The world may be divided by lines and boundaries but it is protected by the militaries within each of those countries. While we may not want want to talk to a wrongful death lawyer or personal injury attorney about violence, it is important that a country has an army capable of dealing out some damage. Today we will look at the 15 most powerful militaries on the planet right now. Keep on reading, a few names may surprise you!
Germany
Once one of the most prominent militaries on the planet, Germany has fallen back on our list. Germany has an active budget for their military that sits around $40 billion. The Germany army is comprised of 180,000 active soldiers and among them are divided 400 tanks, 600+ aircrafts, and 4 submarines. A big check on the German military is their lack of aircraft carriers.
Germany
Thailand
Next up on our list is Thailand. The Thai military is currently ruling the country in the wake of a coup back in 2014. While citizens may not reliably find justice via litigation in Thailand, they should rest easy know their borders are protected. Thailand has over 30,000 active duty soldiers, 722 tanks, and over 570 different aircraft vehicles.
Thailand
Israel
On an active duty level Israel scores relatively low with just 160,000 active personnel. However, military service is mandatory and a majority of the country has served — making them fight ready, as well. Israel has over 4,000 tanks, 650 + aircrafts, and 5 submarines to their name. While American men and women are learning to be a mesothelioma attorney or an accountant, the Israeli population is learning how to protect their country from less than reputable neighbors.
Israel
Taiwan
Don’t mess with a soldier in Taiwan or you’ll regret it. The Taiwan military is comprised of 290,000 frontline soldiers and split amongst them are 2,000 tanks, 800 aircraft, and 4 submarines. What makes Taiwan truly scary is their infamous Amphibious Training Program. Soldiers in this program are pushed beyond what most humans could even comprehend.
Taiwan
Pakistan
The Pakistani military is made up of 600,000 + active soldiers and they have been relatively well equipped with modern weaponry and machinery. Pakistan has almost 3,000 tanks, 8 subs, and over 900 aircraft to their name. What is scariest, or most impressive depending on your perspective, is how quickly Pakistan is building up their nuclear arsenal.
Pakistan
Egypt
One of the oldest militaries in the world, Egypt is comprised of almost half a billion active frontline soldiers. The Egyptian military is the most dominant force in the Middle East and it has the fifth largest fleet of tanks on the planet with 4,624 vehicles. The majority of these tanks are in storage, unused, waiting to be unleashed.
Egypt
United Kingdom
While the active duty force is small, the U.K. still spends big on their defense budget. The U.K. is planning on reducing their defense spending in the near future but they’ll still be amongst the leaders on the planet. Most impressive is the Royal Navy with their planned launch of the HMS Queen Elizabeth coming in 2020. The Queen Elizabeth measures out at 4.5 acres in size and it’ll be capable of carrying 40 F-35B fighters.
United Kingdom
Turkey
Turkey spends a modest $18.2 billion every year on their defense budget, employing 400,000 active duty soldiers at the same time. Turkey is among the world leaders in submarines with 13 and they also have 3,778 tanks in their forces. Turkey is easily the biggest military power in the Mediterranean and they definitely play the part in regional conflicts, being able to come in and calm down potential violence.
Turkey
France
France makes up for their smaller active duty roster with advanced technology and elite training. France recently shelled out their new aircraft carrier, named the Charles de Gaulle, and now can be expected to be a larger player out on the waters. France has 10 submarines to their name, 423 tanks, and 1,264 aircrafts in their service. France is active in Africa, routinely fighting to help drive extremists out of the region.
France
South Korea
When you border North Korea you have to have some sort of budget for your military. South Korea spends $62 billion per year on their defense budget. South Korea has mandatory active service for their citizens which is built out of two year blocks. South Korea has 13 submarines in their military, 2,300 tanks, and over 1,400 aircraft to their name. Active frontline soldiers number over 620,000 at any given time for South Korea. South Korea has the sixth ranked air force on the entire planet. Hopefully SK will never have to really use them.
South Korea
Japan
The Japanese military is small but it is equipped with some of the best technology and equipment on the planet. Japan spends $41 billion per year on their military which includes 16 submarines, four aircraft carriers, and over 240,000 soldiers. Japan is fourth in the world in terms of attack helicopter fleet size and we don’t anticipate that changing any time soon. Japan also receives benefits from the United States that go toward their own defenses.
Japan
India
The Indian military is rivaled by only China in terms of active manpower in the military. India spends $50 billion per year on their defense budget and they really put that money to work. India is behind only China, Russia and the United States in terms of how many tanks and aircrafts they have in their service. By 2020 it is commonly expected that India will be in the top five of military spenders on the planet. India will continue to rise up our list in the coming years but it is hard to imagine that they will ever overcome anybody in our top three.
India
China
China employs over 2.3 million active frontline soldiers in their defense force. China spends $216 billion per year on their defense which is second in the world behind the United States’ $600 billion. China has the second largest fleet of tanks on this list and the largest active duty infantry period. China has also been progressing at a rapid rate in terms of developing their other defensive technologies.
China
Russia
With expected Russian interference in the 2016 United States election, expect litigation to become rampant in the U.S.A. Russia won’t care as they have become the second largest power in the world. Russia has a military budget of $85 million dollars and a force of over 760,000 frontline soldiers. The Russian army has the largest tank fleet on the planet with over 15,390 vehicles to go along with 55 submarines and 3,400 aircraft.
Russia
United States
The United States military is comprised of a completely volunteer force that makes up over 1.4 million frontline personnel. With a defense budget that exceeds the other top nine countries on our list, combined, the U.S. is never lacking for cash. The United States also has 10 aircraft carriers with India, having three, being second. 8,000 + tanks, 13,000 + aircrafts, and 72 + submarines make this an impossible country to compete with.
