Strongest military
Who has the largest army? This article compares the U.S. to Japan, China, and Russia's militaries. Each country has unique strengths and weaknesses. Their strengths and weaknesses are subjective. Some surprising facts follow. U.S.
The US has the world's largest military and can defend itself and its allies from many threats. The U.S. military maintains a large, imposing presence around the world with over 2,000 fighter jets and 900 attack choppers. The US military is the world's strongest in both traditional and cyberwarfare.
The Pentagon spends $738 billion on US military bases worldwide. The USA has 1,388,000 active-duty men and women. The US has 1,379 combat aircraft and 87 submarines in addition to its air force. The US has the strongest military, followed by Russia and China.
Japan has the world's largest military, but its foreign policy focuses on defense. Japan rarely refers to its armed forces as military, but it has seen potential adversaries and pushed citizens to give the military a more robust role, which has increased defense spending. But Japan isn't abandoning its post-WWII "pacifism"
Japan's Cabinet recently proposed increasing military spending by 6.5%. The extra budget funds missile defense, emergency response, and East China Sea island defense. While the budget request is lower than last summer's, it's still large compared to the US $778 billion and China's $252 billion. The extra budget is only a partial response to the threat posed by China and North Korea, which have heightened regional tensions.
China has the world's third-largest military, but it's not the most capable. The US has more advanced technology than China and the world's largest military. China has the world's second- and third-largest tank and aircraft fleets. China has the world's third-largest military, with over 2 million active personnel. It has over 3,000 tanks, 35,000 armored vehicles, 2,000 nuclear weapons, 46 frigates, 72 corvettes, and 123 patrol vessels.
China began a massive reform campaign in 2015 that reduced PLA personnel and increased the navy and air force. The PLA's military has reorganized and emphasized cyberspace and futuristic weapons while building up its air force and navy. China has since modernized its military. Modernization has streamlined organizational structures and systems. China's missile modernization is impressive.
More than a million soldiers and $43.2 billion fund the Russian military. It has double the tanks and nuclear weapons of the U.S. It has a carrier, 70 warships, 28 nuclear submarines, and 1,300 fighters. Russia has more than 500 land-based ballistic missile launchers, including Mach 5 missiles. Five times faster than sound, these missiles.
Russian forces lack a traditional infantry formation. The Combined Arms Army is in charge. These armies are divided into brigades, divisions, and airborne divisions. 1.5-2 brigades make up an army. The Russian military cooks the books to hide gaps in airborne divisions' manpower.
The Indian Army is the largest and most experienced of the country's armies. It's also a UN peacekeeper. The Indian Army focuses on border defense and internal security. The Indian Army fought in the 1962 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani Wars.
India's army has over 1.4 million troops, surpassing China. China has reduced its army strength in recent years to focus on its navy, air force, and technology. China's ground forces are third in the world, but the People's Liberation Army is the largest.
Egypt has 36 million fit-for-service people and 440,000 active military. It has 215 fighter jets, 294 helicopters, 81 attack helicopters, 4295 tanks, 11799 armored vehicles, 1139 rocket projectors, 45 patrols, 31 mine warfare, 8 submarines, 7 corvettes, and two aircraft carriers.
Egypt's armies are large, but they're ineffective against insurgencies. The military is underfunded and underequipped for insurgencies. Egypt is the behemoth of Arab armies and a natural Arab leader. Egyptian army wants to catch up technologically.