When Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded Ukraine, it brought war back to the continent of Europe. Many people are looking at investing in the military for the first time, and it’s important to see how the military of the UK and our NATO allies compares to that of other countries.

To compare how strong different military forces are WalesOnline has used the website GlobalFirepower’s PwrIndx ranking system (GFP).

This list is based on information about each country’s ability to fight a conventional war on land, sea, and the air. The final GFP ranks are based on the results, which include values for manpower, equipment, natural resources, finances, geography, and more than 50 other factors.

They say that these rankings “give an interesting look at a world that is becoming more unstable and where war seems almost inevitable.”

A score is given to each country. The closer they are to zero, the stronger their military. Here are the world’s top 10:

1. The United States

The US military is still the strongest in the world. It has more than 1.8 million people in it and spends more money on it than any other country.

Total military personnel (est) 1,832,000 (of which 442,000 are reserves).

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 13,247
• Fighters/Interceptors:1,957
• Dedicated attack: 783
• Transports: 982
• Trainers: 2,661
• Special-mission: 774
• Tanker fleet: 627
• Helicopters: 5,463
• Attack helicopters: 910

Land forces

• Tanks: 6,612
• Armored vehicles: 45,193
• Self-propelled artillery: 1,498
• Towed artillery: 1,339
• Rocket projectors: 1,366

Naval forces

• Total Assets:484
• Aircraft Carriers: 11
• Helicopter Carriers: 9
• Destroyers: 92
• Frigates: 0
• Corvettes: 22
• Submarines: 68
• Patrol Vessels: 10
• Mine Warfare: 8

2. Russia

In recent years, Russia has put a lot of money into its military (which makes the resistance of the Ukrainians all the more heroic). The 2017 Military Expenditure Database from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said that Russia spent $69,2 billion on its military in 2016. This number is about twice what SIPRI said the Russian military budget would be in 2006.

Total military personnel (est) 1,350,000 (of which 250,000 are reserves and 250,000 paramilitary).

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 4,173
• Fighters/Interceptors: 772
• Dedicated attack: 739
• Transports: 445
• Trainers: 522
• Special mission:132
• Tanker fleet: 20
• Helicopters: 1,543
• Attack helicopters: 544

Land forces

• Tanks: 12,420
• Armored vehicles: 30,122
• Self-Propelled artillery: 6,574
• Towed artillery: 7,571
• Rocket projectors: 3,391

Naval forces

• Total assets: 605
• Aircraft carriers: 1
• Helicopter carriers: 0
• Destroyers:15
• Frigates: 11
• Corvettes: 86
• Submarines: 70
• Patrol vessels: 59
• Mine warfare:49

3. China

In the past few years, China has increased its military spending by a lot. In 2018, China spent $250 billion on its military, which is an increase of 83% from 2009 to 2018. This makes it the world’s second-largest spender (though significantly less than the USA).

Total military personnel (est) 3,134,000 (of which 510,000 are reserves and 624,000 paramilitary).

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 3,285
• Fighters/Interceptors: 1,200
• Dedicated attack:371
• Transports: 286
• Trainers: 399
• Special-Mission:114
• Tanker Fleet: 3
• Helicopters: 912
• Attack helicopters: 281 (8.6%)

Land forces

• Tanks: 5,250
• Armored vehicles:35,000
• Self-propelled artillery: 4,120
• Towed artillery: 1,734
• Rocket Projectors: 3,160

Naval forces

• Total assets: 777
• Aircraft carriers: 2
• Helicopter carriers: 1
• Destroyers: 41
• Frigates: 49
• Corvettes: 70
• Submarines: 79
• Patrol vessels: 152
• Mine warfare: 36

4. India

India is number four on the list, and it has had problems with its neighbor Pakistan for a long time. It also fights with China over its border along the Himalayas.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has found that India’s spending is about a quarter of what China spends, which was over $200 billion in March, an increase of 6.8 percent.

Total military personnel (est) 5,132,000 (includes 1,155,000 reserves and 2,527,000 paramilitaries).

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 2,182
• Fighters/Interceptors: 564
• Dedicated attack: 130
• Transports: 253
• Trainers: 353
• Special-mission: 71
• Tanker fleet: 6
• Helicopters: 805
• Attack helicopters: 37

Land forces

• Tanks: 4,614
• Armored vehicles: 12,000
• Self-propelled artillery: 100
• Towed artillery: 3,311
• Rocket projectors: 1,338

Naval forces

• Total assets: 295
• Aircraft carriers: 1
• Helicopter carriers: 0
• Destroyers: 10
• Frigates: 13
• Corvettes: 22
• Submarines: 17
• Patrol vessels:128 S
• Mine warfare: 0

5. Japan

Because Japan has been mean to its neighbors in the past, its military is mostly focused on defense and is called the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Like many other countries in the area, it is becoming more worried about China’s growing influence in the South China Sea.

Total military personnel (est) 309,000 (of which 55,000 are reserves and 14,000 are paramilitary).

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 1,449
• Fighters/Interceptors:217
• Dedicated attack:23
• Transports: 59
• Trainers: 425
• Special-mission: 164
• Tanker fleet: 7
• Helicopters: 554
• Attack helicopters: 119

Land forces

• Tanks: 1,004
• Armored vehicles: 5,500
• Self-propelled artillery: 214
• Towed artillery: 480
• Rocket projectors: 99

Naval forces

• Total assets: 155
• Aircraft carriers: 0
• Helicopter carriers:4
• Destroyers:36
• Frigates: 4
• Corvettes:6
• Submarines: 21
• Patrol vessels: 6
• Mine warfare: 22

6. South Korea

South Korea has a volatile and nuclear-armed neighbor to the north, so its armed forces are one of the largest and most powerful in the world, with 3,750,000 troops in 2020, according to a report (650,000 active and 3,100,000 reserves).

About 1,130,000 people are in the military, 500,000 of whom are reserves and 75,000 (paramilitary).

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 1,595
• Fighters/Interceptors:402
• Dedicated Attack: 90
• Transports: 41
• Trainers: 289
• Special-mission:30
• Tanker fleet: 4
• Helicopters: 739
• Attack helicopters: 112

Land forces

• Tanks: 2,624
• Armored vehicles: 13,990
• Self-propelled artillery: 3,040
• Towed artillery: 3,854
• Rocket projectors: 574

Naval forces

• Total assets: 234
• Aircraft carriers: 0
• Helicopter carriers: 2
• Destroyers: 12
• Frigates: 18
• Corvettes: 11
• Submarines: 22
• Patrol vessels: 111
• Mine warfare: 13

7. France

France has one of the best military forces in Western Europe right now. Recently, it has been used to stop the rise of Islamic extremists in some parts of North Africa.

Total military personnel (est.) 415,000 (of which 35,000 are reserves and 175,000 paramilitaries)

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 1,055
• Fighters/interceptors: 266
• Dedicated attack: 0
• Transports: 125
• Trainers: 165
• Special-mission: 46
• Tanker fleet: 18
• Helicopters: 435
• Attack helicopters: 69

Land forces

• Tanks: 406
• Armored vehicles: 6,558
• Self-propelled artillery: 109
• Towed artillery: 105
• Rocket projectors: 13

Naval forces

• Total assets: 180
• Aircraft carriers:1
• Helicopter carriers: 3
• Destroyers: 10
• Frigates: 11
• Corvettes: 0
• Submarines: 10
• Patrol vessels: 15
• Mine warfare: 17

8. The United Kingdom

Even though the size of the UK’s armed forces has been going down steadily over the last ten years, it still has one of the strongest militaries in NATO, with nearly 700 aircraft.

Total military personnel (est.) 231,000 (of which 37,000 are reserved).

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 693
• Fighters/interceptors: 119
• Dedicated attack: 23
• Transports: 40
• Trainers: 247
• Special-mission: 20
• Tanker fleet: 9
• Helicopters: 235
• Attack helicopters:24

Land forces

• Tanks: 227
• Armored vehicles: 5,015
• Self-propelled artillery: 89
• Towed artillery: 126
• Rocket projectors: 44

Naval forces

• Total assets: 75
• Aircraft carriers: 2
• Helicopter carriers:0 S
• Destroyers: 6
• Frigates: 12
• Corvettes: 0
• Submarines: 10
• Patrol vessels: 26
• Mine warfare: 11

9. Pakistan

Armed with nukes Pakistan has about 1,640,000 people in the military (of which 500,000 are reserves and 500,000 paramilitaries.)

Airpower

• Total aircraft – 1,387
• Fighters/Interceptors: 357 (25.7%)
• Dedicated attack: 90 (6.5%)
• Transports: 54 (3.9%)
• Trainers: 551 (39.7%)
• Special-mission: 24 (1.7%)
• Tanker fleet: 4 (0.3%)
• Helicopters: 307 (22.1%)
• Attack helicopters: 57 (4.1%)

Land Forces:

• Tanks: 2,824
• Armoured Vehicles: 9,950
• Self-Propelled Artillery: 689
• Towed Artillery: 1,208
• Rocket Projectors: 560

Naval forces:

• Total Assets: 114
• Aircraft Carriers: 0
• Helicopter Carriers: 0
• Destroyers: 2
• Frigates: 6
• Corvettes: 2
• Submarines: 9
• Patrol Vessels: 48 S
• Mine Warfare: 3

10. Brazil

Total military personnel (est) 2,100,000 (of which 1,340,000 are reserves and 400,000 paramilitary)

Airpower

• Total aircraft strength: 679
• Fighters/interceptors: 42
• Dedicated attack: 77
• Transports: 125
• Trainers: 210
• Special-mission: 41
• Tanker fleet: 2
• Helicopters: 179
• Attack helicopters: 12

Land forces

• Tanks: 439
• Armored vehicles: 1,958
• Self-propelled artillery: 136
• Towed artillery: 546
• Rocket projectors: 78

Naval forces

• Total assets: 112
• Carriers: 0
• Helicopter carriers:
• Destroyers: 0
• Frigates: 6
• Corvettes:2
• Submarines: 7
• Patrol vessels: 22
• Mine warfare: 5

A score is tallied up for each nation. Their military might increases in direct proportion to the closer they are to zero. The list of the top 10 in the world.