These are the 25 most powerful militaries in the world in 2018

With its National Defense Strategy released earlier this year, the US detailed its shift from small-scale operations like counterinsurgency and toward a potential fight with a rival like Russia or China.Countries around the world have made similar moves, refocusing on large-scale conflict.Amid those changes, head-to-head comparisons of military strength are hard to come by. Global Firepower's 2018 Military Strength Ranking tries to fill that void by drawing on more than 55 factors to assign a Power Index score to 136 countriesadding Ireland, Montenegro, and Liberia to last year's list.The ranking assesses the diversity of each country's weapons and pays particular attention to their available manpower. Geography, logistical capacity, available natural resources, and the status of local industry are also taken into account.While recognized nuclear powers receive a bonus, their nuclear stockpiles are not factored into the score. Landlocked countries are not docked for lacking a navy, but countries with navies are penalized if there is a lack of diversity in their fleets.NATO countries get a slight bonus because the alliance theoretically shares resources, but in general, a country's current political and military leadership was not considered (though financial health and stability is).The top power index score is 0.0000, which is "realistically unattainabile" for any military according to Global Firepower. The closer they are to this number, the more powerful their miltary is.Per these criteria, these are the 25 most powerful militaries in the world:SEE ALSO:Step aboard the USS Kearsarge, the US Navy workhorse that takes Marines to war25. CanadaPower Index rating: 0.4356 (NATO member)Total population: 35,623,680Total military personnel: 88,000Total aircraft strength: 413Fighter aircraft: 60Combat tanks: 80Total naval assets: 63Defense budget: $16.4 billion24. TaiwanPower Index rating: 0.4331Total population: 23,508,428Total military personnel: 1,932,500Total aircraft strength: 843Fighter aircraft: 286Combat tanks: 2,005Total naval assets: 87Defense budget: $10.725 billion23. AlgeriaPower Index rating: 0.4296Total population: 40,969,443Total military personnel: 792,350Total aircraft strength: 528Fighter aircraft: 97Combat tanks: 2,405Total naval assets: 85Defense budget: $10.57 billionSee the rest of the story at Business Insider
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