Among the most important aspects of military life today is the growing reliance on a strong navy to balance out world affairs. This means nations worldwide with access to oceans and the high seas have greatly emphasized building massive navies to serve their national interests. While many might think the United States has the world’s largest navy, a surprising nation takes the top prize.
Does the Largest Navy Make A Nation the Most Powerful?
While the idea that you can rank a navy regarding the number of ships is accurate, it’s only somewhat meaningful. There is indeed an order based on which nations have the most ships, so it’s essential to know that having a big navy doesn’t necessarily mean having a powerful one.
For example, the United States isn’t the largest navy but has the most aircraft carriers, which undoubtedly gives it more firepower than most other countries on this list. You have to take a list like this one and weigh how much firepower each nation has available, as this truly matters in a wartime scenario, not just numbers.
19. Bangladesh
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 117
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 7
- Total submarines: 2
18. Singapore
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 43
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 6
- Total submarines: 7
17. Thailand
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 293
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 7
- Total submarines: 0
16. Japan
- Total corvettes: 6
- Total naval vessels: 155
- Total destroyers: 36
- Total frigates: 4
- Total submarines: 23
15. Romania
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 20
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 3
- Total submarines: 0
14. Sweden
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 353
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 5
13. Israel
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 67
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 5
12. Egypt
- Total corvettes: 7
- Total naval vessels: 140
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 13
- Total submarines: 8
11. Peru
- Total corvettes: 8
- Total naval vessels: 69
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 7
- Total submarines: 4
10. United Arab Emirates
- Total corvettes: 9
- Total naval vessels: 79
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 0
9. Turkey
- Total corvettes: 9
- Total naval vessels: 186
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 16
- Total submarines: 12
8. Argentina
- Total corvettes: 9
- Total naval vessels: 41
- Total destroyers: 4
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 2
7. Vietnam
- Total corvettes: 14
- Total naval vessels: 97
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 9
- Total submarines: 6
6. Algeria
- Total corvettes: 16
- Total naval vessels: 213
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 8
- Total submarines: 6
5. India
- Total corvettes: 18
- Total naval vessels: 294
- Total destroyers: 12
- Total frigates: 12
- Total submarines: 18
4. United States
- Total corvettes: 23
- Total naval vessels: 472
- Total destroyers: 75
- Total frigates: 0
- Total submarines: 64
3. Indonesia
- Total corvettes: 25
- Total naval vessels: 333
- Total destroyers: 0
- Total frigates: 8
- Total submarines: 4
2. China
- Total corvettes: 72
- Total naval vessels: 730
- Total destroyers: 49
- Total frigates: 42
- Total submarines: 61
1. Russia
- Total corvettes: 83
- Total naval vessels: 781
- Total destroyers: 14
- Total frigates: 12
- Total submarines: 65
The image featured at the top of this post is ©usnavy / Flickr.
