Worst Armies in the World

It may be surprising to hear for some, but not every country is built up and so fortified like that of America. In fact, the US military is so advanced and proficient that it's nearly twice as large as the second largest military force on earth, which is saying something. When it comes to armies, though, we have some of the most fearsome soldiers in the world, but they're not the most effective. Simply take a look at a comedy of errors in the British Army UOTC, that's enough to show you that not every force is as equipped or as prepared as you might think.

As such, the following countries utilize some of the worst armies in the world. These are places with limited resources, consistently in fighting, or have never had the opportunity to build up their military to the proficiency of others. Whether due to constant coups, internal conflicts, civil wars, or geographical location, their armies have simply not been upgraded to their fullest potential, and even sometimes with outside assistances there still can be no help granted. Whatever the case may be, the countries below won't be winning major wars any time soon...

Costa Rica

Sadly, Costa Rica is among the few countries out there with one of the worst armies in the world, simply because they don't have one. Similarly, other countries without armed forces include Panama, Vanuatu, Iceland, Mauritius and Monaco.

Unlike the aforementioned countries, however, Costa Rica does have a wide berth of non-militaristic yoga instructors that come in force to teach other westerners who are visiting their beautiful country, so at least there's something protecting them from outside military invasion, because who wants to take control of Costa Rica? Or, even Panama, for that matter?

Eritrea

Never heard of it? Neither of we, that's why they're among the worst armies in the world. Located near Sudan, ironically the place where nearly 2,000 Eritreans seek asylum each year, Eritrea is known by many among international sectors as "Africa's North Korea."

Striking as that statement may be alone, Eritrea's armed forces tend to be used for forced labor instead of fighting off al-Shabab terrorists and securing borders. Their army consists of the highest concentration of men in the entire world of armies that are enlisted by the government.

Antigua and Barbuda

Twin-islands in the Caribbean with 91,000 strong, Antigua and Barbuda have an unquestionably weak and ill-equipped military force made up of 245 personnel. Receiving funds of $10 million in its Defense Force budget, Antigua and Barbuda own a total of 7 boats mostly intended for Coast Guard use and the militarily is usually only dispatched for criminal activities on the high seas.

While they may be considered one of the smallest and worst armies in the world, the ABDF was actually involved with recent military escapades in Haiti, Trinidad, and Grenada, so they have their uses; not, however, within the most important wars in human history, I'm afraid.

Iraq

Despite once being possibly the 4th largest army under Saddam Hussein, Iraq now consists of nearly 26 units with years of training by both US and British forces. This may sound like a pretty hefty amount, but it's among the worst armies in the world.

Lawmakers in Iraq discovered 50,000 ghost soldiers among their many ranks, these of whom will accept their paychecks but never show up for work. This is how, back in 2014, Western Iraq was easily overrun by ISIS troops, because much of the Iraqi military force simply dropped their guns and ran. Even with Iraq having $26 billion in military aid, they're still among the worst military forces, which is surprising to say the least.

North Korea

Kim Jong-Un's mighty military force isn't so mighty after all. The Korean People's Army (KPA) is among the worst armies in the world for its inferiority compared to other military personnel, since most of their troops are used for forced labor like that of Eritrea.

A trip by one author in 2012 found that most KPA officials were either unarmed, so underfed they looked weak, and could barely even march in a straight line. Beyond this, they also use outdated machinery, camouflage unsuitable for their terrain, and limited equipment. It's not so surprising that, on the outside, North Korea may look like a bolstered, militaristically-minded country, but this is simply not the case.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Located in the West Indies and home to only 55,000 people, Saint Kitts and Nevis serve as among the worst armies in the world, for their force consists of only 300 troops in total. Not to mention the fact that their Coast Guard has one boat, which was actually donated by the US.

Aside from being limited in naval and aircraft machinery, the Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force units tend to deal with only internal issues and policing the local waters of their two-island country. In 2016 alone, the army apparently only enlisted 28 recruits in total.

Luxembourg

Interestingly, despite having one of the worst armies in the world, Luxembourg is one of the most restful and peaceful places in Europe. Their military force consists of only 400 soldiers, with 100 of those being civilians, but given the fact that the country is only around 100 thousand square miles, it's clear that military service may not be priority in their mind.

The Luxembourg army only has a budget of around $369 million. Add to that the fact that their air force only has 17 Boeing E-3 Sentry aircrafts and just one Airbus A400M Atlas, it just goes to show how vulnerable this landlocked country is, even if relatively limited attacks have been seen by them in the past.

Mongolia

Being that they're a landlocked country, as well, Mongolia has no need for a navy. Despite this, their budget for defense spending is slim, and their resources are even less limited. Situated between Russia and China, Mongolia has absolutely no way of protecting itself from the Chinese or Russian army, since it's among the worst armies in the world.

While they may have a highly undervalued military force, Mongolian forces are all proficient in recognizing and using old Soviet-made arms and equipment, which has made them useful in the past for US assistance in Iraq and Afghanistan. If a Russian-Chinese war did ever break out, Mongolia would be in serious trouble, since they are seemingly in the crosshairs of both countries.

Gambia

Known officially as The Republic of The Gambia, this West African country is filled with its own civil wars and a myriad of internal fighting. With around 1.8 billion people in its population, nearly a third of them live below the poverty line and that means nothing good for their military.

Made up of two units, the National Army and the Gambian Navy, 2,500 personnel make up one of the worst armies in the world. Their National Army has only 12 armored cars and most of their unsung heroes tend to be sent off to other African nations as peacekeepers. Since 1965, when they became independent from the United Kingdom, the Gambian military force has simply struggled under coups and discord, yet seems to be prospering only recently with Taiwanese donations of armored vessels, which were meant to subvert their outdated tin cans of navy ships.

Tonga

Made up of 169 islands with nearly 103,000 people in its population, Tonga is barely able to enter into air force battles, since they own only two small aircrafts. There's also the fact that their military budget is 5 million dollars, which makes up 0.9 percent of the country's GDP.

On top of these debilitating facts, Tonga is among the worst armies in the world because His Majesty's Armed Forces contain only 700 active personnel. Despite this, and the fact that their navy consists of three patrol boats and a tanker meant solely for fishing zone and border regulations, they have fought in the first world war and recently were sent to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Philippines

The Philippines is one beautiful place to vacation and visit, but if ever attacked, they would be in a sore position. With only around $2 billion going into the upgrading of the country's Navy and Air Force, it's among the worst armies in the world.

Utilizing nearly 60 year old equipment, and with ships that are all only US Coast Guard Cutters, it's not too difficult to see just how the Philippines is the most ill-equipped military force on the planet. Especially with Chinese military buildup in the area, the necessity for a more improvised military is necessary for maintaining aggressive concessions with their island counterparts.