6 months ago
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Military strength is a nation's backbone for defense against external threats. It is a complex mix of factors, including troop quality and quantity, advanced technology, geopolitical influence, resource availability, and defense spending.
Global Firepower (GFP) analyzes over 60 factors to create a PowerIndex score for 145 countries. These factors include the number of main weapons system units, a nation's financial health, logistical capabilities, and even geography.
A perfect PowerIndex score is 0.0000, but no country realistically achieves this. So, the lower the score, the stronger the military. Here is the list of the top ten countries with the most powerful militaries in 2024, according to GFP’s rankings:
1. United States
The United States dominates with a PowerIndex score of 0.0699. It excels in material resources, finances, and key military assets. The US boasts a massive air force with over 13,200 aircraft, along with a powerful land force with 4,657 armored vehicles, and a strong navy with 472 defense vessels.
2. Russia
Russia comes in second with a score of 0.0702. Its military features a robust air force with 4,255 aircraft, a formidable land force with 14,777 tanks, and a sizable navy with 781 vessels.
3. China
China ranks third with a PowerIndex score of 0.0706. It has a large military force estimated at 3.17 million personnel and a significant defense budget of up to US$227 billion. China's military includes 3,304 aircraft, 5,000 armored vehicles, and 730 naval defense equipment.
4. India
India boasts a PowerIndex score of 0.1023 in 2024. This South Asian nation allocates an estimated $74 billion to its defense budget and maintains a formidable force with roughly 2,296 air force aircraft, 4,614 army tanks, and 294 naval assets.
5. South Korea
South Korea, bordering North Korea, ranks fifth with a PowerIndex of 0.1443. Its military strength is bolstered by an estimated 3.82 million personnel and a defense budget of US$44.7 billion.
6. The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom secured the sixth position with a PowerIndex score matching South Korea's at 0.1443. Global Firepower estimated its defense budget to exceed US$62.8 billion. The UK's military assets include 664 air force units, 213 land force vehicles, and 117 naval vessels.
7. Japan
Japan holds the seventh spot with a PowerIndex of 0.1601. Despite a smaller military force estimated at 328,150 personnel, Japan compensates with a significant defense budget of US$53 billion.
8. Turkiye
Turkiye, spanning both Asia and Europe, ranks eighth with a PowerIndex of 0.1697. They are predicted to allocate US$40 billion to their defense system and possess an air force with approximately 1,069 units, an army with 2,231 armored vehicles, and a navy with 186 assets.
9. Pakistan
Pakistan comes in ninth with a PowerIndex of 0.1711. Their military force is estimated at 1.7 million personnel, and their defense spending sits at around US$6.3 billion.
10. Italy
Rounding out the top 10 is Italy with a PowerIndex of 0.1863. Italy dedicates US$31.6 billion to its defense budget and maintains an air force with 800 aircraft, a navy with 200 armored vehicles, and a total of 309 naval assets.
How about Indonesia?
Indonesia impressively ranks 13th globally, surpassing Australia by three positions, with a PowerIndex score of 0.2251. Indonesia's defense budget is estimated at US$25 billion.
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