20 Countries with the Strongest Armies in the World

8. France

GDP (2023): $3.05 trillion

Defense Spending (2023): $61.3 billion

Active Manpower: 200,000

Tanks: 222

Armored Fighting Vehicles: 85,023

Self-propelled Artillery: 96

Towed Artillery: 0

Rocket Projectors: 9

Attack Helicopters: 69

Nuclear Weapons: 290

Technological Capabilities Rank: 12

Weighted Ranking: 13.90

France has one of the most powerful militaries in Europe, both in terms of size and readiness. It has around 200,000 active personnel, the world’s fourth-biggest nuclear arsenal with 290 weapons, and large fleets of armored vehicles and attack helicopters.