10 Countries with the Strongest Armies in the World

In this article, we look at 10 countries with the strongest armies in the world. You can read about the impact ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East have had on the global defense industry by heading over to the 25 Countries with the Strongest Armies in the World.

10. United Kingdom

Manpower: 184,860

Tanks: 213

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 27,203

Rocket Projectors: 41

Attack Helicopters: 52

Nuclear Weapons: 225

GDP (2023): $3.33 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $68.46 billion

Technological Capabilities: 4/132

Weighted Ranking: 13.75

On 10th, we have United Kingdom, which has one of the strongest ground forces in Europe. The country ranks high on military technological capabilities, and is equipped with a large arsenal of nuclear weapons.

9. Germany

Manpower: 181,600

Tanks: 295

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 79,317

Rocket Projectors: 33

Attack Helicopters: 55

Nuclear Weapons: None

GDP (2023): $4.43 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $55.76 billion

Technological Capabilities: 8/132

Weighted Ranking: 13.15

Germany has one of the strongest armies in the world. The government plans on expanding its manpower by another 20,000 troops in the near future. It spent over $55 billion on defense expenditure in 2022, and is one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of technological capabilities.

8. France

Manpower: 200,000

Tanks: 222

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 85,023

Rocket Projectors: 9

Attack Helicopters: 69

Nuclear Weapons: 290

GDP (2023): $3.05 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $53.64 billion

Technological Capabilities: 11/132

Weighted Ranking: 13.00

The French army is not just the most powerful in Europe, but it is also the largest in terms of manpower in the continent. The country boasts a large arsenal of nuclear weapons. France’s tank and attack helicopter fleet is not as big as some other countries’, but most of its equipment is advanced and modern. Paris can further strengthen its armed forces by leveraging its economic strength. In 2023, the country had a nominal GDP in excess of $3 trillion.

7. Turkiye

Manpower: 355,200

Tanks: 2,231

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 55,104

Rocket Projectors: 286

Attack Helicopters: 111

Nuclear Weapons: None

GDP (2023): $1.15 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $10.64 billion

Technological Capabilities: 39/132

Weighted Ranking: 13.00

Next on our list is Turkiye, which has a sizable force of active troops, and large fleets of battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and attack helicopters. Despite economic challenges, Ankara spent over $10 billion on defense expenditure in 2022. The country is also fast becoming self-sufficient in the defense sector, with about 700 projects worth over $70 billion currently under development in Turkiye.

6. Japan

Manpower: 247,150

Tanks: 518

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 37,662

Rocket Projectors: 54

Attack Helicopters: 119

Nuclear Weapons: None

GDP (2023): $4.23 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $46 billion

Technological Capabilities: 13/132

Weighted Ranking: 12.30

Japan has one of the strongest armies in the world. The country boasts a sizable number of active ground troops and a large fleet of armored fighting vehicles. It also has 119 attack helicopters which can prove useful for Japan in the eventuality of an armed conflict.

5. South Korea

Manpower: 600,000

Tanks: 2,501

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 66,492

Rocket Projectors: 581

Attack Helicopters: 112

Nuclear Weapons: None

GDP (2023): $1.71 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $46.36 billion

Technological Capabilities: 10/132

Weighted Ranking: 8.45

South Korea has one of the largest armies in the world in terms of manpower with over half a million active troops. Seoul has also equipped itself with a large, modernized fleet of battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and attack helicopters. It also boasts of having several rocket projectors. The country has raised a strong military given its strained relations with North Korea.

4. India

Manpower: 1,455,550

Tanks: 4,614

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 151,248

Rocket Projectors: 702

Attack Helicopters: 40

Nuclear Weapons: 156

GDP (2023): $3.73 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $81.36 billion

Technological Capabilities: 40/132

Weighted Ranking: 7.35

India has the second largest standing army in the world after China, with nearly 1.5 million active soldiers. The country also boasts the sixth largest fleet of battle tanks and fourth most number of armored fighting vehicles in the world. Another significant strength of India is its nuclear arsenal which comprises 156 weapons. With its GDP nearing the $4 trillion mark, New Delhi can certainly look to further upgrade its defense capabilities by procuring more sophisticated and advanced weapons. In 2022, the country spent a whopping $81.36 billion on military expenditure.

3. Russia

Manpower: 1,320,000

Tanks: 14,777

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 161,382

Rocket Projectors: 3,065

Attack Helicopters: 559

Nuclear Weapons: 6,255

GDP (2023): $1.86 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $86.37 billion

Technological Capabilities: 51/132

Weighted Ranking: 6.55

Despite facing setbacks in Ukraine, Russia remains one of the strongest armies in the world. It has the highest number of nuclear weapons, and also boasts the largest fleet of battle tanks in the world. Russia’s arsenal of rocket projectors and self-propelled artillery is also the largest in the world. That being said, much of Russia’s weapons are aging and outdated, and require urgent modernization.

2. China

Manpower: 2,035,000

Tanks: 5,000

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 174,300

Rocket Projectors: 3,180

Attack Helicopters: 281

Nuclear Weapons: 350

GDP (2023): $17.7 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $292 billion

Technological Capabilities: 12/132

Weighted Ranking: 3.50

China has the largest standing army in the world with a manpower of over two million active troops. The country boasts a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons, rocket projectors, and self-propelled artillery. It also has a large fleet of battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and attack helicopters. China is currently the largest economy in the world when it comes to purchasing power parity, and it leverages its economic strength to flex its military muscles – as is evident from its actions in the South China Sea and along the disputed border with India.

1. United States

Manpower: 1,328,000

Tanks: 4,657

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 360,069

Rocket Projectors: 694

Attack Helicopters: 1,000

Nuclear Weapons: 5,550

GDP (2023): $26.95 trillion

Defense Spending (2022): $877 billion

Technological Capabilities: 3/132

Weighted Ranking: 3.25

The United States has the strongest army in the world. About than two-fifths (40%) of all global military spending was attributed to the US in 2022, with the country spending about $877 billion on defense expenditure that year. It is ranked as the third most technologically advanced country in the world, and that reflects in its defense industry at home as well, since it includes some of the largest armaments and aerospace companies in the world such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and RTX Corporation among others. Another distinct strength of the US Army is their military bases spread across 80 countries of the world, which allow them to target enemies wherever they may be at will.

Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily enewsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below. You can also check out our articles on 15 Easiest Credit Cards to Get with Bad Credit and 12 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In According to Hedge Funds.

Follow Insider Monkey on X.