Top 10 Countries with The Strongest Armies in the World

Armies are regarded as an important component of a country's security. Every year, a large sum of money is set aside from the budget to fight battles. Countries take special measures to strengthen their militaries. Comparing the armies of different nations to determine which countries have the strongest armies is probably impossible to do hypothetically. However, without causing a bloodbath, we can get a good idea of a country's military strength by looking at its arsenal, advanced technologies implemented, training, power and number of allies, army size, budget allocated, and so on. While it is a somewhat subjective issue, several organizations, such as Business Insider, conduct their own research to rank the military powers.

Let’s take a look at the ranking of top 10 countries with the strongest armies in the world.

1. The United States

The United States spends $750 billion on the military, which is more than the combined budgets of the other nine countries. It has a remarkably large army of over 1.4 million soldiers and an additional 800,000 reservists. Its greatest advantage, in addition to an active ground force of well-trained men and women in uniform, is that it is the world leader in aircraft production, with a fleet of 19 aircraft carriers, compared to the world's total of 12. The United States employs cutting-edge technology, such as the Navy's new rail gun, and it also possesses 7,500 nuclear warheads. No wonder it is no.1 military force since WW-II.

2. Russia

Russia's defence budget currently stands at $48 billion, with a 44% increase expected over the next three years. In fact, the Kremlin's military spending has increased by about a third since 2008, particularly since Vladimir Putin took control of Russia in 2000. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago, the Russian army has grown significantly. It has 766,000 active frontline personnel and nearly 2.5 million reserve personnel, though soldiers receive poor training. The man force is supported by 15,500 tanks, making Russia the world's largest tank force, though it, like the other equipment, is ageing. With nearly 8,500 active nuclear warheads, the country is the world's leader.

3. China

China’s defense budget officially stands at $237 billion, and, in a relentless drive to invest massively in defense, there is likely to be an increase of budget by 12.2%. It has a formidable size of army, with 2.285 million active front-line personnel and a further 2.3 million reservists, making it the world’s largest land force, along with nearly 25,000 land vehicles. It has another 2,800 aircraft on its air force. China is in possession of about 300 nuclear weapons, alongside 180 different methods of their deployment. China recently acquired sensitive information about the new F-35, and is noted for successfully stealing sensitive military technology. It is rightly among the top 3 strongest armies.

4. India

India has used its massive population to build an army of 3.5 million people, including 1.325 million active military personnel. The massive size of the Indian military is one of the reasons why it has consistently ranked among the world's strongest armies. The army's manpower is supplemented by nearly 16,000 land vehicles, including 3,500 tanks, as well as 1,785 aircraft and nuclear weapons. Its ballistic missiles can reach the entirety of Pakistan or the majority of China. Its current defence budget is $61 billion, but it is expected to rise as part of a push to modernise military power and become the fourth largest spender by 2020. It is also the world's largest importer of military goods.

5. The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom also has a plan to reduce the size of the armed forces by 20% between 2010 and 2018, with the Royal Navy and RAF receiving smaller cuts. The United Kingdom's defence budget is currently $54 billion. It has a regular force of around 205,000 people, a small air force of 908 planes, and an even smaller navy of 66 ships. However, the United Kingdom's army remains formidable, thanks to superior training, equipment, and 160 nuclear weapons. The Royal Navy intends to commission HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2020. It is an aircraft carrier with the capability of transporting 40 F-35B joint strike fighters around the world.

6. France

France is another country to follow Germany’s lead because, in 2013, it took the decision to ‘effectively ‘freeze’ its military spending, and cut down on the defense jobs by 10%, to save money for technologically advanced equipment. Its current military budget stands at $43 a year, which is 1.9% of the country’s GDP, much below the spending target as set by NATO. Over 220,000 regular force combines with reservists to form a force of about 500,000. It has just over 1,000 aircraft, along with 9,000 ground vehicles. Even if these do not make France a formidable army, its position in the EU and UN, a total 290 nuclear weapons, and significant deployments strengthen the country.

7. Germany

Germany is one of the world's most powerful economic forces. Despite spending approximately $45 million per year, the army's condition appears to have deteriorated in recent years. This is possibly because the generation born and raised in the 1950s and 1960s were opposed to war and its atrocities, and the fear of being beaten by countries with the strongest armies still discourages people from joining the army. To keep the country from becoming militarised, mandatory military service was abolished in 2011. It has only 183,000 active front-line personnel and 145,000 reservists, as well as 710 aircraft and nearly 5,000 different types of on-land armament.

8. Turkey

It was perhaps the struggle of the other countries sharing borders with the regions where the Islamic State has a strong presence, the struggle in Syria or the probability of clashes with the Kurdish separatist organization, PKK, which made Turkey realize that it needs to prepare itself to face danger head on, if and when it approaches, and decide to increase its investment in defence in 2015 by 10%. Its defense budget is at $18.18 billion. Its army size, including regular troops and reserves, is just above 660,000. Turkey’s air force has 1000 aircraft. The military also claims to 16,000 land weapons. It has strong diplomatic ties with the US, and partakes in initiatives around the world. Now it stands at 8th spot amongst strongest armies.

9. South Korea

South Korea shares a border with North Korea, which possesses an extremely powerful military and thus poses a constant threat to South Korea. However, its offensive neighbour is not its only issue. South Korea has increased its defence spending to $34 billion to meet China and Japan's increasing armament. It maintains a large army of over 640,000 active personnel and 2,900,000 reserve personnel, as well as the sixth largest air force with 1,393 aircraft and a small 166 ships. The country has approximately 15,000 land weapons, including rocket systems, and 2,346 tanks. It regularly participates in military exercises with the United States.

10. Japan

Japan was the land of Samurais. Also, Japan was a leading military force in WW-II. Interestingly, its peace treaty at the end of WW-II prohibits it from having an offensive army. In response to its growing disputes with the ever-expanding China, Japan started military expansion, first time in 40 years, placing a new base on outer islands. It increased its military spending for the first time in 11 years, to $49.1 billion, ranking sixth in the world. It has over 247,000 active personnel and nearly 60,000 reserve personnel. It has the fifth largest air force in the world, with 1,595 aircraft. The army also has 131 warships at its disposal. Furthermore, it maintains a strong military presence in Asia through recent defense initiatives.