The 15 strongest military powers in the world and the women in their military

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The 15 strongest military powers in the world and the women in their military (from Shockpedia, Wikipedia, Business Insider, and Ray)

This is Ray Mossholder  It starts in childhood when one kid says to another “My daddy can beat up your daddy.” Since the kid knows that neither daddy knows the other one, he feels safe in saying it.

A couple of years later, that same kid is telling his best friend “I could beat that guy up,” pointing to the biggest bully in school. Since he knows that his best friend won’t tell the bully what he said, once again, he feels safe.

But then comes the horrifying day when bombs begin dropping on his city. The president, or king, or prime minister, declares war and that same kid, now grown up, realizes that there is far more safety in numbers. Those numbers and the weaponry they have are the only way in his mind that his country can defend itself or, if necessary, be on the winning side in any war. Those numbers are called “the military” or “the armed forces”.

There’s only one real way to compare military strength, and thankfully the world hasn’t had many opportunities lately.

Despite the potential powder keg in the South China Sea, standoffs in Ukraine, and proxy wars throughout the Middle East, inter-state warfare between the world’s military powers has been all but banished from the global scene (for the time being, at least).

 Have you ever wondered what countries have the greatest military strength in the world today? Here’s the answer ranking the top 15 strongest nations militarily in the world today. Granted, the order in which these are placed may be debated, but I’ve made a real attempt at listing them according to man and woman power, technology, advanced weaponry, nuclear power, and the financial ability to continue as long as necessary. I’ve also listed the place of women in the military in each nation. If I don’t mention women in our nation’s military it will be because they aren’t there. Almost all are smart enough to include them.

 1. The United States of America

Active Military (Wikipedia): 1,369,532

When you are talking about who the most powerful army in the world is, then you are always talking about technology, experience and money.

Generally considered to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world (don’t tell anybody that America is more than 20 trillion dollars in debt), there is a huge amount of investment going into their Air Force, Navy, and Army.

According to several studies, as of 2014 the army of the United States of America is one of the strongest armies in the world, if not the strongest – and that comes down to money. The yearly budget that the United States of America government has allocated to their army is more than six hundred and twelve BILLION dollars. Yup, you heard that right: more than six hundred and twelve billion dollars. It is hard to match the global firepower of a country that spends that much on an army! This is probably because, despite not having a single battle on their own soil for tens if not hundreds of years, unless you count 911 and other individual attacks by radical Muslims, American troops are currently deployed in nearly one hundred and fifty countries.

Much will change during 2016 while President Obama vows to continue drastically reducing the size of our military for as long as he remains in office. The Pentagon projects that by 2017 when a new president replaces Barack Obama, our military will have been cut to pre-2nd World War size. Why? Because he can.

The first female American soldier was Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts. She enlisted as a Continental Army soldier under the name of “Robert Shurtliff”. She served for three years in the Revolutionary War and was wounded twice; she cut a musket ball out of her own thigh so no doctor would find out she was a woman.

The 1991 Persian Gulf War proved to be the pivotal time for the role of women in the United States Armed Forces to come to the attention of the world media. Over 40,000 women served in almost every role the armed forces had to offer. However, while many came under fire, they were not permitted to participate in deliberate ground engagements. Despite this, there are many reports of women engaging enemy forces during the conflict.^[66]

During the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, more than two hundred thousand women served, of which 152 were killed; of those 84 were killed by enemy action.^[68]  During the current war in Afghanistan, American soldier Monica Lin Brown, was presented the Silver Star for shielding wounded soldiers with her body, and then treating life-threatening injuries.^[69]

In 2011, Major General Margaret H. Woodward commanded Operation Odyssey Dawn‘s air component in Libya, making her the first woman to command a U.S. combat air campaign.^[70]

On January 23, 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta removed the military’s ban on women serving in combat, which was instituted in 1994. Still, as of 2010, the majority of women in the U.S. army served in administrative roles.^[72]

As of July 2013, the U.S. military has had only two women, Ann E. Dunwoody and Janet C. Wolfenbarger, with the rank of four-star general.^[73]

Michelle J. Howard began her assignment as the U.S. Navy’s first female (and first African-American female) admiral on July 1, 2014.^[74][75]

2. Russia

Active Military (Wikipedia): 766,000

Ah, Russia. Although it has only technically been Russia the last two decades or so, the power and the history of the USSR still overshadows almost everything that it does.

Once considered the most powerful army in the world, the military power of Russia is still making huge changes in the way that politics happens around it. After all, it is hard to argue with a country that has over eight thousand nuclear warheads, the most any country in the world owns!

It has been difficult to ignore the radical violence that Ukraine has been experiencing for the last few months, much of which has been blamed on Vladimir Putin.

Although Russia has never officially gotten involved in the rebellious military conflict that has been happening there, the vast majority of the Western world believes that Russia has been supplying global firepower to the Ukrainian rebels and that they have sent their own troops over the border.

Other countries that share a border with Russia should be getting more concerned. Since the year 2008, Russia has increased its military spending by almost a third – and it was spending quite a lot to begin with!

Although President Putin has never outwardly stated that he plans to invade any other nation, it’s hard to believe Russia will stop its history of invasions – and having one of the strongest armies in the world at your disposal, the habit of taking over other countries must get pretty tempting ….

The current tally of woman in the Russian Army varies between reports of 115,000 to 160,000, representing roughly 10% of Russia’s military strength.

The Russian army runs the Miss Russian Army beauty contest for attractive female Russian soldiers. Colonel Gennady Dzyuba, of the Defense Ministry, said “Those who have served, especially in hot spots, know the importance of women in the armed forces.” This remark alone shows that the women in the military are not generally valued for their muscle.

3. China

Active Military (Wikipedia): 2,285,000

We have all seen the video footage of the lines and lines of soldiers parading, and that is the key to China’s incredibly military power: in fact, some have even called the Chinese army the strongest military in the world. Why? The answer is simple. It is a numbers game. You have to remember that China is the most populous country on the entire planet. That means that they have far more people at their disposal to join their army.

But China isn’t all about quantity and no quality. Their military has been working on advanced aircraft carriers and stealth jet fighters. Combine all that with the numbers and they might not stay 3rd for long!

7.5% of the Chinese military is female.

4. India  

Indian Active Military (Wikipedia): Military (Wikipedia): 617,000

If there are two countries in the world that are desperate to modernize their military, it’s Pakistan and India. This has been proven time and time again. India is the second most populous country in the world, and contains a huge number of businesses that are committed to technology and research. And India could very easily become a world player because of their global firepower – analysts estimate that they have between eighty and one hundred nuclear warheads. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to realize that being able to hit Pakistan and China with ballistic missiles makes you one of the strongest armies in the world. Many people pray that India’s difficult relationship with Pakistan will never cloud their military judgement.

 5. The United Kingdom

Active Military (Wikipedia): 198,810

The United Kingdom must have been thrilled to see one of their most important spokes – Scotland – vote on September 18 to remain a part of the Kingdom instead of separating from it. Scotland is a vital part of the United Kingdom’s military. A change in the structure could have had huge repercussions on England’s global firepower. But all was well that ended well and the United Kingdom remains 6th in the world of military power.

In 1949, women were officially recognized as a permanent part of British Armed forces, although full combat roles were still restricted to men. That year, the Women’s Royal Army Corps was created. And in 1950 the ranks were normalized with the ranks of men serving in the British Army.

Women first became eligible to pilot Royal Air Force combat aircraft in 1989.^[49] The following year, they were permitted to serve on Royal Navy warships.^[49]

The 1991 Gulf War marked the first deployment of British women in combat operations since 1945. The seizure of Royal Navy sailor Faye Turney in 2007 by the naval forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard led to some major media debate on the appropriate roles of women and mothers in the armed forces.^[50]

Women may now join the British Armed forces in all roles except those whose “primary duty is to close with and kill the enemy”: that means they can join the Infantry, Household Cavalry, Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Marines Commandos, RAF Regiment, Special Air Service and Special Boat Service. Women were once excluded from service in the Royal Navy Submarine Service and as Royal Navy Clearance divers, but since their inclusion in the Navy in 1990, they have successfully served as clearance divers.^[51][52]

Female personnel currently make up around 9% of the British armed forces.^[53]

6. France

Active Military (Wikipedia): 222,215

In 2013, France decided to ‘freeze’ military spending, which meant that it chose not to increase the spending along with the rate of interest. This actually meant that in real terms, one of the strongest armies in the world cut their military spending. France also got rid of one in ten of their military. The purpose of this was to use extra cash to buy more technologically advanced fighting equipment. In the world of military global firepower that is often seen as more important than actual people. And it means that France now only spends around 1.9% of its GDP on its military, which is way below the spending target that NATO has set for its member countries to strive for.

However, being the strongest military in the world clearly doesn’t depend on how much money you spend. France’s army is still one of the best, and like American military, French troops are deployed in far off countries such as the Central African Republic, Senegal, and even Mali.

Today women make up around 15% of all service personnel in the combined branches of the French military. They are 11% of the Army forces, 13% for the Navy, 21% of the Air Force and 50% of the Medical Corps. This is the highest proportion of female personnel in Europe.^[23]

 7. Germany

Active Military (Wikipedia): 182,620

Compared to its economic prowess in the world, Germany is slightly falling behind in the ‘strongest military in the world’ stakes. Instead of powering ahead, reports suggest that Germany’s military strength has actually gotten weaker in the last few years. In 2011, mandatory military service was removed, and there are still fewer than two hundred thousand active personnel.

So what does Germany have? Advanced tanks, fighter jets and a whole lot of German efficiency!

In January 2001, following a European Court of Justice decree, women first joined German combat units. There are no restrictions regarding the branch of service, and there are woman serving in the “Fallschirmjäger” (sniper patrol) and as Tornado fighter pilots.

 

8. Turkey Active Military (Wikipedia): 664,049

The Turkish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. They consist of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard, both of which have law enforcement and military functions, operate as components of the internal security forces in peacetime, and are subordinate to the Ministry of Interior. In wartime, they are subordinate to the Army and Navy. The President of Turkey is the military’s overall head.

We have all seen the headlines, following the advancement of ISIS. They have been using violence to really terrify those around them, and that means that countries that border other countries where terrorists have a strong presence are in great danger. Instead of scaremongering, or causing their people to panic, Turkey decided to meet the problem head on. They’ve invested almost 10% more in 2015 than they did in 2014 for their global firepower and army.

After becoming a member of NATO on February 18, 1952, Turkey initiated a comprehensive modernization program for its Armed Forces. The Turkish Army sent troops to fight in Korea, where they played pivotal roles at some points. Towards the end of the 1980s, a second restructuring process was initiated. The Turkish Armed Forces participate in European Union battlegroups under the control of the European Council, namely the Italian-Romanian-Turkish Battlegroup. The TAF also contributes operational staff to the Eurocorps multinational army corps initiative of the EU and NATO.

The Turkish Armed Forces collectively rank as the second largest standing military force in NATO, after the U.S. Armed Forces, with an estimated strength of 495,000 military personnel. Turkey is one of five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance, together with Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.^[11] A total of 90 B61 nuclear bombs are hosted at the Incirlik Air Base, 40 of which are allocated for use by the Turkish Air Force in case of a nuclear conflict, but their use requires the approval of NATO.^[12]

Women personnel are being employed as officers in the Turkish Armed Forces today. The women officers serve together with the men under the same respective chains of command. The personnel policy regarding women in the Turkish Armed Forces is based on the principle of “needing qualified women officers in suitable branches and ranks” to keep pace with technological advancements in the 21st century.

Women civilian personnel have also been assigned to the headquarters staff, technical fields, and social services without sexual discrimination. Women officers serve in all branches except armor, infantry, and submarines. Assignments, promotions and training are considered on an equal basis with no gender bias.^[41]

As of the year 2005, the number of female officers and Non-Commissioned Officers in the Turkish Armed Forces is 1245.^[43]

 

9. South Korea Active Military (Wikipedia): 655,000

South Korea, like so many other countries that have been split into two or more pieces because of internal strife and conflict, has had foundational problems ever since. South Korea shares a border with just one other country – you’ve guessed it – North Korea – that has what many pundits consider “the most powerful army in the world.” All of this means that South Korea has to take their military extremely seriously, and you have never seen serious until you have seen them.

Still, becoming one of the world’s strongest armies, South Korea intends to defend itself with what still other pundits consider “the most powerful army in the world”. South Korea fully knows that when it is dealing with any aspect in North Korea, it isn’t dealing with a rational leader. No matter how much global firepower you have and men and women power, it’s hard to stop a madman who loves cruelty and murder.

South Korea first allowed women into the military in 1950 during the Korean War. At that time, female soldiers mainly held administrative and support positions. Women began to take on combat roles in the 1990s when the three military academies, exclusive to men, began accepting women. In 2013, female soldiers numbered more than 8,200 in a total military force of 639,000 soldiers.

Women now serve in nearly every branch of the military (they are banned from select marine and commando units because of the strength requirements) and their enrollment has climbed steadily. But as the number of women in the military has grown, discrimination against them has not eased. Sexual harassment is at the top of the list, and it remains the highest problem for women in the military in any nation.

10. Japan

Active Military (Wikipedia): 247,764

Japan is not a country that is generally know for its army. After all, there must be many more countries that are ahead of the queue to claim the title of the strongest military in the world, right? However, after all of the passive aggressive arguing with China, Japan has started up the ante so that they can withstand any movement toward war.

In 2013, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force appointed female officers to command two naval destroyers. It’s the first time that women have been given command of frontline warships since Japan’s modern navy was formed seven decades ago. Both warships are used primarily for training purposes, so it’s unlikely they’ll be headed into combat soon.

But the milestone came as Japan continues to this day locked in a dangerous standoff with China over ownership of islands in the East China Sea. 

These are fast, multi-purpose destroyers and training is vital to both the Japanese and their American allies. Japan’s military works closely with the U.S. 7^th Fleet. Destroyers are relied on for surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and anti-ship missions, as well as detecting and shooting down aircraft and ballistic missiles. And both ships under female command could be sent into action.

In 2010, a Japanese servicewoman had already taken command of a carrier strike group – the very centerpiece of United States sea power.

The USS Germantown, an amphibious landing ship assigned to the 7^th Fleet in Sasebo, Japan, is currently commanded by a female officer.

Japan’s military has been slower in providing opportunities than the U.S. or most NATO countries, but it’s more progressive than most of Asia. And more changes could be on the way. The Abe administration, which hopes to boost the economy by increasing the participation of women in the workplace, has initiated a review of restrictions on women in the military, as well.  The study, by the National Institute for Defense Studies, a think thank funded by the Ministry of Defense, will look at boosting the number of jobs that women are allowed to hold in the military, in part to make up for the declining national birth rate and projected recruiting shortfalls.

Women make up about 5.4 percent of Japan’s Self Defense Force and are currently barred from many direct-combat jobs, such as the infantry and flying fighter planes.  The review is expected to take about a year – after which the Chinese may find more women on their targeting screens.

When Japan surrendered at the end of WW2, it signed a peace treaty that stated that it would limit itself by never creating an offensive army. This was to make sure that a world war including Japan could never happen again. But many people believe that it was just the United States of America’s way of making sure that they didn’t compete with them. This means that Japan is not permitted to own any nuclear warheads, and all of the active personnel in the Japanese army are not technically in the army. Confused? Me too.

 11. Israel

Active Military (Wikipedia): 176,500

When you have a military on a sliver of land not much bigger than a major city in America, and that military defeats a whole bunch of Arab nations and makes them turn tail and run, that’s something to write home about. And it happened. On June 5 through 10, 1967, 5 Arab nations – Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon – supported by 9 other Middle Eastern nations – attacked Israel and were soundly devastated. Israel’s army has continually grown stronger since then.

One of the most amazing and probably surprising things about Israel’s army is not their global firepower, and not even the fact that they are one of strongest military countries in the world despite only being such a tiny nation, but instead a decision that has made it probably the most powerful army in the world: and that is its treatment of women.

Ever since the country of Israel was created in 1948, it was formed on a totally equal basis – and that meant that women had the same rights and responsibilities as any other male citizen. This meant that just as every man would have to take part in military service once they reached a certain age, so would every single woman. There are only three countries in the entire world that have this mandatory policy, and the other two – Norway and Eritrea – have never seemed to capture the public’s attention in the way that Israel has. Perhaps that’s because Israel is considered by many to be a highly conservative society. As of 2011, just over half of the officers in the Israel Defense Force were female, and a third of the entire military were women. As the Military Service law says: “The right of women to serve in any role in the IDF is equal to the right of men.”

In spite of the expressed equality, most women still serve in non-combat positions and are conscripted for two years (instead of three for men). A landmark high court appeal in 1994 forced the Air Force to accept women air cadets. In 2001, Israel’s first female combat pilot received her wings. In 2000, the first non-segregated Battalion (called The 33rd, for the 33 women killed in combat during the 1948 War of Independence, but in order to occupy the land the United Nations had given Israel.) Since then, further combat positions have opened to women, including Artillery, Field Intelligence, Search and Rescue, NBC, Border Patrol, K-9 Unit and anti-aircraft warfare.

On May 26, 2011, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz introduced Brigadier General Orna Barbivay‘s appointment as the next Head of the IDF Personnel Directorate. Barbivay was promoted to Major General, thus becoming the most senior female officer in the history of the Israeli military.

12. Italy 175,900 (Active Military), plus 103,893 Carabinieri (Military Police)

Since the second post-war the Italian armed force has become more and more engaged in international peace support operations, mainly under the auspices of the United Nations. The Italian armed forces are currently participating in 26 missions.

Italy has joined in many UN, NATO and EU operations as well as with assistance to Russia and the other CIS nations, Middle East peace process, peacekeeping, and combating the illegal drug trade, human trafficking, piracy and terrorism.

In the year 2000, the admission of women into the ranks of the Armed Forces marked an important social and cultural shift from Italy’s past because it helped to bring the military in line with a social system in which women are increasingly filling leadership positions. Italy’s military is completely voluntary, and at this present moment there are more Italian women than men who are considered fit and welcome to volunteer.

 ^{13. Pakistan ( Active Military 550,000)}

Since 1962, the Pakistani military has had close military relations with China, working jointly to develop the JF-17, the K-8, and other weapons systems. As of 2013 China is the largest foreign supplier of military equipment to Pakistan.^[2] Both nations also cooperate on development of nuclear and space technology programs.^[3][4][5] Their armies have a schedule for organizing joint military exercises.^[6]

The Pakistani military also maintains close military relations with the United States, which gave Pakistan major non-NATO ally status in 2004. Pakistan gets the second bulk amount of its military equipment from local domestic suppliers, China, and the United States. So they not only have a strong military force, but two of the three Superpowers to call on for help.

Pakistan is the only country in the Islamic world to appoint women to the high ranking assignments and the general officer ranks of the military,^[11] as well as performing military duties in hostile and combat military operations.^[11] Women have been taking part in Pakistan military since 1947 after the establishment of Pakistan. Currently a strong sizable unit of women soldiers are serving in the Pakistan Armed Forces.^[12]

In 2006, the first women fighter pilots joined the combat aerial mission command of the Pakistan Army and more are being trained in combat missions, particularly in sniper, airborne and infantry warfare.^[14]

The Pakistan Navy is currently the only uniform service branch where women are restricted to serve in the combat missions especially in the submarine force command. Instead they serve in operations involving the military logistics, operational planning, staff development and the senior administrative offices, particularly in the regional and central headquarters.^[15]

14. Brazil (Active Military 328,000)

The country of Brazil has the second largest army in Latin America – and they use the most powerful army in the world in order to keep the countries around them happy. Not in a ‘we’re going to take you over’ way, but more of a kind of stabilizing way. For example, ever since 2004, Brazilian armed forces have been stationed in Haiti in an attempt by the United Nations to bring what they call a ‘Stabilization Mission’. With the help of the army, the country is now able to follow any deforestation that occurs, and far better able to prevent illegal poachers from taking anything precious and natural away from the land.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff shakes hands with Rear Adm. Dalva Maria Carvalho Mendes, the first woman in Brazilian military history to become an officer general. [Roberto Stuckert Filho]

Women now comprise more than six percent of the about 350,000 Brazilians in the military – and while that’s a higher ratio than ever before, it’s not enough, says Defense Minister Celso Amorim.

“We have seen growth in female participation in the Armed Forces, but the percentage is still small [compared to] the importance women have in other sectors of society,” Amorim recently told reporters. “But that number is going to grow in the coming years.”

Brazil reached a milestone late last year, when the country’s first female president, Dilma Rousseff, congratulated Dalva Maria Carvalho Mendes on becoming the first woman in the history of the Brazil’s Armed Forces to become an officer general.

 15. Egypt

Active Military (Wikipedia): 438,500

In the last few years, the country of Egypt has fallen apart in the eyes of many in the West. But despite all of the changes in government and administration, the strongest military in the world has kept on going quite swimmingly.

Because of Egypt’s geographical location, it is able to take part in both Arabic affairs and African, which the United Nations has used time and time again. For Egypt, the cost of being one of the strongest armies in the world is a huge amount of responsibility for what goes on in their region. In many other countries, that huge amount of power all in the hands of the strongest military in the world would go to someone’s head. But for Egypt, that doesn’t happen. That’s because the Egyptian Constitution clearly states that the Armed Forces belongs to the People.

A group of activists in Egypt is challenging the country’s mandatory military service for men, demanding that it be amended to allow women the right to serve on a voluntary basis. While Egyptian women have served in the military for decades, their roles have been limited to administrative and medical posts.

Obviously, the military of any country is subject to change during any year. For example, all bets are off if the country of Iran does develop a nuclear bomb or two!

 The 15 strongest military powers in the world and the women in their military (Shockpedia, Wikipedia, Business Leader, and Ray)

The 15 strongest military powers in the world and the women in their military