Top 10 Military Powers of the World

War! We can do without it, but mankind has proven time and again that it can't do without going to war every now and then. Nevertheless, every country is in the continuous race and process of upgrading their own power, and all want to be ready to meet any eventuality. Before we go into more details, let me make it clear that this article just talks about numbers, and in no way does it truly reflect any country's capability. As we all know very well, that besides all the firepower, even strategy, intelligence inputs, particular situations, etc., play a significant part in determining the success or downfall of a nation during a war or conflict. Besides, the numbers change often, and might I add, this happens without the knowledge of many of us outside (or we would be the ones in the hot seat controlling everything).

Top 10 Military Powers of the World List

1. United States of America
2. Russia
3. China
4. India
5. United Kingdom
6. Turkey
7. South Korea
8. France
9. Japan
10. Israel

Top Ten Military Powers - Statistics

Being one of the world's top military takes a lot of doing. It is a mix of quantity and quality. Just by numbers everything can't be achieved. It has to be an overall mix of brawn and brain. In the following table, we will try to look at the main aspects which determine the brute force of the world's top military powers.

RANK	COUNTRY	LAND AREA (sq kms)	ANNUAL DEFENSE BUDGET	MILITARY PERSONNEL	AIR FORCE PLANES	NAVY SHIPS	NUCLEAR WARHEADS
I	USA	9,826,630	$692 billion	1,500,000	24,500	2,500	8,500
II	Russia	17,075,200	$56 billion	1,200,000	3,300	400	11,000
III	China	9,596,960	$100 billion	2,300,000	5,400	700	240
IV	India	3,287,590	$36 billion	1,350,000	3,300	200	100
V	UK	244,820	$74 billion	225,000	2,250	125	225
VI	Turkey	780,580	$25 billion	615,000	2,800	300	NA
VII	South Korea	99,720	$27 billion	650,000	2,300	195	NA
VIII	France	643,427	$45 billion	360,000	2,550	325	300
IX	Japan	377,835	$70 billion	240,000	2,500	170	NA
X	Israel	20,770	$16 billion	185,000	2,650	70	200

And just for information sake, the next 10 military powers in the world are Brazil, Iran, Germany, Taiwan, Pakistan, Egypt, Italy, Indonesia, Thailand, and Ukraine.

The table here gives us an overview of the strengths and firepower of the top ten military powers of the world. The chart is just to view numbers, and rankings take into consideration many aspects such as intelligence, actual combat experience, training, skill, back-up, movement of troops and weapons, etc. Also, as mentioned earlier, numbers will not be absolutely accurate, as they keep changing regularly according to specific needs and situations. An interesting fact is that, out of all the countries in the world, Israel has a reserve army that can be mobilized into actual combat more quickly than anyone else. Just numbers are not enough, and this is something that can be cited in a good example in the table regarding the USA and China. Though China has an army nearly twice the size of the USA, the strike-power of the USA is double that of China. This is due to many other factors as we have mentioned, like training, skill, modernized equipment, strategy, intelligence inputs, etc. Though, it can be safely said that these are the 10 top militaries in the world, as of today.

There are also many other things that need to be taken into consideration regarding the top ten. For example, the United States indulges in combat mainly in other countries, and for the purpose of quashing terrorism, rouge armies, and peacekeeping ventures. Some countries are engaged in continuous small skirmishes with their neighbors, and are active in protecting their own borders. Nuclear weapons are also a key factor, something that has never been used since the bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. God forbid, even if a war breaks out in which multiple countries are involved, it is very unlikely that they will be used, and the war(s) will be fought in the conventional ways itself. Another aspect is the type of weaponry - advanced military weapons that a state possesses.

Getting into the top 10 military powers bracket is no mean task. Also, staying there is equally tough, as almost all countries are forever engaged in bettering themselves when it comes to their military defense. No one wants to be less than their immediate threat, and need to be ever-so-ready to face any unwanted situation. To summarize, a military war is not something simple, and is best if avoided.