Yesterday, I discussed the U.S military budget and how it stacks up with the rest of the world, or should I say, against the rest of the world…it’s that big!! However, is it big enough??

Earlier today, I discussed my concerns over the sequestration of our military budget with a good friend of mine, he happens to own a tow truck company in Connecticut. He pointed out a very important fact: military spending doesn’t necessarily equate to military power and strength. Although the U.S spends the most money and is undoubtedly the #1 military in the world, I’m sure there are countries that are much stronger than they appear based on their budget. With yesterday’s numbers in mind, I’m interested in seeing how close some other countries are to us. And, more importantly, are they gaining ground?

A Look at the Numbers

It’s difficult to measure actual military strength because there are many different variables to consider. But lets keep it relatively simple and just look at personnel and equipment.

 

I hope the chart I made isn’t too difficult to read, but as you can see, the U.S. military is far and away the most powerful in the word. Again, there are many other variables to consider, but I think this chart gives you a pretty good idea of who is on top.

Two Other Important Factors

In addition to the above numbers, here are two other important factors to consider when trying to determine overall military strength. First, is mobility. The U.S. has a global footprint and maintains the ability to deploy military personnel to and from all areas of the globe in a moment’s notice. For example, the U.S. has 24 major ports and 13,513 serviceable airports. Meanwhile, Russian has 7 major ports and 1,218 serviceable airports and China has 15 major ports and 507 serviceable airports. The U.S.’s ability to mobilize quickly anywhere in the world is a large advantage.

The second important factor to consider is each country’s nuclear arsenal. Currently, the U.S. has 6,970 warheads, Russia has 7,300 warheads, and China has 260 warheads. Although Russia has more warheads, the U.S. spends more money on its nuclear program than all of the other countries with warheads combined. For this reason, the U.S.’s delivery system is more advanced and reliable than Russia’s. It should also be noted that 5 countries in Europe host U.S. warheads in their country, which also gives us an advantage.

Well, those are all the numbers. With the U.S’s military budget and its vast number of military assets, it’s quite clear that the U.S has the world’s strongest military.

Tomorrow, I’d like to discuss whether or not the U.S is losing any ground as the #1 superpower, despite our budget and strength.

I hope you enjoyed this post!! Thanks for stopping by!!