Inside the world’s militaries: How do North Korea, Russia & US compare as WW3 threat looms
WAR games have given worried leaders the chance to roll out their fierce armies and armadas amid global threats and rising tensions.
Russia and China showed off their might last week with military and naval displays.
A mighty armada sailed around the Neeva River in St Petersburg, while thousands of commandoes were marched through Inner Mongolia.
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping each addressed soldiers and officers telling them to be ready for any threat.
Just days later ferocious tanks competed in the 2017 International Army Games with 28 separate countries taking part.
But how exactly do the world’s armies compare?
North Korea (world ranking #23)
Military personnel: 6,455,000
Attack aircraft: 572
Helicopters: 202
Naval Destroyers: 0
Kim Jong-Un may pose the biggest threat to global peace in 2017 with his continuous firing of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) which he now claims could hit the US.
However, the exact capabilities will be relatively unknown from the secretive state.
North Korea is suffering from pass poverty yet a huge portion of its budget is pumped into the country’s massive 1,020,000 strong army.
The North Korean navy has 72 tactical submarines, three frigates and nearly 400 patrol vessels.
However, the county is believed to run on old - often obsolete - equipment.
Threats from the North come mainly from cyber attacks which the South have said are “among the best in the world”.
China (world ranking #3)
Military personnel: 3,712,500
Attack aircraft: 1,385
Helicopters: 912
Naval Destroyers: 35
Beijing announced earlier in 2017 its military was to be expanded - especially the national people’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Military spending is set to increase by about 7 per cent, totalling around $147billion.
There are 2.3 million soldiers in the PLA, making the army the largest in the world.
The Chinese military has been protective over the South China Sea - where ownership is disputed among neighbouring nations.
Insistence upon ownership of Taiwan and war threats have worried global leaders.
Yet size is not everything, according to the UK Defence Journal.
It has been claimed China could not deploy and sustain such large numbers of troops in any conflict.
US warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
The United States (world ranking #1)
Military personnel: 2,363,675
Attack aircraft: 2,785
Helicopters: 6,065
Naval Destroyers: 63
President Trump has vowed to increase the US’ military might since taking office in 2016.
The billionaire president increased spending by 10 per cent - or $54billion.
It has nearly 8,000 nuclear warheads in reserve, 13,900 aircraft, 920 attack helicopters and 72 submarines, along with 800 overseas military bases in 70 countries.
Daniel Kearns, former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division said it is the most elite in the world.
He wrote: “The United States has engaged in every type of ground warfare in the last 20 years. From mountains to jungles, and from desert to urban, we have the some of the most experienced warriors in the world. No other country comes close to the amount of combat veterans that we have.”
Russia (world ranking #2)
Military personnel: 3,371,027
Attack aircraft: 1,438
Helicopters: 1,389
Naval Destroyers: 15
The United States released a report on Russia’s capabilities as Moscow vowed to update its military equipment.
The defence intelligence agency said Russia is also boosting its spending.
After GDP growth Russia boosted military spend to $61billion in 2016.
“The DIA report said: “Moscow undoubtedly views the United States and its NATO partners as the principle threat to Russian security.
“Russia continues to modernise its extensive nuclear forces and is developing long range precision-guided conventional weapons systems.
“Its ultimate deterrent is a robust nuclear force capable of conducting a massed nuclear strike on targets in the United States within minutes.
“Within the next decade, an even more confident and capable Russia could emerge. The United States needs to anticipate, rather than react, to Russian actions and pursue a greater awareness of Russian goals and capabilities to prevent potential conflicts.”
Germany (world ranking #9)
Military personnel: 210,000
Attack aircraft: 169
Helicopters: 375
Naval Destroyers: 0
The German army - or Bundeswehr - is in the middle of a drive to boost its numbers amid threats from North Korea, Russia and the US’ refusal to commit fully to Nato.
During the Cold War, West Germany was considered the first line of defence against a Soviet invasion when Bundeswehr had 500,000 active service personnel.
The nation wants 20,000 more troops by 2025, bringing its total service personnel to 198,000.
Germany ended conscription in 2011 and troop numbers fell to an all-time low of 166,500 in June last year.
Angela Merkel’s government has repeatedly been told it must hit the Nato spending target of two per cent of its GDP.
France (world ranking #5)
Military personnel: 387,635
Attack aircraft: 284
Helicopters: 610
Naval Destroyers: 4
According to EU Defence stats the French army has 112,800 troops, a Navy of 42,000 and an airforce with 57,000 active personnel.
France has a network of military bases across Africa in Djibouti, Mali and Gabon, as well as the Ivory Coast and Senegal.
There are currently 36,000 French troops deployed in foreign territories.
The French Armed Forces - Forces armées françaises - encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force, the French National Guard and the National Gendarmerie of France.
Japan (world ranking #7)
Military personnel: 311,875
Attack aircraft: 168
Helicopters: 659
Naval Destroyers: 42
Japan has not launched an attack on foreign soil since World War II but anxiety in Japan is spiralling after the launch of ICBMs off its coast.
After a US-imposed constitution in Japan after the Second World War, Tokyo was forced to focus on defence spending.
There is growing support in Japan for a more strident response to Chinese military assertiveness around Japanese waters and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has been increasingly active in the region.
Tank biathlon underway at 2017 Army Games in Russia
United Kingdom (world ranking #6)
Military personnel: 232,675
Attack aircraft: 287
Helicopters: 347
Naval Destroyers: 6
Britain’s military has been at the centre of a global dispute on power with some reports finding it at the top of the rankings - and others claiming the nation has lost its position as a global power.
The British Armed Forces is made up of Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, a highly specialised amphibious light infantry force, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force, with a diverse operational fleet consisting of modern fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.
The country is a major participant in NATO.
In 2016 European Geostrategy described the UK's military power as 'comprehensive, advanced and diverse' and, crucially, capable of launching attacks at range
Figures come from Global Firepower which uses more than 50 different criteria to measure the world's strongest armed forces.
The algorithm used to compile the list does not just rely on the number of weapons available but on "weapon diversity", meaning smaller more technologically-advanced countries can compete with the big spenders.