- The US is locked in an escalating face-off with top rivals Russia and China. But head-to-head comparisons of military strength are hard to come by.
- Comparing the power of conventional military forces is quite complicated, which is part of what makes the annual Global Firepower rankings so noteworthy.
- China, for instance, has only 1 operational aircraft carrier to the US's 11, but the People's Liberation Army-Navy is testing its second carrier at sea and has plans to build more.
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The US is locked in an escalating face-off with top rivals Russia and China. But head-to-head comparisons of military strength are hard to come by — which is what makes the Global Firepower annual rankings so noteworthy.
Their 2019 Military Strength Ranking draws on more than 55 factors to assign a Power Index score to 137 countries — adding Moldova this year. (Global Firepower appears to have changed its methodology from that of previous lists the 2019, yielding different index numbers.)
The ranking assesses the diversity of each country's weapons and pays particular attention to their available manpower. Geography, logistical capacity, available natural resources, and the status of local industry are also considered.
Recognized nuclear powers receive a bonus, but their nuclear stockpiles are not factored into the score. Landlocked countries are not docked for lacking a navy, but countries with navies are penalized if their fleets lack diversity. (Helicopter carriers are included alongside traditional fleet carriers in Global Firepower's ranking.)
NATO countries get a slight bonus because the alliance theoretically shares resources, but in general, a country's current political and military leadership was not considered (though financial health and stability are).
The top power index score is 0.0000, which is "realistically unattainable," according to Global Firepower. The closer they are to this number, the more powerful their military is.
Per these criteria, these are the 25 most powerful militaries in the world:
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25. Saudi Arabia
Power Index rating: 0.4268
Total population: 33,091,113
Total military personnel: 230,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 848; ranks 12th out of 137 countries
Fighter aircraft: 244; ranks 12th
Combat tanks: 1,062 (ranks 24th)
Total naval assets: 55
Defense budget: $70 billion
24. Poland
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.4059
Total population: 38,420,687
Total military personnel: 105,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 469 (ranked 27th of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 93 (ranked 26th)
Combat tanks: 1,100 (ranked 23rd)
Total naval assets: 83
Defense budget: $9.36 billion
23. Vietnam
Power Index rating: 0.3988
Total population: 97,040,334
Total military personnel: 5,482,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 318 (ranked 33rd out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 108 (ranked 21st)
Combat tanks: 2,575 (ranked 28th)
Total naval assets: 65
Defense budget: $3.365 billion
22. Taiwan
Power Index rating: 0.3956
Total population: 23,545,963
Total military personnel: 1.89 million (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 837 (ranked 13th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 286 (ranked 9th)
Combat tanks: 1,885 (ranked 17th)
Total naval assets: 87
Defense budget: $10.725 billion
21. Canada
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.3941
Total population: 35,881,659
Total military personnel: 94,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 384 (ranked 31st of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 53 (ranked 38th)
Combat tanks: 80 (ranked 79th)
Total naval assets: 63
Defense budget: $21.2 billion
20. Spain
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.3921
Total population: 49,331,076
Total military personnel: 139,500 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 522 (ranked 23rd out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 136 (ranked 18th)
Combat tanks: 327 (ranked 51st)
Total naval assets: 46; one aircraft carrier
Defense budget: $11.6 billion
19. Australia
Power Index rating: 0.3277
Total population: 23,470,145
Total military personnel: 79,700 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 467 (ranked 28th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 78 (ranked 27th)
Combat tanks: 66 (ranked 86th)
Total naval assets: 47; two aircraft carriers
Defense budget: $26.3 billion
18. North Korea
Power Index rating: 0.3274
Total population: 25,381,085
Total military personnel: 7.58 million (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 949 (ranked 11th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 458 (ranked 5th)
Combat tanks: 6,075 (ranked 4th)
Total naval assets: 967
Defense budget: $7.5 billion
17. Israel
Power Index rating: 0.2964
Total population: 8,424,904
Total military personnel: 615,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 595 (ranked 18th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 253 (ranked 11th)
Combat tanks: 2,760 (ranked 8th)
Total naval assets: 65
Defense budget: $19.6 billion
16. Indonesia
Power Index rating: 0.2804
Total population: 262,787,403
Total military personnel: 800,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 451 (ranked 30th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 41 (ranked 43rd)
Combat tanks: 315 (ranked 52nd)
Total naval assets: 221
Defense budget: $6.9 billion
15. Pakistan
Power Index rating: 0.2798
Total population: 207,862,518
Total military personnel: 1,204,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 1,342 (ranked 7th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 348 (ranked 7th)
Combat tanks: 2,200 (ranked 13th)
Total naval assets: 197
Defense budget: $7 billion
14. Iran
Power Index rating: 0.2606
Total population: 83,024,745
Total military personnel: 873,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 509 (ranked 24th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 142 (ranked 17th)
Combat tanks: 1,634 (ranked 18th)
Total naval assets: 398
Defense budget: $6.3 billion
13. Brazil
Power Index rating: 0.2487
Total population: 208,846,892
Total military personnel: 1,674,500 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 706 (ranked 16th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 43 (ranked 42nd)
Combat tanks: 437 (ranked 40th)
Total naval assets: 110
Defense budget: $29.3 billion
12. Egypt
Power Index rating: 0.2283
Total population: 99,413,317
Total military personnel: 920,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 1,092 (ranked 9th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 211 (ranked 13th)
Combat tanks: 2,160 (ranked 14th)
Total naval assets: 319; two aircraft carriers
Defense budget: $4,4 billion
11. Italy
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.2277
Total population: 62,246,674
Total military personnel: 357,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 831 (ranked 14th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 94 (ranked 25th)
Combat tanks: 200 (ranked 60th)
Total naval assets: 137; five aircraft carriers
Defense budget: $29.2 billion
10. Germany
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.2097
Total population: 80,457,737
Total military personnel: 208,641 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 613 (ranked 17th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 122 (ranked 20th)
Combat tanks: 900 (ranked 26th)
Total naval assets: 81
Defense budget: $49.1 billion
9. Turkey
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.2089
Total population: 81,257,239
Total military personnel: 735,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 1,067 (ranked 10th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 207 (ranked 14th)
Combat tanks: 3,200 (ranked 7th)
Total naval assets: 194
Defense budget: $8.6 billion
8. United Kingdom
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.1797
Total population: 65,105,246
Total military personnel: 233,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 811 (ranked 15th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 129 (ranked 19th)
Combat tanks: 331 (ranked 49th)
Total naval assets: 76; one aircraft carrier
Defense budget: $47.5 billion
7. South Korea
Power Index rating: 0.1761
Total population: 51,418,097
Total military personnel: 5,827,150 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 1,614 (ranked 5th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 406 (ranked 6th)
Combat tanks: 2,654 (ranked 9th)
Total naval assets: 166; one aircraft carrier
Defense budget: $38.3 billion
6. Japan
Power Index rating: 0.1707
Total population: 126,128,156
Total military personnel: 303,157 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 1,572 (ranked 6th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 297 (ranked 8th)
Combat tanks: 1,004 (ranked 25th)
Total naval assets: 131; four aircraft carriers
Defense budget: $47 billion
5. France
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.1584
Total population: 67,364,357
Total military personnel: 388,635 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 1,248 (ranked 8th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 273 (ranked 10th)
Combat tanks: 406 (ranked 44th)
Total naval assets: 118; four aircraft carriers
Defense budget: $40.5 billion
4. India
Power Index rating: 0.1065
Total population: 1,296,834,042
Total military personnel: 3,462,500 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 2,082 (ranked 4th out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 520 (ranked 4th)
Combat tanks: 4,184 (ranked 6th)
Total naval assets: 295; one aircraft carrier
Defense budget: $55.2 billion
3. China
Power Index rating: 0.0673
Total population: 1,384,688,986
Total military personnel: 2,693,000 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 3,187 (ranked 3rd out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 1,222 (ranked 2nd)
Combat tanks: 13,050 (ranked 2nd)
Total naval assets: 714; one aircraft carrier
Defense budget: $224 billion
2. Russia
Power Index rating: 0.0639
Total population: 142,122,776
Total military personnel: 3,586,128 (estimated)
Total aircraft strength: 4,078 (ranked 2nd out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 869 (ranked 3rd)
Combat tanks: 21,932 (ranked 1st)
Total naval assets: 352; one aircraft carrier out of service indefinitely
Defense budget: $44 billion
1. United States
Power Index rating: (NATO member) 0.0615
Total population: 329,256,465
Total military personnel: 2,141,900 (estimated)
Total aircraft: 13,398 (ranked 1st out of 137)
Fighter aircraft: 2,362 (ranked 1st)
Combat tanks: 6,287 (ranked 3rd)
Total naval assets: 415; 24 aircraft carriers
Defense budget: $716 billion