It's always fun to sit around and war-game which country could beat up which, and it's even better when you have hard facts to back up your arguments.Below is a summary of the top ten militaries in the world, according toGlobal Firepower, whichtracks military power through publicly-available sources. We've scrapped Global Firepower naval comparisons sincethey track naval strength by number of ships, making a patrol boat equal to a supercarrier. Thislist of the largest navies by weightis being used instead.Below the spreadsheet we've added a breakdown of each military's power:1. United States of AmericaNo real surprise here. The US spends $577 billion on defense per year, nearly four times more than China's $145 billion budget. The US is behind both India and China onall measures of manpower but makes up for it with vastly superior airpower and a carrier fleetlarger than any other country's entire navy.2. RussiaAmerica's Cold War rival still packs a major punch. Its high ranking is fueled bysuperior armor numbers. Russiaalso fields a large navyand isone of the world's largest oil producers. Russia ranks fourth for number of military personnel, but its numbers are padded byshort-term conscripts. Though it isn't calculated by GFP, Russia's special operations forces and propaganda arms have been proving themselves in Ukraine where Russia is a major destabilizing force.3. ChinaChina has the second-largest military budget, third-largest fleet of aircraft, second-largest tank force, and the world's largest number of military personnel. China's special forces also took 3 of the top 4 spots at the 2014Warrior Games in Jordan. Though China technically has a draft, it is rarely used.4. IndiaIndia's ranking is largely due to its large labor force and large number of service members. It also has a sizable fleet of aircraft and tanks as wells as a respectable navy. It suffers though due to a large amount of oil consumption relative to its small amount of oil production. Interestingly, India's Border Force is the only modern military force that maintains a camel-mounted regiment.5. United KingdomDespite a small tank force, low number of aircraft, and a low number of military personnel, the United Kingdom maintains a spot in the top five with the world's fifth -largest navy and fifth-highest military budget. The British military is also aided by geography as it's hard for an invading force to attack an island.6. FranceFrance doesn't post up the most impressive numbers of ships, planes, and tanks, but what equipment it has is modern and very capable. Mirage and Rafale jets, Tiger helicopters, LeClerc main battle tanks, and the onlynuclear-powered carrier outside the US fleet all provide the main muscle behind the French military. France also manufacturers much of its own military supplies, meaning it has the ability to keep arming itself during a protracted war.7. South KoreaThough South Korea has the sixth-largest military by population,the sixth-largest fleet of aircraft in the world, and the eighth-largest navy, it has a relatively small budget and armored corps. Its largest threat is North Korea which, despite having the largest navy by number of ships, is actually weaker than the numbers suggests due to antiquated equipment and undertrained personnel.8. GermanyGermany got a decent rank on Global Firepower and a great one at National Interestdue to a strong economy, military spending, and good training. However, news coming out of Germany suggests its position may be weaker than it appears on paper. Itconsumesmuch more oil than itproduces, and its imports come from Russia, its most likely adversary. Germany'sability to weather an oil shortage is also decreasing as itmoves away from coal and nuclear power. Also, it's facing a major problem with its standard rifle.9. JapanJapan would be ranked higher if its people had a greater appetite for war. The sixth-largest military spender,it has thefifth-largest air fleet and the fourth-largest navy. Still, a lackluster ground game drags itdown and itsconstitution limits the military'sability to project force worldwide.10. TurkeyAn expanded military industrybodes well for Turkey's military. It has a large military-age population and tank force. It'supgrading its navy. And the Turkishpreparations for war are becoming more urgent as ISIS stands at its doorstep.SEE ALSO:The most powerful militaries in the Middle East [ranked]Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Russia reveals new high-tech weapon vehicles in a rehearsal for the country's biggest military parade
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