In this article, we look at the 25 most powerful countries in the world by military. You can skip our detailed analysis on countries racking up their defense capabilities and its impact on the armaments manufacturing industry by directly heading over to our list of the 10 Most Powerful Countries In The World By Military.
The last three years have been marred by conflict, with no end in sight. Russia’s war in Ukraine has been ongoing for the last 650 days with scores dead and millions displaced. There are regular border skirmishes in the Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia, with the former having seized parts of the Nagorno-Karabakh region from Armenian control during the fall of 2020. Afghanistan’s collapse to the Taliban in 2021 has also created a security challenge for regional countries. Worst of all, the Middle East is up in flames after Israel invaded the Gaza strip following hundreds of Hamas fighters launching an attack on Israel last month.
Driven by security challenges, several nations of the world are increasing defense spending to equip their militaries with advanced, sophisticated weapons required to enhance their capabilities. Global defense spending reached a record high of $2.2 trillion in 2022, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), with Europe having its steepest rise in expenditure in 30 years. The United States, China, and Russia accounted for more than half of all military spending that year, while defense expenditure of NATO member countries rose 0.9% to total $1.2 trillion.
The uptick in defense expenditure has meant a boom for the global defense industry. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) posted revenues of a whopping $66 billion in 2022, and earned $5.7 billion in profits. The company is the largest defense contractor in the US and received 11% of all DoD military-related contracts last year. RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) also reported an 8.9% increase in its net earnings compared to 2021. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)’s sales were also significantly higher in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The United States continues to retain its aerial and naval superiority over both China and Russia because of its fleet of the fifth-generation fighter jets and advanced aircraft carriers, including a $13.3 billion warship. In 2005, Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)’s F-22 Raptor enabled the United States to become the first country to have a fifth-generation fighter jet. Later in 2015, Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) developed the F-35B Lightning II to give the US Air Force a further edge over its rivals in aerial space.
What separates fifth-generation fighter jets from the previous generation of jets is that these are equipped with modern technologies of the 21st century such as “stealth” and come equipped with features that make it hard for radars to detect them. Russia, with its Su-57, and China with J-20, have their own versions of fifth-generation stealth fighter jets but lag behind the Americans in both fleet size and capabilities.
On the naval side of things, the United States has the highest number of aircraft carriers. Currently, the US Navy is working with Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII) on the development of nuclear-powered Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers that would replace the Nimitz class aircraft carrier design. The Navy plans on having at least four of these carriers.
The first of these, CVN-78, has already been delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII). The carrier was first procured in 2008 for an estimated $13.3 billion. It was commissioned in 2017, and became operational in 2021. The scheduled delivery years for the remaining three carriers – CVN-79, CVN-80 and CVN-81 – are 2025, 2028 and 2032, respectively.
There is a key military frontier, however, in which Russia is ahead. That is hypersonic missiles. These missiles evade radars and travel at a speed of over 6,200 km per hour in the upper atmosphere, which is five times more than the speed of sound. The first type of hypersonic missile is the Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV), which has the ability to leave and plunge back into the Earth’s atmosphere. The other, which is the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM), is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and travels at a lightning speed at lower altitude. The exact count of the hypersonic missiles Russia possesses is not known. The Americans are currently pursuing development of these weapons. The U.S. Department of Defense set aside $3.2 billion in 2021 in R&D for hypersonic missiles, according to the DoD.
All being said, recent conflicts have demonstrated that just having a military that is large in size and units of inventory alone is not enough to gauge its strength. The professionalism, skill level and battle hardness of troops, and being in possession of advanced, sophisticated equipment instead of decades-old outdated technology are often ignored, but these are critical determinants of military power. Logistics, geographical reach, and space presence are other important factors in today’s world. Nuclear deterrence is another key competitive edge that some nations hold over the others. Therefore, all of these factors must be weighed in when determining military strength.
Photo by Joel Rivera-Camacho on Unsplash
Methodology
We have considered ten weighted metrics to rank the most powerful countries in the world by military. These metrics and their weights are as follows: GDP 5%, defense spending 10%, tanks 10%, manpower 10%, nuclear weapons 15%, military aircraft including fighter jets 15%, naval assets 15%, technological capabilities 5%, military satellites 5%, active airfields 5%, and overseas military bases 5%.
We referred to 50 Largest Economies in the World in 2023 for data on GDP, while SIPRI’s 2023 report was used for figures related to military spending by countries in 2022. Information related to manpower, tanks, and military satellites was pulled from our recent articles, 25 Strongest Armies in the World in 2023 and 15 Countries with the Highest Number of Military Satellites in Orbit. For number of nuclear weapons, military satellites and overseas military bases, our source was The Power Atlas. Global Innovation Index 2022 was used to gauge technological capabilities of each of these countries. Information related to fighter jets and naval assets were taken from Global Firepower Index 2023 and Flight International 2022.
Weighted scores for each metric were then aggregated to get an overall score. The most powerful countries in the world by military strength are ranked in ascending order of those scores.
Let’s now head over to the list of the world’s most powerful countries by military.
25. Ukraine
GDP (2022): $151 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $44 billion
Manpower: 200,000
Tanks: 1,890
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 318
Naval Assets: 38
Military Satellites: 0
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 187
Score: 2.55
Ukraine’s military has received wide acclaim from defense experts for the manner in which it has responded to and held Russian invasion. Kyiv’s defense capabilities have been enhanced by the military and financial support it has received from the United States and its European allies. HIMARS made by Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) have been instrumental in pushing Russia back as they allowed Ukraine to strike Russian targets with precision. Last year, the Biden administration gave $631 million worth of these to Ukraine. During the same year, RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) was awarded a $624 million contract to provide Kyiv 1,300 stinger missiles, while the US in January this year announced to send 31 M1 Abrams built by General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) in fresh military assistance to Ukraine.
24. Poland
GDP (2022): $688 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $16.6 billion
Manpower: 120,000
Tanks: 569
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 436
Naval Assets: 86
Military Satellites: 0
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 126
Score: 2.65
Poland has the fourth highest military spending as share of the GDP among NATO members – 2.42%. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Polish government announced plans to further upgrade and strengthen its armed forces, which includes spending an estimated $100 billion on defense expenditure between 2023-2025 and increasing manpower to 250,000 personnel. By February 2023, Poland had already committed to purchasing $10 billion worth of advanced rocket systems from the United States. Moreover, last year in July, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), delivered the first of its six Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) Engagement Operations Centers for Poland’s air and missile defenses. The country this year also signed a $1.4 billion contract with General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) for its M1A1 Abrams tanks. These will be 116 in quantity.
23. Saudi Arabia
GDP (2022): $1.1 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $75 billion
Manpower: 225,000
Tanks: 1,273
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 897
Naval Assets: 57
Military Satellites: 0
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 214
Score: 3.06
Saudi Arabia is one of the most powerful countries in the Middle East, mainly due to the mass oil production in the country, which it has leveraged to strengthen its armed forces. According to SIPRI, the kingdom was the fifth highest spender on military in 2022, having spent $75 billion on military, which accounted for 40% of all spending in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia’s military strength is particularly known for its fleet of combat jets, which include 211 F-15s, 81 Tornado IDS, and 72 Eurofighter Typhoons.
22. Australia
GDP (2022): $1.7 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $32.3 billion
Manpower: 60,500
Tanks: 59
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 430
Naval Assets: 43
Military Satellites: 4
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 418
Score: 3.07
Australia is among the most powerful countries in the world by military. It is estimated to have spent $32.3 billion on defense spending in 2022. This year, the Australian government announced plans to purchase nuclear submarines SSN-AUKUS as part of a three-way agreement with UK and US as the other two countries. An order for 72 F-35A fifth-generation fighter jets has also been placed with Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT).
21. Indonesia
GDP (2022): $1.32 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $8.8 billion
Manpower: 400,000
Tanks: 314
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 461
Naval Assets: 324
Military Satellites: 0
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 673
Score: 3.20
Next on the list is Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world. The $8.8 billion in defense spending last year included an order for two Scorpene submarines and 42 Rafale fighter jets. The country, with its GDP sized $1.32 trillion, has the potential to further strengthen its military by leveraging its economic might.
20. Netherlands
GDP (2022): $994 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $15.6 billion
Manpower: 35,000
Tanks: 18
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 156
Naval Assets: 61
Military Satellites: 0
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 29
Score: 3.30
Much of the military strength of the Netherlands is owed to its aerial power. Its current fleet of 156 aircraft includes 40 F-16 and 13 F-35 fighter jets. It is also among the most technologically advanced countries in the world, with a score of 58/100 on the Global Innovation Index of 2022. Ground troops is an area where there is room for improvement. The military’s active manpower stands at 35,000 and it has only 18 tanks in its fleet. This is due to the government eliminating its entire tank fleet in 2011 as a cost-cutting measure.
19. Thailand
GDP (2022): $536 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $6.3 billion
Manpower: 350,000
Tanks: 587
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 469
Naval Assets: 292
Military Satellites: 1
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 101
Score: 3.31
Driven by regional disputes, such as the one in the South China Sea, Thailand, much like other countries in the ASEAN region, has more than doubled its defense spending over the last few years. The country also has one of the strongest ground forces in the world, with nearly 40,000 armored fighting vehicles, 22 rocket projectors, and 7 attack helicopters, in addition to its 587 tanks and an active force of 350,000 personnel.
18. Spain
GDP (2022): $1.4 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $20.3 billion
Manpower: 120,000
Tanks: 327
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 503
Naval Assets: 166
Military Satellites: 4
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 135
Score: 3.32
Spain only spends about 1% of its GDP on defense. Despite that, it is one of the most powerful countries in the world by military strength. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government in Madrid announced plans to increase defense spending to meet NATO’s expectation of members spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense. Much of Spain’s military strength today is due to its fleet of modern combat jets, as well as naval assets which includes an aircraft carrier.
17. Canada
GDP (2022): $2.14 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $26.9 billion
Manpower: 70,000
Tanks: 82
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 380
Naval Assets: 61
Military Satellites: 1
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 1,467
Score: 3.47
The Canadian government in January this year announced that it was purchasing 88 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT), in a bid to further enhance its military capabilities and meet NATO’s goal of spending 2% of the GDP on defense. Canada is among the strongest countries in the world in terms of military power. It also ranks high compared to most other nations of the world when it comes to technological advancement.
16. Iran
GDP (2022): $352 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $6.8 billion
Manpower: 575,000
Tanks: 4,071
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 543
Naval Assets: 101
Military Satellites: 1
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 319
Score: 3.53
Despite economic sanctions, Iran continues to be among the most powerful countries in the world by military. This is largely due to its military’s active manpower and a massive fleet of tanks and armored fighting vehicles. The country also boasts a strong arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
15. Egypt
GDP (2022): $475 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $4.35 billion
Manpower: 440,000
Tanks: 4,664
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 1,062
Naval Assets: 245
Military Satellites: 1
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 83
Score: 3.60
Egypt is a country of immense significance and a key strategic ally of the United States to ensure peace and security in the MENA region. Per reports by NYT, the country receives $1.3 billion per annum from Washington in military aid, to help it in transitioning from the outdated Soviet-era equipment. Currently, the Egyptian Air Force has a fleet of over 1,000 military aircraft, which include 168 F-16 fighter jets. In 2021, Sisi’s government placed an order worth $4.5 billion to buy Rafale jets from France. Moreover, under a contract with the United States, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will be providing technical support to Egypt’s E-2 aircraft fleet.
14. Pakistan
GDP (2022): $377 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $7.5 billion
Manpower: 654,000
Tanks: 3,742
Nuclear Weapons: 165
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 1,387
Naval Assets: 114
Military Satellites: 6
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 151
Score: 3.62
Pakistan has one of the most powerful militaries in the world. Apart from being equipped with nuclear weapons, the country spends heavily on defense expenditure — despite economic challenges — due to the perceived threat from its archrival India, and the volatile situation across its western border in Taliban-led Afghanistan. The Pakistan Army also lends security assistance to its allies in the Arab world which earns the country diplomatic and political clout among GCC members. Pakistan Air Force’s strong aircraft fleet includes 135 F-7s, 109 JF-17s, and 44 F-16s, among other military aircraft and fighter jets.
13. Brazil
GDP (2022): $1.92 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $20.2 billion
Manpower: 360,000
Tanks: 466
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 679
Naval Assets: 112
Military Satellites: 1
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 4,093
Score: 3.63
With its GDP nearing the $2 trillion mark, Brazil has been gradually upgrading its armed forces, and as a result it is now considered among the most powerful countries in the world by military strength. According to SIPRI, it is estimated to have spent more than $20 billion on defense expenditure in 2022. Brazil in 2014 signed an agreement to procure 36 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden to strengthen its air defense. The delivery is expected in 2027. The country is also upgrading its surveillance radars under a contract with RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX).
12. Turkey
GDP (2022): $905 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $10.6 billion
Manpower: 425,000
Tanks: 2,229
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 1,057
Naval Assets: 154
Military Satellites: 2
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 3
Active Airfields: 98
Score: 3.73
Turkey is the most powerful country in the Middle East, for a variety of reasons which you can read more about in our article, 12 Most Powerful Countries in the Middle East Heading into 2024. Militarily, it boasts a sizable force of active troops, a fleet of more than 2,000 tanks, and a potent air force which has 157 F-16 fighter jets in addition to several other combat aircraft. Turkey over the last few decades has worked to develop self-sufficiency in the defense sector, and has succeeded in doing so to a great degree. As of October 2022, there were more than 700 projects worth $70 billion that were under development in Turkey’s defense sector, which is set to reduce its external dependency for arms and equipment.
11. Israel
GDP (2022): $522 billion
Defense Spending (2022): $23.4 billion
Manpower: 173,000
Tanks: 2,200
Nuclear Weapons: 90 (Estimated)
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 597
Naval Assets: 67
Military Satellites: 8
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airfields: 42
Score: 3.82
Israel is among the most technologically advanced countries in the world and has leveraged its capabilities in its defense sector as well. Israel’s Iron Dome is one of the most effective air defense systems in the world, that is designed to shoot down incoming projectiles with precision, and has a very high success rate. A key factor of Israel’s military strength is its air force, which has close to 600 aircraft – 40% of which are fighter jets, and include 27 F-35 and 175 F-16.
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Disclosure: None. 25 Most Powerful Countries In The World By Military is originally published on Insider Monkey.