Top 10 Military Powers In The World 2021
The United States is competing with Russia and China for global military supremacy. However, direct comparisons of military strength are rare, which is why the Global Firepower yearly rankings are so important.
The official Global Firepower ranking takes into account over 50 different elements to establish a country’s PowerIndex score. These elements include, but are not limited to; military might, financial capacity, logistical capability, and geographical location.
According to the Global firepower ranking, below are the top 10 militaries in the world 2021:
10- Pakistan
In terms of active personnel, the Pakistani military is one of the world’s largest. The Pakistan Army has around 560,000 active-duty members, supported by the Army Reserve and National Guard. According to a statistics supplied by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in 2020.
The country also has large tank, aircraft, and attack helicopter fleets, according to Credit Suisse (a global investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland).
Furthermore, Pakistan is reported to be rapidly developing nuclear weapons, with the potential to have the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal within the next decade.
9- Brazil
Brazil has the largest armed forces in Latin America, and the second largest among the Americas after the United States. They are backed up by a well-developed military-industrial complex and very powerful strategic think tanks.
They exert significant influence over the Brazilian government and economy (at times actually exercising political power, as during the dictatorship) and play a key part in Brazilian politics.
With 334,500 active-duty troops and officers, they are the largest military force in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere.
8- The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is next on my list of top 10 military powers in the world according to the global firepower ranking.
As of 1st of April 2021, the British Armed Forces had a strength of 153,290 UK Regulars and Gurkhas, 37,420 Volunteer Reserves, and 8,170 Other Personnel. This brings the total number of “UK Service Personnel” to 198,880.
It’s unclear what BREXIT will entail for Britain’s future, but its fighting forces remain among the strongest in the world.
7- France
The French military is small, yet it is well-trained, professional, and capable of undertaking missions home and abroad.
France has the world’s sixth highest defense expenditure and the European Union’s first (EU). Its military forces are the largest in the European Union. The French Armed Forces are the world’s sixth-most powerful military, according to Credit Suisse.
France also possess the Charles de Gaulle, a virtually new aircraft carrier, which is stationed in Africa on a regular basis to assist in the stabilization of governments and the fight against extremism.
6- South Korea
With North Korea, South Korea, an East Asian country on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, shares one of the world’s most heavily militarized borders.
With a reported troop strength of 3,305,000 in 2020, the South Korea is one of the world’s largest standing armed forces (555,000 active and 2,750,000 reserve). As of 2021, South Korea’s budget is the tenth largest in the world.
South Korea is ranked 6th out of 138 countries and maintains a robust and capable military force in the face of an unpredictable northern neighbor.
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5- Japan
The Japan Self-Defense Forces, also known as the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) or the Japanese Armed Forces, are Japan’s unified armed forces. The Japanese armed forces wasfounded in 1954 by the Self-Defense Forces Law.
The JSDF has the fifth-largest military budget in the world. Japan ranks fifth with 119 attack helicopters, 27 destroyers, and two helicopter carriers.
4- India
India has an estimated 1,444,000 people serving in its armed forces, who have been engaged in a long-running territorial confrontation with Pakistan over the Kashmir region.
According to Global Firepower, the developing country has the most tanks (4,292), towed artillery (4,060), and fighter aircraft in the world (538). This year, India is expected to spend $61 billion on its military alone.
3- China
The Chinese armed forces (excluding paramilitary and reserve forces) have the world’s largest military force and the world’s second highest defense budget. It is also one of the world’s fastest-modernizing militaries, with significant regional defense and rising global power projection capabilities.
Furthermore, there are 1200 combat planes, 327 attack helicopters, and 79 submarines in China’s arsenal. It is ranked third, with 35,000 armored vehicles.
2- Russia
With the world’s second-most powerful military and the fourth-highest military expenditure, Russia is considered a prospective superpower.
The Russian Federation’s Armed Forces are one of the world’s largest military forces. The Russian Armed Forces had over one million active duty personnel as of 2021 (the precise number, according to Presidential Decree, is 1,013,628 active duty military personnel and 889,130 civilian personnel), making it the world’s fourth-largest. There are also over 2 million voluntary reservists.
1- The United State of America
The United States “retains its top status as the unquestioned military force in the world,” according to Global Firepower. With 2,085 fighters, 967 attack helicopters, 945 transports, and 742 special mission aircraft, America has more air forces than any other country on the planet.
With 39,253 armored vehicles, 91 Navy destroyers, and 20 aircraft carriers, the United States leads the world. It is thought to have 1,400,000 active personnel. In 2020, Washington has set aside $750 billion for the military budget.
Source: Wikipedia and Global Firepower.
