Top 10 Military Nations

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Norfolk

Junior Member
VIP Professional
Maybe Silver Surfer's boss, mxiong.

1. USA (a little weak in long-term sustainable land power relative to its sea and air power)
2. Russia (seems to reserve its money for key big-ticket items, lets its grunts make do with whatever they can beg, borrow, or steal)
3. Britain (consistently bats well above its weight the last few decades due to the sheer quality of its troops, if not its armaments)
4. France (more quantity than the Brits in most areas, but professionalization to Brit standards, especially in the army, is going to take a little while)
5. China (still a lot of quantity, but a surprising amount of quality beginning to take shape in last few years)
6. India (a good balance of quantity and quality, though much equipment needs to be replaced due to age)
7. Israel (quality, which in some areas is still very good, has been hurting in recent years, especially army reserves; sustainability in long war remains an irreducible problem)
8. Pakistan (somewhat like India, in that there is a relatively good balance between quality and quantity, though again, much equipment needs replacement)
9. North Korea (I'd almost be tempted to say South Korea instead of the North, if it weren't for some doubts about portions of South Korea's reserve forces)
10. South Korea (I think that if there weren't some doubt about whether or not some South Korean reservists would actually show up for duty if the balloon went up with the North, then I'd give South Korea top billing over the North, fizzling nukes or not.)

Could make it to the Top Ten if they really decide to make the effort:

1. Japan
2. Germany
3. Brazil
4. Iran
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Maybe Silver Surfer's boss, mxiong.

1. USA (a little weak in long-term sustainable land power relative to its sea and air power)
2. Russia (seems to reserve its money for key big-ticket items, lets its grunts make do with whatever they can beg, borrow, or steal)
3. Britain (consistently bats well above its weight the last few decades due to the sheer quality of its troops, if not its armaments)
4. France (more quantity than the Brits in most areas, but professionalization to Brit standards, especially in the army, is going to take a little while)
5. China (still a lot of quantity, but a surprising amount of quality beginning to take shape in last few years)
6. India (a good balance of quantity and quality, though much equipment needs to be replaced due to age)
7. Israel (quality, which in some areas is still very good, has been hurting in recent years, especially army reserves; sustainability in long war remains an irreducible problem)
8. Pakistan (somewhat like India, in that there is a relatively good balance between quality and quantity, though again, much equipment needs replacement)
9. North Korea (I'd almost be tempted to say South Korea instead of the North, if it weren't for some doubts about portions of South Korea's reserve forces)
10. South Korea (I think that if there weren't some doubt about whether or not some South Korean reservists would actually show up for duty if the balloon went up with the North, then I'd give South Korea top billing over the North, fizzling nukes or not.)

Could make it to the Top Ten if they really decide to make the effort:

1. Japan
2. Germany
3. Brazil
4. Iran
We see thing very similarly. See my :

POST NUMBER 2

...and welcome to SD!
 

sinowarrior

Junior Member
What kind of potential situation are we talking about? Personally I think weapon system, experience can not successfully measure the military muscle of a nation, just like WW2, German and Japan, German had the advantage in training, doctrine, and equipment too, and is ranked as the number one land army during its time. Similarly Japan’s navy was the best in the beginning of the war, with superiority in technology, doctrine, training, experience. However in the end they lost their war, simply because they do not have the industrial capacity to back it up. So I will rank the top ten not with Nukes or guns alone but the ability to produce them, and the resources.

1. USA (number one in both military and economic field)
2. Russia (ranked before china due to its Military production capability, mature R&D research capability, greater land mass, amount of natural resources that can be used for war, although its GDP is no where near to China’s current standard, but during any major military confrontations, the amount of military institutions and production facilities are big advantage)
3. China (finely balanced military and industrial capability)
4. Japan (Its heavy industry, R&D are the top, but still lack of resources and geographic vulnerability make it below those top three with land mass more than 9 million square kms, but still ahead of UK, German, France for the its GDP, and industrial capacity alone )
5. India (pretty weak in both military and industrial production, GDP is not too good, but at least the land, the potential make it slightly ahead of the European trio, it potentially has more war waging ability compare to Japan if it can develop itself for another decade or two )
6 UK (industry and milirary production good, ahead of its contiental counterparts simply based on the usual experience etc)
7 German (Industry is ahead of French, and weapon design is capable especially in land warfare)
8. France (good all around, but capability wise not as strong as the top few)
9 Cananda/italy/spain? they all have decent industry capability, and GDP, spain is slightly ahead in weapon RD though, so spain will take the place.
10 South Korea (well land mass is small, but heavy industry is far superior to its northern borthers, and weapon RD and production is quite good, GDP is high, actully really struggling with the last two position, but its own ability to produce locally build weapon is still below other powers)
 

ger_mark

Junior Member
6 UK (industry and milirary production good, ahead of its contiental counterparts simply based on the usual experience etc)

I protest that :nono:

Germany has 33.4% of it's workforce wich is 25% more in number then the british workforce, also british workforce in employed within industry at 25.6%

Also the british industrial growth is at 0% over the last 10 year's while +4% every year in Germany, thats why the german industrial output is slightly larger then France and Britain combined :coffee:
 
D

Deleted member 675

Guest
1. US
2. UK
3. Russia
4. France
5. Japan
6. China
7. Germany
8. India
9. South Korea
10. Taiwan
 

kickars

Junior Member
1. US
2. Russia
3. UK
4. China
5. France
6. Germany
7. Israel
8. Japan
9. India
10. South Korea

I just wonder why people would think Taiwan is in the top 10. I mean surely countries like Italy, Spain, Brazil, Israel... should be above Taiwan.
 

Norfolk

Junior Member
VIP Professional
Thanks, Jeff. I really enjoy some of the discussions that I find on this forum -some other forums I've seen are not exactly focused on the business at hand.

It might be interesting though, keeping in mind the risks that go with trying to foresee the future, just what the Top Ten list may look like in several years' time, and what factors may be involved (ie. economic growth or decline, aging populations, and internal stability, changes in national policy or popular sentiment, etc.):

1. USA (Still number 1, though feeling increasing recruitment strain due in part to an aging population, and in part due to the fact that substantial portions of the American population, typically further up on the economic rung, do not send their children into the military-this was an observation that the late military journalist Max Hastings went to pains to make in one or two of his books)
2. Russia (Still number 2, but a lot of this depends upon petroleum and natural gas prices remaining high enough to finance Russian rearmament)
3. China (If China's economy is able to continue to expand without tearing Chinese society
apart and enough young manpower is still able to be wrung from a rapidly aging population, then it should be able to approach, and maybe even match in some areas, much of the West's standards of training, expertise, and technology. This, combined with China's greater military manpower and expanding industrial base, may enable it to knock Britiain and France out of their slots several years down the road).
4. Britain (Provided that, all other things remaining relatively stable, the two new Carriers actually materialize).
5. France (Again, much the same situation as Britain, although with the added emphasis on improving the professional standards of parts of the Army)
6. Japan (Some of the old nationalist sentiments have been fermenting within the Liberal Democratic Party, and the growing power of China in particular has spurred them to revise the Constitution in critical areas-not to mention investing in some new carriers. Japan will also need to develop a good deal more professional military expertise-high technology is not enough even with modestly good professional military standards- and an aging population will make it harder to get good troops)
7. Israel (Depends upon immigration to offset aging population and growing Arab populations, as well as continued American support)
8. India (Will probably remain about middling amongst the Great Powers for a while yet, but give another generation or so, could be in the top five)
9. South Korea (Between North Korea, Japan, and China, South Korea I don't think the South Koreans, with their substantial heavy industrial base and the four new carriers they have on the way, will remain complacent while squeezed between 4 countries that they have very bad experiences with, all in living memory- unless North Korea implodes, and South Korea finds itself spending its national treasure on trying to deal with that mess)
10. Brazil (What's hlding Brazil back right now is its economics-not that it is a poor country, it's not-but the wealth is very unevenly held, and economic reforms have led to some political and economic stress)

Countries not on the Top Ten list several years from now, but are now, or could have been:

1. Germany (Unless there is a resurgence of old-time nationalism or a fear of a resurgent Russia, unlikely to get into the Top Ten-national sentiment just isn't there, except in the East)
2. Pakistan (Could well be in the Top Ten several years from now, IF it can stay sufficiently stable politically AND if it can become more self-sufficient in the production of relatively modern armaments-if not, it could fall right off the Top Ten List very quickly and dramatically)
3. North Korea (It seems doubtful that North Korea can stay on the Top Ten List, or any other list for that matter, indefinitely. Unless Pyongyang does something dramatic-such as turn itself into a cheap-labour site for South Korean industrialists, and this it may already be attempting-it seems very likely to be unable to stave off eventual disintegration, leaving South Korea possibly, to try to pick up the pieces-As an aside, the old East Germany has still not completely reintegrated with the rest of Germany, and it's been nearly twenty years since reunification. Just imagine the nightmare South Korea would face trying to reintegrate the North-for the purposes of the Top Ten List, South korea could be knocked off that list for quite a while, and of course, North Korea disappear)
4. Iran (Has the potential, with its educated young population and petroleum wealth, within a generation to become a low grade Great Power, provided internal stresses-especially its young people-work themselves out in time)

One more Country to Watch:

1. Indonesia (With its massive population, considerable natural resources, and growing industrial base-albeit hurt badly in the 1990's by the Asian monetary crisis-Indonesia in a generation or two MIGHT become a real power to be reckoned with-if the economy is handled well and Indonesia is able to achieve sufficient political stability to allow it to really exploit its potential)

If I am off-topic with this, please let me know so I don't do it again.
 
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yehe

Junior Member
1. US
2. Russia
3. UK
4. China
5. France
6. Germany
7. Israel
8. Japan
9. India
10. South Korea

I just wonder why people would think Taiwan is in the top 10. I mean surely countries like Italy, Spain, Brazil, Israel... should be above Taiwan.

What does countries like Italy, Spain, Brazil, have that Taiwan dont? I can only see they lack enough subs, pure militarily seen.

FuManChu
1. US
2. UK
3. Russia
4. France
5. Japan
6. China
7. Germany
8. India
9. South Korea
10. Taiwan

Only the Navy of Japan can be said to be more powerful compared with China and India, That is also taken into consideration of Japans huge fleet of anti sub patrol aircraft to cpunter chinese subs, but tbh. those wont be of much use in a war without airsuperiority, and the Japanese airforce wont be able to gain air superiority compared with either China or India, not before Japan can get F22 or JSF at least, F15J is after all not such a modern aircraft anymore avionic and radar wise, JASDF lack both Quality and quantity.
And the Japanese army as I stated before, I dont think that high of it, low number of soldiers, no combat experience and main equipments like the new Japanese T96 veicle is proven to be a deathtrap for soldiers inside in Iraq vs mine and roadbombs as they have a upside down V shape underbeneth.
 
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crazyinsane105

Junior Member
VIP Professional
You guys are also forgetting Turkey and Greece, those two countries should probably be in the Top Ten in my opinion.
 
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