The main role of military is to protect the sovereignty of the nation and to keep its people and the borders safe. The Asian military forces are among the strongest militaries in the globe. The region is made up of five of the world’s top 10 most powerful armies. Still in the same region, some military forces are more powerful than the others. This article is available on : http://www.theestle.net/2015/10/05/top-10-strongest-and-most-powerful-military-forces-in-asia/
Asia is a huge continent. In fact it is the largest continent in the world. It has five of the world’s top 10 most powerful armies. Here is a brief overview of the top 10 most powerful militaries in Asia as of 2015. This ranking grants a good approximation of a country’s basic military readiness and as such provides an impartial view of the nation’s military strength. In descending order, below is a short overview of the Top 10 Strongest and Most Powerful Military Forces In Asia as of 2015.
10/ AUSTRALIA
Australia’s military expenditure is the thirteenth largest in the world. Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the nation’s armed forces. They comprise the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), The Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Governor-General is the Commander-in-Chief of the ADF. The nation’s military force is technologically sophisticated but relatively small. Though its 58,235 full-time active-duty personnel, 22,072 active reserves and 22,166 standby reserves make it the largest military in Oceania, it is still smaller than most Asian militaries. However, the country’s military force is supported by a significant budget by worldwide standards and is able to deploy forces in multiple locations outside Australia.
9/ INDONESIA
Indonesia military is the 7th strongest in Asian-Pacific. Its armed forces have been able to maintain mandated strength levels without resorting to a draft. Most of the personnel enlisted are recruited in their own home regions and generally train and serve most of their time in units close-by. Military spending in the national budget was widely estimated 4 percent of the country’s GDP but is supplemented by revenue from many military-run businesses and foundations. Indonesian army has about 400,000 active-duty personnel. Indonesia allocates around 4 percent of GDP to its military.
8/Taiwan
Officially the Republic of China, Taiwan maintains a large technologically advanced military. Although this fact seems largely unnoticed, Taiwan’s military build-up has succeeded and is now largely complete. The present military balance across the Taiwan Strait is somewhat more favourable for Taiwan, though Taiwan’s relative strength will inexorably decline over the next decade as China’s modernization effort continues.
7/ Pakistan
Pakistan is a regional and middle power, and has the seventh largest standing armed forces in the world. It without doubt has one of the best military forces in the world by all aspects. The Pakistani military has over the years proven its superiority and strength when it comes to protecting the country from all threats both internally and externally.
6/ Israel
Israel has one of the highest ratios of defence spending to GDP of all developed nations. The Israel Defence Forces is the sole military wing of the Israel security forces. It comprises of the army, air force and navy.
5/ Japan
Even though Japan has officially denounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the world’s eighth largest military budget. Its military might is used for self-defence and peacekeeping roles. The deployment of troops to Iraq marked the first overseas use of Japan’s military since the Second World War. Japan increased its defence spending for the first time in 11 years in response to growing disputes with China. It has also started its first military expansion in over 40 years by placing a new military base on its outer islands. Japan spends big on defence, and is the sixth most expensive spender in the world. Japan’s military is fairly well-equipped. It currently has a large number of active personnel and personnel in reserve. It also has large number of aircrafts, ships and is the world’s fifth largest air force.
4/ South Korea
South Korea is a regional power with the world’s tenth-largest defence budget. The nation allocates 2.6 percent of its GDP and 15 percent of all government spending to its military. South Korea has sixth-largest number of active troops (more than 650,000) in the world. South Korea has been increasing its defence spending due to both the increasing armament of Japan and China, and the constant threat from North Korea. South Korea has a relatively large military force for its small size. It has many active personnel and personnel in the reserves. South Korea also has many tanks and aircraft. The South Korean military is generally well-trained and routinely takes part in military exercise with the United States. South Korea’s air force is also the sixth largest in the world.
3/ Turkey
With an estimated strength of 495,000 deployable forces, Turkey has the second largest standing armed force in NATO. The Turkish armed forces comprises of the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Force. Turkey is one of the five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance. The NATO member has contributed soldiers to various initiatives around the world. The Turkish military took part in operations in Afghanistan, as well as in peacekeeping operations in the Balkans. Turkey also maintains a large military force in Northern Cyprus.
2/ India
India is a nuclear weapons state and a regional power. The country is already the world’s largest importer of military goods. It has the third largest standing army in the world. It ranks ninth in military expenditure among nations. India has provided 100,000 military and police personnel to serve in 35 UN peacekeeping operations across four continents. India has ballistic missiles with a range capable of hitting all of Pakistan or most of China. Indian military strategy has been dominated by its long-simmering conflict with Pakistan, although there have also been minor wars between China and India in the past.
1/ China
With more than 2.3 million active troops, the People’s Liberation Army is the largest standing military force in the world. China is a recognized nuclear weapons state. It is a potential military superpower. Over the years, it has developed or acquired numerous advanced missile systems. China has embarked upon a relentless policy of massive military spending, with a 12.2% increase in spending over the past year.
