There is only one way to know for sure which state has the strongest army in the world, but, fortunately, it is unacceptable. Today, the military forces of the largest states do not participate in full-scale military conflicts. How to evaluate the power of the armies of different countries? To do this, there is a global firepower index. It includes more than 50 factors by which the assessment of military force is made. This is the amount of equipment, manpower, the size of the defense budget, the availability of natural resources, and more. It should be noted that this data is constantly changing and needs to be clarified. In addition, many indicators, reflecting the quantity, do not say anything about quality. For example, a country may have many submarines, but they will be obsolete and significantly inferior in combat effectiveness to modern models. In addition, not all countries have access to the sea, and therefore do not have a navy. The firepower index takes this factor into account and does not exclude such states from the rating. So, the most powerful armies of the world in 2015 - which of the neighbors on the globe should be feared?
10. Japan
Opens the ranking of the most powerful armies in the world in 2015 Japan. Despite the fact that according to the country's constitution, it does not have the right to have an offensive army, the military forces of Japan have great power. The arsenal of the country presents all types of weapons, and the technical equipment of the army is one of the best in the world. Due to territorial disputes with the DPRK, the country intends to continue to increase defense spending. Now Japan spends about $ 49 billion on military needs.
9. Germany
In ninth position among the most powerful armies in the world - Germany. After World War II, the country was limited only to defense forces, but in recent years Germany has been steadily increasing military force. Army spending is $ 45 billion. The number of troops is about 185 thousand people. Despite such a small army, the ground forces of Germany are not inferior to the Russian.
8. South Korea
South Korea takes 8th place in the ranking of the most powerful armies in the world. The country spends $ 34 billion annually on military spending. The army is about 640 thousand people, in reserve - about 3 million inhabitants. Due to the constant threat from the nearest neighbor, North Korea, the country is constantly building up its military potential.
7. Turkey
In seventh place in the list of the world's strongest armies is Turkey. The country spends about 18 billion dollars on military needs, but it is expected that these costs will increase due to the difficult situation in Syria. The Turkish army is considered the best in the Middle East. She is actively involved in many NATO operations.
6. France
The sixth position in the ranking of the most powerful armies in the world in 2015 takes France. The key to success of this country, the army of which is 230 thousand people, is the presence of the entire spectrum of weapons of its own production. And do not forget that France is one of the nuclear powers.
5. UK
Great Britain located on 5th place in the list of the most powerful and combat-ready armies of the planet. Gone are the days when England freely dominated the seas. But, although the status of the strongest sea power has long been lost, the country continues to remain on the list of the most serious military forces in the world. England has all kinds of weapons in its arsenal, and the military budget of $ 53 billion allows us to improve and modernize the army.
4. India
In fourth place in the ranking of the world's strongest armies is India. It’s a paradox, but this far from richest country has bypassed many economically developed countries by the power of the military. The secret lies in the number of troops. The country's army has about 1 million 300 thousand people. In addition, India owns nuclear weapons and the navy, which increases its combat effectiveness. The country's military spending is $ 46 billion a year.
3. China
The third place in the ranking of the most powerful armed forces on the planet is occupied by a country that causes concern and respect at the same time - China. Millennia ago, numerous discoveries were made here that enabled human civilization to take a big step forward. And today, China continues to amaze the world with its tenacity and ability in the short term to make tremendous successes both in the economy and in the development of military technologies. China entered the third line of the ranking of the most powerful armies in the world not only because of the size of its troops - but they number more than two million people. In the event of a military conflict, the Celestial Empire may call into operation another 5% of the population and the size of the Chinese army will increase to 60 million. The numbers are simply stunning. In addition, the country has nuclear potential and a large number of military equipment. China has long been suspected of using industrial espionage, which makes it possible to copy the best weapons of other countries, in particular Russia and the United States. Military spending is the second in the world ($ 126 billion). It is possible that unofficially, China spends much more on equipping its army.
2. Russia
Russia is in second place on the list of the most powerful armies in the world in 2015. It has advanced military technology, and its army is considered the most powerful ground force in the world. The country's arsenal includes a strong and large navy, including more than 60 modern nuclear submarines. The power of the air forces of the Russian army is comparable to the United States Air Force. Russia surpasses the USA in the number of heavy military equipment, in particular, tanks. The country's nuclear potential is the largest in the world. The composition of the army is about a million people. Russia spends about $ 80 billion annually to support the combat readiness of the army. All this together gives the country the right to consider its army one of the strongest in the world for 2015.
1. USA
1st place - at USA. Say what you like, but the United States has the most powerful military force today. No country in the world has such a military budget as here. Almost 613 billion dollars - so much the United States spends on the annual increase in its power. And this despite the fact that the country has reduced spending on the army by 7% in connection with the withdrawal of its troops from Iran and Afghanistan. The size of the army is almost one and a half million people and about 700 thousand are in reserve.
This is the rating of “strength” of the countries of the world for 2015. It may change next year, given the rapid growth of China. It is possible that the Celestial Army will soon lead the list of the most powerful armies in the world.