled the next annual rating of the strongest armies in the world. On some lines were the same countries as before, but for many armies the situation has changed: some have lost their positions, while others, on the contrary, have increased their power. Russia took the second place of honor. Only the US Army was able to bypass it.

First and second place in the rating of the Global Firepower index project

1 place. USA

The world's largest air force - even if you combine the air power of the rest of the top 5 countries, they will be inferior to the United States. Excellent technical equipment of the ground army. The navy is numerically smaller than many states, but 20 aircraft carriers allow you to greatly change the balance of power in different parts of the world. The US Army is by far the most powerful in existence.

Number of military personnel: 2,083,100 (of which 1,281,900 active, 801,200 in reserve).
Airplanes and helicopters: 13,362.
Tanks: 5,884.
Armored cars: 38,822.
Warships: 415 (including 20 aircraft carriers).

2nd place. Russia

The Russian military rivals that of the Chinese, Indian, and American in size, although each of these countries has a much larger population than the Russians. In addition, in terms of the number of tanks, Russia surpasses China and the United States combined, and the air force is larger than China's. But the navy of the Russian Federation is relatively small, and there is only one aircraft carrier in it.

Number of military personnel: 3,586,128 (of which 1,013,628 are active, 2,572,500 are in reserve).
Airplanes and helicopters: 3,914.
Tanks: 20,300.
Armored cars: 27,400.
Warships: 352 (including 1 aircraft carrier).

The armies of which countries are in the top five in the world according to the rating from the Global Firepower index

3rd place. China

Although there are one and a half times fewer soldiers and officers serving in the Chinese army than in the Indian army, due to a small share of reserves, the number of active military personnel is one and a half times greater. With military equipment, China is also doing better.

Number of military personnel: 2,693,000 (of which 2,183,000 active, 510,000 in reserve).
Airplanes and helicopters: 3,035.
Tanks: 7,716.
Armored cars: 9,000.
Warships: 714 (including 1 aircraft carrier).

4th place. India

The Indian army has a huge personnel, but the equipment is not too high - in some types of weapons, India is inferior to the same France. PwrIndx of the Indian Army is 0.6 points behind the closest competitor, although most often the difference between adjacent positions in the ranking does not exceed 0.2 points.

Number of military personnel: 4,207,250 (of which 1,362,500 active, 2,844,750 in reserve).
Airplanes and helicopters: 2,185.
Tanks: 4,426.
Armored cars: 3,147.
Warships: 295 (including 1 aircraft carrier).

5th place. France

The French army is well equipped with military equipment, and the country's stable economy contributes to the fact that the armed forces work smoothly. However, giant armies are higher in the ranking, from which the French indicator PwrIndx is far behind.

Number of military personnel: 388,635 (of which 205,000 are active, 183,635 are in reserve).
Airplanes and helicopters: 1,262.
Tanks: 406.
Armored cars: 6,330.
Warships: 118 (including 4 aircraft carriers).

Information about the project Global Firepower index

The Global Firepower Index is a rating that evaluates the military power of the countries of the world. In the ranking, states are ranked depending on how strong the country's army is. The study is being conducted by the Global Firepower portal team, which collects data on the Armed Forces of the countries of the world and analyzes it.

NATO and partners have chosen November 2018 for saber rattling as Norway hosts the largest military exercise since the Cold War. Russia, of course, is not happy, and in response, it also decided to "flex its muscles." The Russian military cruiser Pyotr Veliky has taken to the sea near Norway for a missile exercise to be held from 6 to 9 November. This whole display of armaments is taking place against the backdrop of a closely watched Europe, the part of the world that has some of the most well-armed armies in the world.

The data on the strongest armies was taken from the annual report of a website called Global Firepower. Experts determine the strongest armies according to 55 parameters (they include geography, logistics, territorial resources, the degree of industrial development, a variety of weapons, and so on). As a result, even the troops of small nations can rank higher than their more numerous neighbors.

According to the results of the calculations, the index is determined, and the higher it is, the army, paradoxically, is worse. Below you will find top 10 most powerful armies in Europe.

10. Ukraine

  • Place in : 29.
  • Expert assessment: 0,5383.
  • Human resources: 44 033 874.
  • Of these, the military: 1 182 000.
  • Number of aircraft: 240.
  • Of these, fighters: 39.
  • Tank units: 2 214.
  • Navy: 25.
  • Military budget of the country:$4.88 billion.

The head of state, Petro Poroshenko, is firmly convinced that the Ukrainian army is the strongest in Europe. However, the experts of the Global Firepower website do not agree with him: according to their version, Ukraine is assigned 29th place in the world ranking and 10th place in Europe. She, of course, confidently bypasses Monaco, Liechtenstein and prosperous Scandinavian neighbors, but she still has to work and work before leadership.

Like many republics of the former USSR, Ukraine is not yet able to send the legacy of the Soviet era to the landfill - there are no opportunities. Both the tense situation inside the country and the high level of corruption prevent this.

9. Greece

  • Place in the world ranking: 28.
  • Expert assessment: 0,5255.
  • Human resources: 10 768 477.
  • Of these, the military: 413 750.
  • Number of aircraft: 567.
  • Of these, fighters: 189.
  • Tank units: 1 345.
  • Navy: 115.
  • Military budget of the country:$6.54 billion.

Does the changing of the guard in Athens make you smile? Think carefully before you laugh and point your fingers at the Guardsmen's skirts and pom-poms on their shoes. Greece is among the ten most powerful European armies in 2018 for a reason. The reason for this is the centuries-old history of complicated relations with Turkey; both nations, rightly fearing each other, are trying to keep their military forces in good shape. Although both countries are part of the same North Atlantic alliance.

8. Poland

  • Place in the world ranking: 22.
  • Expert assessment: 0,4276.
  • Human resources: 38 476 269.
  • Of these, the military: 184 650.
  • Number of aircraft: 466.
  • Of these, fighters: 99.
  • Tank units: 1 065.
  • Navy: 83.
  • Military budget of the country:$9.36 billion.

In 2016, the Minister of War of Poland, Antony Macierewicz, announced that the country's military forces would be increased by at least one and a half times. Matserevich himself is an odious figure in his own way; he is firmly convinced that Russia is leading the world behind the scenes along with Israel. In early 2018, he was removed from his post. However, three new brigades, created to serve as a barrier to the eastern barbarians, continue to serve on the border.

And more recently, Ukraine was also recorded as an eastern barbarian, since the Poles are not enthusiastic about their troubled neighbor.

7. Spain

  • Place in the world ranking: 19.
  • Expert assessment: 0,4079.
  • Human resources: 48 958 159.
  • Of these, the military: 174 700.
  • Number of aircraft: 524.
  • Of these, fighters: 122.
  • Tank units: 327.
  • Navy: 46 (of which one aircraft carrier).
  • Military budget of the country:$11.6 billion.

Military service in Spain is under the auspices of the royal family. The crowned head of state is the captain-general of both the ground forces and the naval and air forces. King Philip VI himself once served in the army and independently rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and captain of the second rank.

In general, military service in Spain is considered prestigious and capable of bringing bonuses to a citizen in the future, so they are willing to join the army.

6. Italy

  • Place in the world ranking: 11.
  • Expert assessment: 0,2565.
  • Human resources: 62 137 802.
  • Of these, the military: 267 500.
  • Number of aircraft: 828.
  • Of these, fighters: 90.
  • Tank units: 200.
  • Navy: 143 (two aircraft carriers).
  • Military budget of the country:$37.7 billion.

Despite the reform carried out six years ago to reduce the size of the armed forces of Italy, its army is still one of the strongest in Europe. And a lot was cut
for example, personnel costs have been halved.

Like Spain, Italy long ago abolished the general conscription at a certain age and switched to a contract basis. While Italy does not manufacture nuclear weapons itself, it does store them for the United States. About 50 bombs lie deadly on the country's military bases.

5. Germany

  • Place in the world ranking: 10.
  • Expert assessment: 0,2461.
  • Human resources: 80 594 017.
  • Of these, the military: 208 641.
  • Number of aircraft: 714.
  • Of these, fighters: 94.
  • Tank units: 432.
  • Navy: 81.
  • Military budget of the country:$45.2 billion.

After the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR, Germany, like many other NATO members, began to reduce weapons and personnel. And she did it with all her heart and on a grand scale - if at the time of the beginning of perestroika there were more than 370 thousand people in the armed forces, now there are barely 200 thousand servicemen.

The main goal of the German army is peacekeeping, whatever that means. And like many other European countries, Germany abolished the general conscription 7 years ago, in 2011.

4. Turkey

  • Place in the world ranking: 9.
  • Expert assessment: 0,2216.
  • Human resources: 80 845 215.
  • Of these, the military: 710 565.
  • Number of aircraft: 1 056.
  • Of these, fighters: 207.
  • Tank units: 2 446.
  • Navy: 194.
  • Military budget of the country:$10.2 billion.

Turkey has rather difficult relations with Greece and Russia, especially against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Syria. Ankara has long hinted that it would be nice for Turkish troops to invade Syria, which Russia, of course, cannot allow. And in recent years, Turkey has continued to build up its military power (this was not even prevented by an attempt by the military to arrange a coup d'état).

The Turkish army is considered one of the most well-to-do and well-trained among NATO member countries. The dreams of some politicians about the establishment of a "Turkic peace" centered in Ankara also cause considerable concern.

3. England

  • Place in the world ranking: 6.
  • Expert assessment: 0,1917.
  • Human resources: 64 769 452.
  • Of these, the military: 279 230.
  • Number of aircraft: 832.
  • Of these, fighters: 103.
  • Tank units: 227.
  • Navy: 76 (including two aircraft carriers).
  • Military budget of the country: 50 billion dollars.

The top 3 most powerful armies in Europe in 2018 are opened by the military forces of foggy Albion. Like many NATO armies, the British have significantly reduced their power since the end of the Cold War. The apotheosis of military cutbacks was the disassembly for parts of aircraft just released from the factory in 2010.

The cuts in the military budget cause concern among many politicians, who fear that tomorrow military submarines under the Russian flag may emerge from the bottom of the Thames. The Daily Mail and Telegraph are also whipping up hysterics - these are two newspapers that assure that in the event of a war between Russia and England, the “Russian bears” will win. Whether one of them will build up weapons is still unknown.

2. France

  • Place in the world ranking: 5.
  • Expert assessment: 0,1869.
  • Human resources: 67 106 161.
  • Of these, the military: 388 635.
  • Number of aircraft: 1 262.
  • Of these, fighters: 299.
  • Tank units: 406.
  • Navy: 118 (including four aircraft carriers).
  • Military budget of the country: 40 billion dollars.

France has always loved to demonstrate its independence from NATO. In 1966, the country withdrew from this organization and returned only in 2009, which created some friction between the organizations. Moreover, last week the President of France declared that it was high time to create a pan-European army, independent of the United States (and, apparently, NATO).

Like many other countries, France switched to a contract form of the army. However, the military is not satisfied with the service, and after its completion, more than 40% of the military prefer to do other things. One of the reasons is poor conditions of service plus attractive offers from private companies that like to lure military specialists to their place.

1. Russia

  • Place in the world ranking: 2.
  • Expert assessment: 0,0841.
  • Human resources: 142 257 519.
  • Of these, the military: 3 586 128.
  • Number of aircraft: 3 914.
  • Of these, fighters: 818.
  • Tank units: 20 300.
  • Navy: 352 (of which one aircraft carrier).
  • Military budget of the country: 47 billion dollars.

When looking at the first place in the ranking, the soul is overwhelmed with patriotic pride. Global Firepower experts recognized the Russian army as the strongest in Europe. And in the world, it is second only to its eternal enemy and rival - the United States. In terms of the level of technical development, the Russian army is one of the most powerful, because it is one of those rare countries that are able to completely and independently create the entire cycle of development of a nuclear bomb, from collecting raw materials to delivering them to a possible enemy. The Russian army is still replenished by conscription, but thanks to recent reforms, it has become more prestigious to serve in it, especially if a person is from a small town or village where there are no other social elevators. There are also contract units - these include the permanent response troops, where the elite is recruited from the elites.

However, other voices are heard from across the ocean: some American experts argue that if there is a military conflict between Russia and China, the latter will win. Because China's technologies are more advanced, and the country's financial capabilities allow them to be freely increased. While Moscow had to abandon the idea of ​​building a new aircraft carrier with tears. The reason is simple - there is no money. Whether the US military power will be reoriented to the confrontation with China - time will tell.