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© John Moore / Getty Images News via Getty Images
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© "Exercise Kwanza Angola 06-2010 (24)" by US Army Africa is licensed under BY 2.0.
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© "Malaysian Rangers and Marines Come Ashore During Training" by DVIDSHUB is licensed under BY 2.0.
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© Kamila Kozioå‚ (Koziolkamila) / iStock via Getty Images
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© naphtalina / iStock via Getty Images
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© Nancy Anderson / iStock via Getty Images
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© ikholwadia / iStock via Getty Images
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© Gwengoat / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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© "Commander of the Mexican Army, Division General Celestino Avila Astudillo, Arrival Ceremony, May. 2, 2024" by 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) is licensed under PDM 1.0.
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© ziggy_mars / iStock via Getty Images
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© IC / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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© pabst_ell / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
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© AWG97 / Wikimedia Commons
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© Courtesy of Egyptian Military Academy via Facebook
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© Photo by D. Myles Cullen / U.S. Department of Defense
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© Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images News via Getty Images
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© Mohammad Sadegh Heydari / Wikimedia Commons
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© John Moore / Getty Images

© Mordolff / E+ via Getty Images
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© Nzpn / iStock via Getty Images

© "North Korea - Army and women soldiers" by Roman Harak is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
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© DanielBendjy / E+ via Getty Images
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© abhisheklegit / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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© ÐлекÑÐ°Ð½Ð´Ñ Ð¡ÐµÐ¼ÐµÐ½Ð¾Ð² / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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
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
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

The Global Military Powerhouse Crushing Everyone in Numbers
While you might think any military conflict would be won solely by numbers, history has shown this isn't always the case. Instead, there is a definite argument to be made that if you truly want to defend your borders and interests worldwide, you need a sizable active military capable of deploying on a moment’s notice anywhere your leadership calls.
23. Angola
- Armed forces personnel: 107,000
- Active military aircraft: 300
- Defense expenditure: $1.62 billion
22. Malaysia
- Armed forces personnel: 113,000
- Active military aircraft: 125
- Defense expenditure: $4.8 billion
21. Poland
- Armed forces personnel: 114,500
- Active military aircraft: 459
- Defense expenditure: $31.6 billion
20. Italy
- Armed forces personnel: 165,500
- Active military aircraft: 850
- Defense expenditure: $35.5 billion
19. Israel
- Armed forces personnel: 169,500
- Active military aircraft: 601
- Defense expenditure: $27.5 billion
18. United Kingdom
- Armed forces personnel: 196,453
- Active military aircraft: 663
- Defense expenditure: $74.9 billion
17. France
- Armed forces personnel: 208,750
- Active military aircraft: 1,004
- Defense expenditure: $61.3 billion
16. Mexico
- Armed forces personnel: 216,000
- Active military aircraft: 468
- Defense expenditure: $11.8 billion
15. Japan
- Armed forces personnel: 247,000
- Active military aircraft: 1,451
- Defense expenditure: $50.2 billion
14. Turkey
- Armed forces personnel: 355,200
- Active military aircraft: 1,065
- Defense expenditure: $15.8 billion
13. Brazil
- Armed forces personnel: 366,500
- Active military aircraft: 665
- Defense expenditure: $22.9 billion
12. Indonesia
- Armed forces personnel: 404,500
- Active military aircraft: 466
- Defense expenditure: $9.5 billion
11. Egypt
- Armed forces personnel: 438,500
- Active military aircraft: 1,069
- Defense expenditure: $4.4 billion
10. Vietnam
- Armed forces personnel: 450,000
- Active military aircraft: 223
- Defense expenditure: N/A
9. South Korea
- Armed forces personnel: 500,000
- Active military aircraft: 1,602
- Defense expenditure: $47.9 billion
8. Iran
- Armed forces personnel: 610,000
- Active military aircraft: 541
- Defense expenditure: $10.3 billion
7. Pakistan
- Armed forces personnel: 660,000
- Active military aircraft: 1,413
- Defense expenditure: $8.5 billion
6. Russia
- Armed forces personnel: 1.1 million
- Active military aircraft: 4,182
- Defense expenditure: $109 billion
5. Ukraine
- Armed forces personnel: 1.25 million
- Active military aircraft: 312
- Defense expenditure: $64.8 billion
4. North Korea
- Armed forces personnel: 1.28 million
- Active military aircraft: 570
- Defense expenditure: N/A
3. United States
- Armed forces personnel: 1.32 million
- Active military aircraft: 13,300
- Defense expenditure: $916 billion
2. India
- Armed forces personnel: 1.47 million
- Active military aircraft: 2,210
- Defense expenditure: $83.6 billion
1. China
- Armed forces personnel: 2.035 million
- Active military aircraft: 3,166
- Defense expenditure: $296.0 billion