Less than a battalion. The smallest armies in the world. The smallest armies in the world What is the smallest army in the world
The Russian army is among the top three strongest in the world; in the Credit Suisse rating, the Russian military is rated along with the armies of China and the United States. What is the real balance of power among states ready for military conflicts?Medialeaks publishes a list of the 20 most powerful armies in the world according to the organization.
At the end of September financial institution published a report in which it indicated the TOP 20 most powerful armies in the world. Based on this graph, our publication made a detailed list and added its comments.
When compiling the rating, such parameters as the budget, army size, number of tanks, aircraft, combat helicopters, aircraft carriers and submarines, and partly the presence of nuclear weapons were taken into account. The technical level of weapons influenced the position on the list to a lesser extent, and the real combat capability of a particular army was practically not assessed.
Thus, assessing the situation of some countries may raise questions. Let's say the Israeli army is inferior to Egypt by two positions, mainly due to the number of soldiers and tanks. However, in all clashes, the first won an unconditional victory over the second, despite the numerical superiority.
It is interesting to note that not a single country was included in the list Latin America. For example, despite the size of the population and economy, Brazil's military doctrine does not involve serious external or internal threats, so military spending in this country amounts to only about 1% of GDP.
It is also somewhat strange that the list did not include Iran with its half a million soldiers, one and a half thousand tanks and 300 combat aircraft.
20. Canada
Budget: $15.7 billion
Number of active army: 22 thousand.
Tanks: 181
Aviation: 420
Submarines: 4
The Canadian Army is at the bottom of the list: it does not have as many numbers and does not have as much military equipment. Be that as it may, the Canadian military accepts Active participation in all US operations. In addition, Canada is a participant in the F-35 program.
19. Indonesia
Budget: $6.9 billion
Number of active army: 476 thousand.
Tanks: 468
Aviation: 405
Submarines: 2
Indonesia made the list thanks to its large number of military personnel and the noticeable size of its tank force, but for an island country it lacks naval forces: in particular, it has no aircraft carriers and only two diesel submarines.
18. Germany
Budget: $40.2 billion
Number of active army: 179 thousand.
Tanks: 408
Aviation: 663
Submarines: 4
After World War II, Germany did not have its own army for 10 years. During the confrontation between the West and the USSR, the Bundeswehr numbered up to half a million people, but after unification, the country's authorities abandoned the doctrine of confrontation and sharply reduced investments in defense. Apparently, this is why the German Armed Forces ended up even behind Poland in the Credit Suisse rating. At the same time, Berlin is actively sponsoring its eastern NATO allies.
17. Poland
Budget: $9.4 billion
Number of active army: 120 thousand.
Tanks: 1,009
Aviation: 467
Submarines: 5
Poland was ahead of its western neighbor in military power due to its greater number of tanks and submarines, although for the last 300 years the Polish Army has lost in most military conflicts. Be that as it may, Warsaw increased spending on the army after the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the outbreak of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
16. Thailand
Budget: $5.4 billion
Number of active army: 306 thousand.
Tanks: 722
Aviation: 573
Submarines: 0
The Thai army has been in control of the situation within the country since May 2014; the armed forces are the main guarantee of political stability. It employs a significant number of people and has a large number of modern tanks and aircraft.
15. Australia
Budget: $26.1 billion
Number of active army: 58 thousand.
Tanks: 59
Aviation: 408
Submarines: 6
Australian military personnel consistently take part in all NATO operations. In accordance with national doctrine, Australia must be able to stand alone against external invasion. The defense forces are formed on a professional basis, the army is well equipped technically, there is a modern fleet and a large number of combat helicopters.
14. Israel
Budget: $17 billion
Number of active army: 160 thousand.
Tanks: 4,170
Aviation: 684
Submarines: 5
Israel is the most underrated participant in the ranking. The IDF won all the conflicts in which it participated, and sometimes the Israelis had to fight on several fronts against an enemy many times larger than them. In addition to the huge number of the latest offensive and defensive weapons of its own design, Credit Suisse's analysis does not take into account the fact that the country has several hundred thousand reservists with combat experience and high motivation. Business card IDF - female soldiers who proved that the weaker sex with a machine gun is no less effective than the stronger. Not to mention the fact that, according to unverified data, Israel has about 80 nuclear warheads in its arsenal.
13. Taiwan
Budget: $10.7 billion
Number of active army: 290 thousand.
Tanks: 2,005
Aviation: 804
Submarines: 4
The authorities of the Republic of China believe that they are the legitimate government of the Celestial Empire and sooner or later they must return to Beijing, and until this happens, the army is always ready for the invasion of usurpers from the mainland. And although in reality the island’s armed forces are unlikely to be able to resist the PRC army, two thousand modern tanks and 800 aircraft and helicopters make it a serious force.
12. Egypt
Budget: $4.4 billion
Number of active army: 468 thousand.
Tanks: 4,624
Aviation: 1,107
Submarines: 4
The Egyptian army was in the ranking due to the number and amount of equipment, although as the war showed doomsday, even a threefold superiority in tanks is offset by high combat skills and the technical level of weapons. At the same time, it is known that about a thousand “Abrams” of the Egyptian Armed Forces are simply mothballed in warehouses. Nevertheless, Cairo will acquire two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, not supplied by France to the Russian Federation, and about 50 Ka-52 combat helicopters for them, which will make Egypt really serious military force in the region.
11. Pakistan
Budget: $7 billion
Number of active army: 617 thousand.
Tanks: 2,924
Aviation: 914
Submarines: 8
The Pakistani army is one of the largest in the world, it has many tanks and aircraft, and the United States supports Islamabad with equipment. The main threat is internal; local leaders and the Taliban rule in hard-to-reach areas of the country. In addition, Pakistan has not reached an agreement on borders with India: the territories of the states of Jammu and Kashmir remain disputed, formally the countries are in a state of conflict, within which they are engaged in an arms race. Pakistan has medium-range ballistic missiles and about a hundred nuclear warheads
10. Türkiye
Budget: $18.2 billion
Number of active army: 410 thousand.
Tanks: 3,778
Aviation: 1,020
Submarines: 13
Türkiye claims to be a regional leader, so it is constantly building up and updating its armed forces. A huge number of tanks, aircraft and a large modern fleet (though without aircraft carriers) allows Turkish army be considered the strongest among the Muslim countries of the Middle East.
9. UK
Budget: $60.5 billion
Number of active army: 147 thousand.
Tanks: 407
Aviation: 936
Submarines: 10
After the end of World War II, Great Britain abandoned the idea of military dominance around the world in favor of the United States, but the Royal Armed Forces still have significant power and take part in all NATO operations. Her Majesty's fleet includes several nuclear submarines with strategic nuclear weapons: a total of about 200 warheads. By 2020, the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth is expected to be commissioned, which will be able to carry 40 F-35B fighters.
8. Italy
Budget: $34 billion
Number of active army: 320 thousand.
Tanks: 586
Aviation: 760
Submarines: 6
7. South Korea
Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 624 thousand.
Tanks: 2,381
Aviation: 1,412
Submarines: 13
South Korea retains numerous armed forces, although in terms of quantitative indicators in everything except aviation, it continues to lose to its main potential enemy, the DPRK. The difference, of course, is in the technological level. Seoul has the latest developments of its own and Western ones, while Pyongyang has Soviet technology 50 years ago.
6. France
Budget: $62.3 billion
Number of active army: 202 thousand.
Tanks: 423
Aviation: 1,264
Submarines: 10
The French army is still in charge military force in Africa and continues to actively intervene in local conflicts. The nuclear attack aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was recently commissioned. Currently, France has approximately 300 strategic nuclear warheads, which are located on nuclear submarines. There are also 60 tactical warheads.
5. India
Budget: $41.6 billion
Number of active army: 247 thousand.
Tanks: 678
Aviation: 1,613
Submarines: 16
The most unexpected thing in the ranking is Japan’s 4th place, despite the fact that formally the country cannot have an army, but only self-defense forces. Business Insider attributes this to the high level of equipment of Japanese aircraft. In addition, they include 4 helicopter carriers, 9 destroyers. At the same time, Japan does not have nuclear weapons and this, together with the small number of tanks, makes us think that the position of this army is greatly overestimated.
3. China
Budget: $216 billion
Number of active army: 2.33 million
Tanks: 9,150
Aviation: 2,860
Submarines: 67
The second economy in the world has the largest active army, but in terms of the number of tanks, planes and helicopters it is still noticeably inferior not only to the United States, but also to Russia. But the defense budget exceeds the Russian one by 2.5 times. As far as is known, China has several hundred nuclear warheads on alert. However, some believe that in reality the PRC may have several thousand warheads, but this information is carefully classified.
2. Russia
Budget: $84.5 billion
Number of active army: 1 million
Tanks: 15,398
Aviation: 3,429
Submarines: 55
Syria has demonstrated once again that Russia rightly continues to hold a solid 2nd place among the strongest, according to Business Insider. The Russian Armed Forces are second only to China in terms of the number of submarines. And if the rumors about China's secret nuclear stockpile are not true, it is far ahead in this area. It is believed that as part of the strategic nuclear forces Russia has about 350 delivery vehicles and about 2 thousand nuclear warheads. The number of tactical nuclear warheads is unknown and could be several thousand.
1. USA
Budget: $601 billion
Number of active army: 1.4 million
Tanks: 8,848
Aviation: 13,892
Submarines: 72
The US military budget is comparable to the previous 19th. The Navy includes 10 aircraft carriers. It is characteristic that, unlike Moscow, which did back in Soviet times relying on tanks, Washington is developing combat aviation. In addition, the American authorities, despite the end Cold War, continue to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the development of the latest military technologies, thanks to which the United States remains a leader not only in everything related to killing people, but also in the fields of, for example, robotics and prosthetics.
Armies are small, strong, numerous, highly intelligent, weak, with different levels combat effectiveness, and there is the most beautiful army in which women serve on an equal basis with men.
The most beautiful army
The State of Israel, in a state of permanent war, has an army in which not only men serve, as in many countries, women are also called up for service. Military service is compulsory for all citizens of this country. Men serve thirty-six months, women twenty-four.Few people manage to avoid service. Almost everyone is subject to conscription, regardless of health difficulties. In the Israeli army there is a job for everyone. This army has a high level of material and technical base and the latest types of weapons.
The Israeli army is the most intelligent, and also the most beautiful army in the world. This army was awarded the title of the most beautiful thanks to the female contingent in its ranks. And this is not surprising, because it’s nice to watch young girls carry out combat missions.
The smallest army
Among the smallest states is the Republic of San Marino, located in southern Europe. It is surrounded by Italian territory. Only thirty thousand people live in an area of about sixty kilometers. For many centuries, attempts were made to take over this republic, but it remained independent. This was facilitated by skillful leadership, the proud spirit of the people, the location on the mountain (Mount Titano) and the fact that San Marino is surrounded by three belts of fortress walls. 
The republic has its own army. This is a military unit with special functions. Members of Parliament are protected by the National Guard. It is known that the republic was an ally of the Entente during the First World War; fifteen soldiers took arms.
Today the army of San Marino consists of seventy-nine people - officers and soldiers. A military parade is held four times a year. Dressed in colorful uniforms and armed with nineteenth-century carbines, they march through the streets of San Marino. There is no mandatory conscription in the republic. This is voluntary.
Monaco also has a small army, where the army is only eighty-three people. One hundred and ten men make up the Vatican army.
The most efficient army
It is not at all easy to say unequivocally which army is the most combat-ready today, since many indicators influence this. It is known that the level of combat effectiveness does not depend on funding, but on devotion to the fatherland, ideology, principles, on nuclear potential, on the availability of the latest developments in military engineering, etc.To determine the level of combat effectiveness of armies in peacetime, one can take into account such basic factors as numerical strength, quality and quantity of weapons, and the quality of training of command personnel.
The armies of such powers as China, Russia and the United States are often compared. It is known that China is in first place in terms of army size. Russia is in the lead in the number of tanks, and America is in the lead in the number of combat helicopters, airplanes, and naval warships. The USA also has the highest quality weapons.
There are much more Russian-made weapons in China than in Russia itself. The armies of China and America are professional. The military has many benefits and a good salary. There is no universal conscription.
We can conclude that it is China and America that have the most combat-ready armies, but this assessment is relative. So, we must not forget about the Israeli army, which has never lost a single war. The troops of NATO, North Korea, Pakistan and India deserve attention. We must not forget about the partisan army, which has shown itself to be very combat-ready in the light of recent military conflicts. So far no one has managed to defeat her.
A certain rating has been compiled, where the armies of countries are lined up in descending order depending on their combat capability as of 2013. The US Army is in first place. The second position was taken by the huge Chinese army. Israel is in third position, and Russia is in fourth. In fifth place is the North Korean army. The Indian army took sixth place in terms of combat effectiveness, and the Turkish army took seventh place.
The largest army in the world
It is well known that it leads in numbers armed forces- China. There are more than two and a half million military personnel in this country's army. This is not the limit for China. Since China is the largest country in the world, the army as a proportion of the population does not seem too large. The share of military personnel in total number residents account for only 0.2 percent.The United States has one million four hundred thousand military personnel, and India has one million three hundred thousand. Next comes the North Korean army. The Russian army is in fifth place in size, with one million two hundred and seventy thousand people. Armies follow South Korea, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
The Russian Ministry of Defense plans to increase the number of contract soldiers in the coming years. At the same time, the authorities will modernize the system of staffing the army with conscripts.
But an army is made not only by people, but also by weapons. Some rifles have bullets leaving the barrel at a speed of 900 meters per second. You can also read more about the most powerful rifles on the website.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen
A powerful and combat-ready army is the key to a country’s significant weight in the international arena. Moreover, in connection with the well-known events in Syria and Ukraine, military power is increasingly being used different countries the utmost attention is paid. Many people ask the question: “Who will win the world war?”
Today we present an annually updated, official ranking of the world's armies, in full list included the most powerful armies in the world in 2018.
Read updated according to Globalfirepower.
The top 10 was compiled according to data from a specialized resource.
- number of armies of the world (regular number of troops, reservists)
- weapons (airplanes, helicopters, tanks, navy, artillery, other equipment)
- military budget,
- resource availability, geographical location,
- logistics.
Nuclear potential is not taken into account by experts, but those recognized receive an advantage in ranking.
In 2018, the rating included136 countries. New to the list are Ireland (116th), Montenegro (121st) and Liberia(135 position).
By the way, San Marino has the weakest army in the world in 2018 - only 84 people.
10. German Army
Germany's military budget increased from 45 to 46 billion dollars. At the same time, the number of military personnel decreased - from186
up to 178 thousand people. The German army is completely professional, i.e. There has been no compulsory conscription in the country since 2011.
9. Turkish Armed Forces
In the past, the country of luxurious beaches and beautiful tomatoes ranked eighth in the top armies of the world. The number of its armed forces is 350 thousand people, and its military budget is 10.2 billion dollars.
8. Japan Self-Defense Forces
A country Rising Sun worsened its military performance and dropped one place in the list of the best armies in the world. The military budget decreased from 49 to 44 billion dollars, but the number of military personnel did not change - over 247 thousand people.
7. South Korean Army
Compared to the previous ranking, South Korea “jumped” from 10th to 7th place. There are 625 thousand military personnel serving in the Korean army. The eternal rival - North Korea, the number of soldiers reaches 945 thousand people. And South Korea's defense budget is $40 billion.
6. British Army
Although the country's position on the list has not changed, it has improved its performance in terms of army size (197 thousand people versus 188 thousand people). However, it still remains the smallest army in the ranking.
England's military budget decreased compared to 2017 from 55 to 50 billion dollars.
5. French Army
The French army, which opened the top 5 most powerful armies in the world, is small in number. Currently, 205 thousand people serve in it. At the same time, the country's defense budget is $40 billion.
4. Indian Armed Forces
The country's military budget is $47 billion. The number of Indian armed forces is 1,362,000 people, the country's army is the third largest in the world.
3. Chinese Army
The Celestial Empire has the largest human military force in the ranking of armies in the world. It employs 2,183,000 people. According to Wikipedia, there are 1.71 military personnel per 1,000 inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. And China’s military budget is huge, comparable to the army - $151 billion (increased from $126 billion compared to 2017).
2. Russian Army
The Russian armed forces are superior to almost all armies of the world in terms of weapons power in all branches of the military - air, ground and sea. Number Russian army for 2018 – 1,013,000 people. The military budget is $47 billion. Among the superpowers, Russia has a very high rate of the number of military personnel per 1000 inhabitants - 5.3 people.
1. US Army
The most powerful army in the world, according to Globalfirepower, American. By the way, it is not the largest in terms of numbers, but the most powerful in terms of available weapons, including nuclear potential, which is not taken into account by experts. The size of the US Army is 1,281,900 people, and the defense budget is 647 billion.dollars.
Comparison table of armies of the world (Infographics)
No matter how armed the army is, the morale of the soldiers will play an important role in winning a world war. In this regard, it is a big mistake to consider the current distribution of seats to be absolutely correct.
Baiov A.K. "Small Army" and the method of recruiting it
// Bulletin of military knowledge. 1930. No. 8. P.7-13.
OCR, proofreading: Bakhurin Yuri (a.k.a. Sonnenmensch), e-mail: [email protected]
WITH light hand General A. Gerua was put on our turn the question of "small armies".
"Small armies" received recognition from a significant part of the Russians military figures, working in the military-scientific field, and if this issue cannot yet be considered completely resolved, then nevertheless it has taken such a position that now it cannot be ignored and it is necessary to even say more: that there is a high probability What for the future armed forces of Russia, for reasons of principle and practical nature, it will be resolved in a positive sense.
Closely related to the question of “small armies” is the question of the method of recruiting these armies.
Just as once the desire to have a large army during a war, and then an “armed people,” led to the implementation, and then to the widest development in practice, of the idea of compulsory military service, so now with the recognition the need to replace "hordes" with "small armies" inevitably The question arises: how should such armies be recruited?
As is known, the system of compulsory military service was first applied by Prussia after its defeat by Napoleon in 1806, as a result of which it did not have the right in peacetime to have an army of a more defined and, moreover, relatively insignificant size (42 tons). Foreseeing in the future the need to fight Napoleon and believing that this fight would require an army that was larger and, moreover, constantly replenished with trained contingents, the Prussians introduced compulsory military service due to the short terms of service.
This gave her the opportunity to relatively quickly accumulate a supply of trained people, which in turn allowed her, at the beginning of the war of 1813, to field an army much more significant than it could support at the request of Napoleon in peacetime, and then during the war to replenish the loss in the army proper element. Thus, the introduction of compulsory military service in Prussia was for it a technical inevitability of a purely material nature, and the moral side was attached to this measure only as a justification for the iron necessity in the form of the idea of \u200b\u200bthe patriotic duty of everyone to defend their fatherland. As a result, when implementing the system of compulsory military service, those entering the ranks of the army were presented with mainly
, only physical requirements and almost no attention was paid to moral qualities - in any case, the former were decisive in deciding the issue of enlistment.
The success of the system of compulsory conscription in Prussia, clearly demonstrated in the soldiers with Napoleon in 1813 and 1814, led primarily Prussia to the expansion of this system, especially in connection with the greater and greater growth of the army, and ultimately made this system the only possible , when the army of Prussia, and then Germany, herds of "armed people."
The idea of the inevitability and indispensability of a system of compulsory military service, given the similarity of all other circumstances related to the exercise and use of armed force, gradually led almost all European states, not excluding Russia, to the establishment of the same system.
Only those deprived of their rights by court were not allowed into the army, and the spiritual side, revealed in political views, was never taken into account at all - first because the political system did not raise this issue, then because, according to the general belief, the army should be outside of politics and, finally, because it was considered undeniable that the army would “re-educate”. In general, they turned a blind eye to this question, as they say, which was to some extent justified by the general situation, general position business With the possible and very probable transition in the future national Russia to a “small army”, we are faced with the question of whether it will be necessary for us, in this case, to continue recruiting the army according to the system of general military service, or to abandon it altogether, or to limit ourselves to only introducing into it certain amendments.
General military service, in the form in which it exists at the present time, imposes on the entire population of a country the most difficult, but at the same time obligatory service for everyone and is, therefore, common point vision is in principle equal for everyone, and therefore fair. From a military point of view, general military service ensures that armies are fully recruited in peacetime; allows and even to some extent requires the establishment short terms
services; leads to the possibility of quickly accumulating a significant supply of trained people and, as a result, ensures both an automatic increase in the army for war by deploying it according to wartime states and the creation of new units, and a rapid replenishment of the army's decline during the war. At the same time, however, while making it possible to include an almost physically perfect element into the army’s rads, the system of compulsory military service leads to the fact that the army must inevitably include elements both morally undesirable and politically unreliable from the point of view of anti-patriotism and pacifism. The method of replenishing the “small army”, naturally, must satisfy all these same requirements with the only difference that much more attention must be paid to the moral requirements of those enlisted in the army than has hitherto been done, for small armies must first of all be of a higher quality. At the same time, in connection with the current development of internationalism and teachings that deny war on moral and, special attention should be paid to ensuring that the army does not include persons devoid of patriotism and infected with teachings that preach pacifism and generally deny war for one reason or another.
The lack of patriotism and the spread of teachings negative about war in the army have a corrupting effect on the spirit of the army; undermine the principles on which its moral power is based; they deprive her of discipline, without which she turns into a crowd of armed people, more dangerous to their state than to the enemy; They make her incapable of enduring the physical and moral difficult experiences associated with military service at any time; relax her moral elasticity; they take away from her the desire to resist the enemy and actively fight him; destroy her will to win.
Along with this, however, we should not abandon the idea of the need for everyone to defend their Motherland, their Fatherland. But this idea should be recognized not only as a justification for technical the need to include in the army is possible larger number(theoretically all) persons who meet certain physical requirements, but should flow from moral motives - a conscious sense of duty, and should be based not on a difficult and therefore unwanted obligation, but on a joyful and desirable right.
Therefore, if everyone who meets certain physical requirements is to be considered obliged to serve in the army, then in fact, only those who will receive a special, special right to this should be included in its composition, granted only to: those with high moral qualities, imbued with deep patriotism f looking at participation in the defense of the Fatherland as the most honorable act, as knightly service to the Motherland, as a high honor, which
Not everyone is awarded; who believe that striving for victory over the enemy of the Fatherland and helping to achieve it is a high spiritual achievement; that to die for the Motherland, to fall on the battlefield for its prosperity and happiness is a true moral feat.
Of course, for a person to possess all the qualities of a moral order, it is necessary that he be educated in the proper direction in advance. He should receive such education at home, in the family, and then at school and, finally, in an environment of special pre-conscription training for some time. On the other hand, the army must be staffed with healthy, strong, physically fully developed people, and at the same time people young enough so that, having been in the reserve for quite a large number of years, it would represent a reservoir from which it would be possible to sufficiently draw quite suitable material for replenishment. casualties in the army during a long war<...>
Without dwelling on the particulars of the physical requirements of those entering the army, we will only point out that the age of conscripts should be set at 20-22 years and that everyone who can expect to be drafted should receive special training that promotes general physical development, strengthens health, develops strength and body strength.
The above requirements of both moral and physical order indicate that the selection of those conscripted for service in the army, the granting of the honorary right to be in its ranks, must be carried out extremely carefully and with very great caution.
This thoroughness and caution must be ensured by the activities of special permanent bodies state power, who must observe and study young people from these aspects in advance and, ultimately, before the next call, make decisions about their full suitability for high service to the Motherland, which is service in the army.
In view of the particularly high moral and physical requirements that are proposed to be placed on persons of age who can be drafted into the army, the question may arise whether it is possible to find the required number of young people of a certain age who satisfy such strict requirements.
Given the existence of a “small army” in our country and the proper organization of the education of the younger generation, right up to conscription age, difficulties in this regard cannot be encountered.
A simple arithmetic calculation proves this.
In Russia, both in the pre-revolutionary era and in the present, they reach about 580-600 tons. young people. From this number, after excluding those who are physically unfit and who have been released under for various reasons, about half were enlisted in the army during three years of active service, i.e. no more than 290-285 tons. If we admit that the number of physically unfit will be the same in the future, although with proper physical education and pre-conscription physical training it can be significantly reduced; If we then reduce the benefits for exemption from service that were too widely given in our country, at least by example, compensating for benefits based on family status in some other way: financial assistance to parents, etc., then the number of those who can be accepted into service from the next conscription will increase significantly compared to previous times. Meanwhile a “small army” for its replenishment with a three-year service life - which we consider necessary to preserve for our army - will require a significantly smaller number of people annually to replenish it.
Consequently, from a large number of physically fit young people for the next conscription, it will be necessary to select a smaller, relatively and generally insignificant number for the annual replenishment of the army. As a result of this, it will be quite possible to present more stringent moral requirements to conscripts, which will be satisfied by the greater the number of persons, the more persistent and successful the school and pre-conscription moral training is.
Thus, with such a system, the recruitment of the army will be fully ensured, and if so, then with a three-year service life, the appropriate supply of trained people will grow quite quickly, which will provide human resources for both the deployment of the army according to wartime conditions during mobilization, and the replenishment her upon departure in war time.
However, some admit the possibility of another way to replenish the “small army”, namely through hiring from among those who want to make a profession for themselves from military service.
Supporters of this method of recruitment say that under current conditions, professional warriors are the only ones who can satisfy all the requirements that should be presented to a modern soldier: such a profession can only be chosen by those physically fit for it; everyone who has chosen a profession military service, will prepare for it in advance in order to withstand competition with his own kind when hiring, and make his service easier; a professional hired for a certain period of time under a specific contract will strive to serve better in all respects, so as not to find himself in the position of not fulfilling the contract; at those who have chosen military service as a profession can always choose the required number of persons, meeting the necessary moral qualities and corresponding to certain political requirements, moreover, a professional warrior cannot be obsessed with anti-militaristic teachings that deny war from both moral and social points of view.
However, with all this, it is necessary to point out that with the system of recruiting professional warriors and mercenary warriors into the army, only a certain incentive to serve in it will serve material benefit and following from here legal duty; the moral idea of high service to the Fatherland will be either completely or largely absent, and therefore there will be no consciousness of moral duty.
This will significantly diminish the spiritual strength and spiritual value of the army with all the ensuing consequences, which can have a particularly unfavorable effect in the most difficult moments of its activity - in wartime, and even more so in modern, multi-day heavy battles, when moral elasticity is subjected to such a strong test and when the sense of self-preservation in a person is overcome only by the consciousness of sacredly fulfilled duty, arising from love for the Motherland and the conviction of the moral necessity of sacrificing everything to it, up to and including one’s life.
In addition, strict selection It is much more difficult and difficult to produce morally appropriate human material from among those offering themselves for enlistment in the army through recruitment, since if it is unknown who exactly will come to serve in the army, it will not be possible with a greater or lesser degree of probability to determine and recognize his moral qualities, and in addition, under these conditions, provocation is possible on a large scale.
Finally, our army, made up of professional mercenaries, is unlikely to enjoy the sympathy and respect of the people, it is unlikely to enjoy the moral support of society, which is extremely necessary in order to create an environment most favorable for the army’s activities and maintain its spirit at the proper height.
To agree with the validity of such assumptions, it is enough to remember how the mass of the population treated our conscripts. Despite their high personal qualities, their rich experience and all the benefits that they brought to the army through their service, there was no other name for them than the disparaging “sell-out skin.”
However, it may be objected that even in a “small army”, and even with the above method of recruiting it, there will be a need for a significant number of experienced, and therefore long-term serving, non-commissioned officers." This is true. But recruiting such non-commissioned officers should be carried out in a manner similar to the way in which the corps of officers is recruited, i.e., those who are willing and have completed a special school. Then, by the way, it will be possible to destroy the institution of conscripts both in essence and in form.
Our recruiting system should be based on that lofty thought that stems mainly from ideal considerations, and is not based only on technical necessity, and which was expressed in our country back in 1795 in the following words: “The defense of the Fatherland and the fencing of security limits are the subjects of common efforts and the opportunities, and the duty, and the responsibility of each and every one."
If the world were ideal, then no armies or weapons would be needed and there would never be wars. But the reality is that threats both abroad and within the state pose national security at risk. This reality forces many states to have a powerful army in the form of human potential and weapons.
There are several outstanding armies that are widely known for their size, combat experience and military equipment. They are among the ten largest armies in the world.
1. China
The world's largest army in terms of army size is unsurprisingly occupied by the most populous country in the world, the Chinese People's Army. This nation is famous not only for its large territory, but also a huge population and, accordingly, the largest army. The Chinese People's Liberation Army was founded in 1927.
Its main part consists of citizens aged 18 to 49 years. Number of people: 2,300,000. Budget $129 billion per year. About 240 installations for launching nuclear missiles. The Chinese army is well trained and has great resources on weapons and mobilization resource in case of war, 200,000,000 people can be put under arms. It is armed with 8,500 tanks, 61 submarines, 54 surface ships and 4,000 aircraft.
Russian army
The Russian army is one of the most experienced in the world. Its strength is 1,013,628 military personnel (according to the presidential decree of March 28, 2017). The annual budget is $64 billion and ranks 3rd in the world in terms of military spending. It is armed with 2,867 tanks, 10,720 armored vehicles, 2,646 self-propelled guns, and 2,155 towed artillery pieces. Russia also has the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world.
3.United States of America
US Army
The US Army was founded in 1775. The United States currently has 1,400,000 active military personnel and 1,450,000 in the active reserve. The defense budget is what truly sets the US apart from all the other countries on the list; it is over $689 billion per year.
The United States also has the most trained troops and a powerful arsenal. Her ground troops use 8,325 tanks, 18,539 armored combat vehicles, 1,934 self-propelled guns, 1,791 towed artillery pieces, 1,330 nuclear warheads.
Indian Army
Located in southern Asia, India is the world's largest arms importer. With a strength of 1.325 thousand soldiers and officers. The Army's military budget is $44 billion a year. There are also about 80 nuclear warheads in service.
5. North Korea
North Korean Army
North Korea has a well-trained and coordinated army of 1,106,000, as well as a large number of reservists, 8,200,000 as of 2011. It also has a large number of weapons, they include: 5,400 tanks, 2,580 armored vehicles, 1,600 self-propelled guns, 3,500 towed artillery pieces, 1,600 air defense systems and other powerful weapons. Military conscription in this state is compulsory for everyone; the period of military service is 10 years.
While totalitarian regime V North Korea built a large army, most of its military equipment is considered obsolete. However, they have nuclear weapons, which in turn poses a threat to the stability of peace in this region.
6. South Korea
Photo of the South Korean Army
Next on the list of the largest armies in the world is the South Korean army. In this state, the conscription age is from 18 to 35 years, the service period is 21 months.
Its armed forces are called the Republic of Korea Army. It uses both domestic and imported weapons. It is armed with 2,300 tanks, 2,600 armored vehicles, 30 air defense systems and 5,300 artillery pieces. The number of its troops reaches approximately 1,240,000 people.
7. Pakistan
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army rightfully ranks among the largest armies in the world. It has a workforce of 617,000 people and a personnel reserve of about 515,500 people as of 2011.
Its ground forces use a wide range of weapons: 3,490 tanks, 5,745 armored vehicles, 1,065 self-propelled guns, 3,197 towed artillery pieces. Air Force are armed with 1,531 aircraft and 589 helicopters. The naval force consists of 11 frigates and 8 submarines. With a budget of just over $5 billion, it is the smallest budget of the top ten military powers. Pakistan may be a small country in size, but it is undoubtedly one of the largest armies in the world in terms of size and military prowess. This army is also a permanent ally of the United States.
Iranian army
They say that the most powerful army in the Middle East is the army of Iran. Iran is also known for its large troop numbers. It has approximately 545,000 personnel, divided into 14 infantry divisions and 15 air bases. Their army is equipped with 2,895 tanks, 1,500 armored vehicles, 310 self-propelled guns, 860 air defense systems, 1,858 aircraft and 800 helicopters. The defense budget is just over $10 billion.
Turkish army
Türkiye has the largest army at the meeting point of Asia and Europe. Citizens are called up for service at the age of 20. The conscription lasts approximately 6 to 15 months, depending on educational level students. The number of Turkish army is 1,041,900 people, of which 612,900 are regular military personnel and 429,000 are in reserve. Its army is also well armed and has 4,460 tanks, 1,500 self-propelled guns, 7,133 armored vehicles, 406 air defense systems, 570 airplanes and helicopters. The annual budget of this army is 19 billion dollars.
10. Israel
Israeli army
The army of the State of Israel is known as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Men over 18 years of age are subject to conscription every year. Every year, about 121,000 men can be drafted into the army to serve in any of its military branches. Currently, the Israeli army consists of 187,000 regular military personnel and a reserve of 565,000 people. As a result, the number of troops in the Israel Defense Forces is about 752,000. The army is equipped with last word equipment and is armed with 3,870 tanks, 1,775 armored vehicles, 706 self-propelled guns, 350 towed artillery pieces, and 48 air defense systems.
Not all countries in the world need a large army for reliable protection. However, maintaining peace and order would be impossible without a well-organized and armed army.