The most Powerful Armies in the World in 2015

Despite the downsizing and limiting expenditures, the US is still the world’s greatest military power. The US is followed by Russia and China with a much lower budget compared to the American army.

Credit Suisse has made a top ten military powers in the world, taking into account the following six variables:

  1. the active military personnel (5%)
  2. tanks (10%)
  3. attack helicopters (15%)
  4. aircraft (20%)
  5. aircraft carriers (25%)
  6. submarines (25%)

Taking into account that the ranking is based on the quantitative aspects only, with no indication of quality or military training, the top ten armies in the world are:

10) Turkey

Budget: $ 18.2 billion
Active military personnel: 410,500
Tanks: 3778
Aircraft: 1020
Submarines: 13

Turkish aircraft

Turkey’s armed forces are among the most important in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean. Although the air force is a strength, Turkey is the sixth country in the number of submarines according to the report provided by Credit Suisse.
Moreover, Turkey is a member of the F-35 program.

9) The UK

Budget: $ 60.5 billion
Active military personnel: 146,980
Tanks: 407
Aircraft: 936
Submarines: 10

UK army

Although Great Britain has proposed to reduce the size of the armed forces by 20% between 2010 and 2018, is still in the top 10 world powers.

8) Italy

Budget: $ 34 billion
Active military personnel: 320,000
Tanks: 586
Aircraft: 760
Submarines: 6

Italian helicopter

Italian Armed Forces ranks the eight in the list according to Credit Suisse, benefiting from a large number of aircraft, helicopters, and submarines.

7) South Korea

Budget: $ 62.3 billion
Active military personnel: 624,465
Tanks: 2381
Aircraft: 1412
Submarines: 13

South Korean tanks

To face the imminent danger posed by North Korea, South Korea had no choice but to organize a large and powerful army. Koreans have many submarines, helicopters, and a large number of active soldiers.

6) France

Budget: $ 62.3 billion
Active military personnel: 202,761
Tanks: 423
Aircraft: 1264
Submarines: 10

French army

The French army is relatively small, but the soldiers are professional and well trained. France often engages in various military actions in Africa to support governments fighting extremism.

5) India

Budget: $ 50 billion
Active military personnel: 1,325,000
Tanks: 6464
Aircraft: 1905
Submarines: 15

Indian missile

India is one of the most important military powers in the world with the most active military personnel after China and the United States, and a significant number of tanks and aircraft after the United States, China, and Russia.
India has access to nuclear weapons, and it is estimated that by 2020 it will rank in the top four.

4) Japan

Budget: $ 41.6 billion $
Active military personnel: 247,173
Tanks: 678
Aircraft: 1613
Submarines: 16

Japanese tanks

In absolute terms, the Japanese armed forces are small. However, the country is well equipped.
According to Credit Suisse, the country holds the world’s fourth submarine fleet and four aircraft carriers.

3) China

Budget: $ 216 billion
Active military personnel: 2,333,000
Tanks: 9150
Aircraft: 2860
Submarines: 67

Chinese missile launchers

China has grown rapidly in terms of military force in recent decades. Considering the number of active troops, China is the first power in the world, has the second fleet of tanks after Russia, and the second number of submarines next to the US fleet.

2) Russia

Budget: $ 84.5 billion
Active military personnel: 766,055
Tanks: 15,398
Aircraft: 3429
Submarines: 55

Russian rocket

Russian forces occupy the second place worldwide after the United States. Russia holds the largest fleet of tanks, the second fleet of aircraft, and the third submarines fleet, after the United States and China.
The spending on the armed forces increased by about a third in 2008 and is expected to rise by another 44 percent over the next three years. Russia has demonstrated its ability to intervene in other states sending troops to Syria in October 2015.

1) USA

Budget: $ 601 billion
Active military personnel: 1,400,000
Tank: 8848
Aircraft: 13,892
Submarines: 72

US army

Despite the fact that they slashed the expenses, the United States is currently spending more money than any other country listed in the research conducted by Credit Suisse.
The biggest advantage is that the Americans have ten aircraft carriers, the highest number of aircraft, and, most important – the nuclear weapons arsenal.

One Comment

  1. This entire list is worthless. It takes into no account strategic and capitol weaponry. The tank is almost totally irrelevant on the modern battle field and is heavily susceptible to enemy helicopters. The article also doesn’t even give budgets a nod let a lone mention them. The reason they are important is because the size of the budget directly effects the quality of the troops, the weaponry they fight with, the equipment that supports them and the training they all receive. As an example; what good is a million personnel if a third are conscripts with poor training and awful equipment?

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