# What are the world's top 10 armies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901 "2003-09-16T05:20:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/61 "2003-09-17T10:27:09Z")
If you think that China could beat the US in an all-out war, I think you’re deluded. That’s not jingoisim. The answers given were entirely in keeping with the poor phrasing of the question. ---
**Author:** ![tommyw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@tommyw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tommyw)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/62 "2003-09-17T13:51:20Z")
yeah , the question was badly phrased - I did it in a rush, but I was really only looking for manpower. I couldn’t give a toss who’d beat who in the next world war which is what everybody here seems so pre-occupied with. I have a feeling, though, that even if I’d phrased the question better, the same sort of “the USA is the greatest and we’ll bomb the crap out of anyone who comes near us” responses would have come up. And there, my friends, lies a major reason why more and more people hate your great country. Unashamed blind arrogance. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/63 "2003-09-17T14:01:19Z")
**tommyw** , did you even bother _reading_ the responses before opening up with the insults? I see MANY posts in which the #2 numeric rank for the US is clearly stated. BUT very early in the thread it was pointed out that this question could be answered in terms of troop numbers OR firepower OR projection capability, so people have been trying to answer it in all those senses, quoting many sources – and including many a comment that the US forces are _designed_ for power-projection so it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison. ---
**Author:** ![tommyw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@tommyw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tommyw)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/64 "2003-09-17T14:34:09Z")
ok, I’m sorry, there are a lot of very considered responses there too… ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/65 "2003-09-17T15:50:48Z")
> [@](#): > > China’s numbers > USA’s infantry technology and sheer military spending > Britain’s special forces training > Canada’s naval technology and SAR ability > North Korea’s intimidation factor 1. The US could put more troops in the field than China, easy, but we go for the pure professional approach. 2. Britain’s spec ops are very good, but the US ones are comparable in every way. 3. Canada has no naval capability the US does not. 4. NK’s intimidation factor is real, but its really just a variant of the MAD principle. Not that those countries are pathetic, by any means. But the US paid for the best and it has the best in every area. ---
**Author:** ![NFlanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@NFlanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NFlanders)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/66 "2003-09-17T16:03:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tommyw \* > \*\*And there, my friends, lies a major reason why more and more people hate your great country. Unashamed blind arrogance. \*\* I apologize on behalf of all my fellow Americans (and the Canadians, Britons, etc.) for trying to provide you with a factual answer. ---
**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/67 "2003-09-17T17:03:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smiling bandit \* > **1) The US could put more troops in the field than China, easy, but we go for the pure professional approach.** Say what? Last I looked, there were 6 billion chinese. That’s about 20x as many ‘citizens’ as the US. Plus, with their questionable baby gender selection practices, I’m sure a good percentage of those aged 18-25 are male. ---
**Author:** ![g8rguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@g8rguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/g8rguy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/68 "2003-09-17T17:36:48Z")
I believe, **Jake** , you’re off by a factor of, oh, [4 or 5.](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html) Which is not to say that China isn’t dramatically more populous than the US, but by more like a factor of 4, not 20. ---
**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/69 "2003-09-17T17:57:18Z")
doh. thinking whole world there. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901/70 "2003-09-17T19:21:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fuji Kitakyusho \* > \*\*#1 - a force with: > > China’s numbers > USA’s infantry technology and sheer military spending > Britain’s special forces training > Canada’s naval technology and SAR ability > North Korea’s intimidation factor \*\* Er, no. American Special Forces are tops, period. The training, numbers, investment, and support are top shelf. Yes, SAS is top-notch, but their support system cannot compare to the American. Have you read the reports of even the SAS being underequipped? And though training, as you say, is indeed critical, more important is how Special Forces fit into the entire military equation. We’re not talking knife fighting, here. Did you hear the story of the US Special Forces unit–we’re talking a handful of men–responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Aghani troops? As for Canada’s naval technology, it simply is not on par with that of the United States. The U.S. is the world leader–not Canada, Britain, Japan, or Germany–in naval technology research and development. Intimidation factor? Rattling sabres may be intimidating. But so is a squadron of B-52s overhead, backed by B-1 and B-2 bombers, stealth fighters, F-14s, F-15s, F-16s, F-18s, and eight aircraft carrier task force groups. Another factor: experience. Case closed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-worlds-top-10-armies/201901.md?page=3)