Posted on 12/20/2014 4:04:53 AM PST by iowamark
There's only one real way to compare military strength, and thankfully the world hasn't had many opportunities lately.
Despite the potential powder keg in the South China Sea, standoffs in Ukraine, and proxy wars throughout the Middle East, inter-state warfare between the world's military powers has been all but banished from the global scene (for the time being, at least).
For a simpler evaluation of military power, we turned to the Global Firepower Index, a ranking of 106 nations based on more than 50 factors including overall military budget, available manpower, and the amount of equipment each country has in its respective arsenal, as well as access to natural resources...
We've created a chart to compare the top 35 militaries according to the Global Firepower Index...
US has reduced its defense budget by 7.8% chiefly because of America's gradual withdrawal in overseas military operations, such as in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Russia, meanwhile, has increased its arms spending by $88 billion and plans to "modernize" its arsenal. Aircraft carriers are key, and very few countries have one.
Aircraft carriers contribute greatly to a country's overall military strength. These massive vessels allow nations to project their force far beyond their borders and across the entire face of the globe. They're essentially mobile naval and air force bases. Aircraft carriers can also carry drones, which significantly change the global surveillance game.
The US's absolute monopoly on super-carrier vessels significantly boosts the country's forward operating power. The US has deployed an aircraft carrier toward the Persian Gulf to bolster its sea and air power before possible strikes against ISIS in Iraq. Russia has previously deployed an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean to display its seriousness in propping up Assad in Syria...
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
North Korea has 78 subs?
Also would be interesting to know active combat personnel.
Great chart.
N> Korea sure has a lot of subs.
The 7506 number is now reduced to 4804 nuclear warheads ... which, if the Admin’s plans go well in the next two years, will be reduced to zero ...
Are they counting the subs in Kim Jun Un’s bath tub too?
Seriously, I think a US WWII subs can out perform most of the DPRK sub fleet.
Graphic disagrees with the State Dept: U.S. Nukes Down 85%, From 31,255 to 4,804 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3238924/posts
How about the American civilian population
I didn’t realize NK had that many pig boats.
If it’s up to 0bumblebola we will be well down on that list when he abdicates his lofty position.
* Numbers - Unknown, possibly exceeding 40 million.
* Location - Behind every blade of grass
* Armament - Various. Tyrants should use their imagination. While it is still located between their ears.
When quality and professionalism is taken into account, US would lead the next 25 combined.
Discussion point: However, can it be that our foreign policy has diluted and distributed this power to such a great degree that the homeland is just as vulnerable as any other nation on earth? Discuss...
No accounting of surface ships.
They should sell one of them to the Swiss.
The Austrians, too. And perhaps Afghanistan could use a few when we withdraw!
I do not know if I buy that. Commonwealth armies are far higher trained than their counterparts. They tend to be smaller, but Canada for example, highest trained soldiers around. There is a reason we travel the world and train spec ops units like the SAS and such.
There is also a reason Americans come up to take our jump course. Our jump wings are coveted and extremely hard to earn.
Nice national flag graphics, good to grab.
Great pic.
Maybe, but the numbers are so small, that you'd have a tough time with the rioters in Ferguson.
Numbers aren’t that small. Actually a section of my fellow battalion members (8),managed to halt a whole division of armour in NTC. The commander was of course fired. My unit’s name is on the famous rock with all the other top dogs.
I do think we need to cut back social spending and beef up military though anyways. Denmark is now trying to claim the north pole, which is Canadian, and of course Russia is trying to take pieces of the pie too. We can’t rely on anyone else, so we need to do it ourselves.
Five of the top 10 are NATO countries.
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