Defense
Naohiko Hatta / REUTERS
Chinese soldiers practice for a military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing, September 25, 2019.
- "Great power competition" is now the stated focus of the US military, shifting attention to a potential military conflict with near-peer rivals.
- China and Russia are typically cited as examples of those rivals, but comparing militaries head-to-head takes a little more work.
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Head-to-head comparisons of military strength are hard to come by.
Global Firepower's 2019 Military Strength Ranking tries to fill that void by drawing on more than 55 factors to assign a Power Index score to 137 countries - adding Moldova this year. (Global Firepower appears to have changed its methodology from that of previous lists the 2019, yielding different index numbers.)
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 considered.
Recognized nuclear powers receive a bonus, but 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 their fleets lack diversity. (Helicopter carriers are included alongside traditional fleet carriers in Global Firepower's ranking.)
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 are).
The top power index score is 0.0000, which is "realistically unattainable," according to Global Firepower. The closer they are to this number, the more powerful their military is.
Per these criteria, these are the 25 most powerful militaries in the world: