Rating of world armies 2022, top 10, best armies in the world

Egypt

The armed forces of Egypt will make their debut in the 2022 ranking of world armies, with a total strength of about 450 thousand people (not counting the reserve). The military formation is structurally composed of four divisions: ground forces, naval forces (hereinafter referred to as the Navy/Navy), the air force (Air Force), and air defense (air defense). The ground forces include tank, ground and mechanized divisions armed with more than 3,700 tanks, 2,500 mortars, and 4,000 armored personnel carriers. The Egyptian Air Force consists of 350 aircraft and 35 thousand military personnel. The Navy consists of more than 40 thousand employees and 60 combat vessels. Egypt is officially a country without nuclear weapons.

Which army is the strongest? 15 most powerful armies in the world according to Global Firepower

The Global Firepower project has compiled its next annual ranking of the world's strongest armies. Some of the positions were occupied by the same countries as before, but for many armies the situation has changed: some lost their positions, others, on the contrary, increased their power.

The Global Firepower Project's 2022 report compares the militaries of 136 countries. The calculations were influenced by 55 individual factors, on the basis of which the project participants calculated the power index (PowerIndex, also known as PwrIndx) and placed them in the ranking. The index takes into account not only the number of different types of troops, but also geographical factors, characteristics of the population and the financial stability of the country.

Among the states that took the first lines, there were many ups and downs compared to 2022. Israel dropped out of the top 15, and Brazil entered the ranking instead. Iran, South Korea and Great Britain improved their positions. But Japan, Turkey, Germany, Egypt and Indonesia were ranked lower than before. Here's what the ranking looks like now.

15. Indonesia. 14. Brazil. 13. Iran. 12. Egypt. 11. Italy. 10. Germany. 9. Türkiye. 8. Japan. 7. South Korea. 6. Great Britain.

The first five places in the ranking are occupied by the same armies as last year. Even their location relative to each other has not changed: the balance of power of the most powerful troops on Earth is preserved.

5th place. France

The French army is well equipped with military equipment, and the country's stable economy ensures that the armed forces work coherently. However, giant armies are higher in the ranking, from which the French PwrIndx indicator lags 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 vehicles: 6,330. Warships: 118 (including 4 aircraft carriers).

4th place. India

The Indian army has a huge number of personnel, but its equipment is not very high - in some types of weapons India is inferior to France. PwrIndx of the Indian Army lags behind its nearest competitor by 0.6 points, although most often the difference between neighboring positions in the ranking does not exceed 0.2 points.

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

3rd place. China

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

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

2nd place. Russia

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

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 vehicles: 27,400. Warships: 352 (including 1 aircraft carrier).

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 smaller in number than many states, but 20 aircraft carriers make it possible to greatly change the balance of power in different parts of the world. The US Army currently remains the most powerful in existence.

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

The last time Medialeaks wrote about the balance of power among the world's armies in 2015. Then two positions in the top five were occupied by completely different countries. If you compare that rating with the current one, it becomes clear how much has changed.

Germany

The German army is called the Bundeswehr, which consists of three (6 in total) main power structures: the Navy (20,000), the Air Force (30,000), and the ground forces. The total strength of the entire Bundeswehr is 180,000 people. Compulsory military service in Germany was abolished in 2011. Since then, only professional military personnel (contract service) have been found in the ranks of employees. A special feature of the German Bundeswehr is the medical unit (23,000 members) - this is a full-fledged structural unit of the Bundeswehr, which is engaged in the treatment of military personnel, the development of modern military medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, etc. Germany is one of the few countries that has curtailed its nuclear program.

Türkiye

Türkiye ranks 8th in the ranking of the most powerful armies in the world in 2018. Military service is compulsory for all men aged 20-40 years. Turkey has the most powerful ground forces in the world (after the United States) and numbers about 400 thousand people, armed with more than 4,500 tanks and 4,000 self-propelled artillery of various calibers. The Turkish Navy (about 15 thousand people) is relatively small compared to the UK. The Turkish Navy has about 20 submarines, 30 frigates and corvettes at its disposal.

Which army is the strongest? 15 most powerful armies in the world according to Global Firepower

15. Indonesia. 14. Brazil. 13. Iran. 12. Egypt. 11. Italy. 10. Germany. 9. Türkiye. 8. Japan. 7. South Korea. 6. Great Britain.

5th place. France

Japan

After World War II, the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces were completely disbanded, replaced by the Japan Self-Defense Forces, which are still active today. The basic principles of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces: do not attack, do not use nuclear weapons. The Japanese army, as of 2022, has more than 250 thousand voluntary personnel (in Japan there is no compulsory military service, all military personnel are hired to serve at their own request). The legal status of the Japan Self-Defense Forces is not fully delineated, and therefore the Japanese army is considered to be a public domain.

Great Britain

The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Armed Forces of Great Britain is the current monarch. Great Britain is ranked 6th in the ranking of the most powerful armies in the world in 2022, with a strength of 200 thousand people. 20% of all armed forces are the navy (numbering about 40 thousand people). The English fleet is considered one of the most modern and powerful in the world (after the USA) - this is not surprising, because Great Britain is an island. The ground forces number 80 thousand people + 25 thousand reserves. The UK has 4 submarines with nuclear warheads on board.

Italy

Defense budget: $34 billion
Number of personnel: 320 thousand people
Tanks: 586
Aircraft: 760
Submarines: 6

The Italian Army ranked high on the list thanks to the presence of two active aircraft carriers. In addition to the relatively high number of submarines and attack helicopters, they significantly increased Italy's ranking.

France

France is a leader in the ranking of the combat effectiveness of the world's armies. Today the country has the most modern weapons of its own production, nuclear weapons and numerous human resources. Every year, about 30-40 billion US dollars are spent from the state budget on defense purposes. More than 300 million military personnel are constantly ready to defend the interests of the state. More than 15% of the military personnel are women, the highest percentage of any country. France also constantly accepts orders from various countries for the production of aircraft carriers, fighters and other military equipment, which very well replenishes the state treasury.

India

One of the largest countries in terms of population (1.4 billion) has an army of many millions to protect its borders. Every year, about 50 billion dollars are financed from the country's budget to maintain the combat effectiveness of the country's defensive structure. India is armed with ground forces (1.2 million people), navy (60 thousand people), air force (127,000) and coast guard. India is part of the “nuclear club”, and is one of the main producers of nuclear warheads for all members of this association. India is armed with about 1 thousand combat fighter aircraft and 500 combat helicopters, about 4 thousand tanks, 2000 infantry fighting vehicles, 30 thousand anti-tank systems.

Nuclear forces of the country

Nuclear weapons are of great importance for India, since it is this force that is a huge deterrent to a potential aggressor. NCA is a special structure of the army that is responsible for the command of the country's nuclear forces. The administrative command accepts issues that relate exclusively to the defense of the country, since all nuclear weapons, as mentioned above, are a deterrent.

Most of the nuclear missiles are concentrated in the ground forces. The basis of the ballistic forces are Agni medium-range missiles, the number of which, according to various sources, ranges from 80 to 100 units. Such missiles are capable of hitting a target located 900 kilometers from the launch point, but India also has several Agni-3 missiles designed to destroy a potential aggressor at a distance of over 5,000 kilometers.

China

The Chinese armed forces are considered the largest army in the world in terms of numbers, amounting to more than 2.5 million people. China is armed with more than 8,000 tanks (including light and trackless ones), 4,000 armored personnel carriers, 3,500 MLRS and self-propelled howitzers, and 1,700 combat aircraft. The structure of the PRC army includes 5 branches of the military: ground, navy, air force, missile forces, and strategic troops. The official handgun in China is the QBZ-95 assault rifle. China is a member of the “nuclear club”, and therefore China has nuclear warheads in its arsenal.

Top 10 most militarily powerful countries in the world

Top 10 most powerful armies in the world in 2022 according to the Global Firepower Index, the main rating of the power of the armed forces of different countries.

Military and economic experts regularly determine the global military power index, which is one of the most objective and takes into account more than 50 different indicators.

When compiling the Global Firepower (GFP) Index, not only a scrupulous count of tanks, aircraft and warships is carried out, but also the number of personnel of the army and its reserve, the level of funding of the military sphere, the country's transport infrastructure, oil production, the size of public debt and even the length of the coastal lines - in a word, all factors that can affect the combat effectiveness of the national army.

Various specialized publications also regularly rank the military power of countries using GFP data and adding their own indicators. For example, here are the 10 most powerful armies in the world according to the GFP Index, only the fleet is calculated differently.

But GFP counts navies by the number of ships, making a patrol boat equal to an aircraft carrier. Instead, it takes into account the displacement (size) of the ships.

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - 2022 - Top 10 countries

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - 2022 - USA

This is not a surprise - the US has the most powerful army in the world. America spends $577,000,000,000 a year on defense, almost four times more than China's $145 billion budget. The US is the third largest country in manpower, behind India and China, but the US air force and navy are larger than all the other countries in the table combined.

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - 2022 - Russia

The United States' Cold War rival is still capable of delivering a powerful blow. Russia's high rating is largely due to the huge number of tanks and armored vehicles in general (the photo shows the new Russian Armata tank). The Russian Federation also has a large navy and, moreover, the country is one of the world's largest oil producers.

Russia ranks fourth in the number of military personnel, but their numbers are largely made up of poorly trained conscripts who serve for only a year.

Although not in GFP's calculations, Russian special forces and propaganda have shown their strength in Ukraine, where Russia is the main source of destabilization.

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - China

China has the world's second-largest military spending, the third-largest fleet of military aircraft, the second-largest armored force, and the world's first largest number of military personnel.

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - India

India's high ranking is largely due to its large population - labor force and military personnel. It also has a large number of aircraft and tanks and a developed fleet.

But India is vulnerable due to its large fuel demand relative to its small oil production.

Interestingly, India still has a camel regiment in its border troops.

Japan

Japan would have a higher rating if the Japanese were not so peaceful. The sixth largest military spender, the country has the fifth largest Air Force and fourth largest Navy.

However, the Japanese Constitution limits the growth of the military and its participation in operations abroad.

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - South Korea

Although South Korea has the sixth-largest army, sixth-largest air fleet and eighth-largest navy, it has a relatively small military expenditure and armored corps.

Such a small country is forced to have a relatively large army due to the constant threat from North Korea, although its army is actually weaker than the numbers of its outdated equipment and soldiers trained in old methods of combat would suggest.

France

France is not impressive in terms of the number of ships, aircraft and tanks, but its military-industrial complex is modern and very powerful.

Mirage and Rafale aircraft, Tiger helicopters, Leclerc tanks and the only non-US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, provide French military strength.

France produces most of its weapons, meaning it has the ability to maintain its defenses during a protracted war.

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - Great Britain

Despite having a small number of armored vehicles, aircraft and troops, the UK retains its place in the top five, with the world's fifth-largest navy and fourth-largest military budget.

British military strength is also aided by geography; the island country is difficult to attack by land forces.

Brazil

According to experts, the reason why Brazil appeared in the top ten strongest armies in the world in 2022 is the general low cost of living in the country and, as a result, lower spending on military needs.

The South American country currently spends $29.3 billion on its troops (13th in the world), but Brazilians are said to get more for every dollar spent than other countries.

In terms of military equipment, Brazil's results are solid, but not the most outstanding: 17th in terms of air force capacity (676 units), 34th in tanks (439 units) and 24th in ships (112 units).

Rating of the most powerful armies in the world - Pakistan

Tensions continue to exist between India and Pakistan, which forces one to study the statistics with renewed attention - especially considering that both countries have nuclear weapons.

Pakistan has a population of 223.5 million people (5th place in the world), and the number of potential military personnel is 96 million people. Currently, there are 1.2 million people in the army of this Muslim country.

In terms of the number of air force units, Pakistan is among the top ten countries (7th place, 1364 units). Tank troops are slightly behind (11th place, 2680 units), but Pakistan, like its neighboring rival, does not have so many military vessels (26th place, only 100 units).

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Russia

Russia occupies second place in the ranking of the combat effectiveness of the world's armies. Every year, the Russian budget funds about 70-80 billion dollars to maintain the army. The permanent armed forces number approximately 800 thousand people, excluding the reserve (2 million). In terms of the number of military personnel, Russia ranks 5th in the world (China ranks first). The army of the Russian Federation is armed with: tanks (more than 3 thousand units), infantry fighting vehicles (more than 4 thousand), armored personnel carriers (approximately 7200 units), self-propelled artillery units (2000+ thousand), as well as more than 1000+ mobile tactical missile systems (half of the bottom is occupied by the Grad system), etc.

USA

The USA is the country with the largest army in the world as of 2022. The total number of military personnel is 1 million. The main unit of the US domestic armed forces is the regular army (460 thousand), as well as reserve troops: the national guard (340 thousand) and reserve troops (200 thousand). The armed forces also include the coast guard, military police and navy. The United States is armed with: tanks, military vehicles, artillery, tactical missile and anti-tank systems, aviation and aircraft carriers, etc. Every year the United States spends more than 600 billion dollars on defensive purposes.