Where India stands among world's most powerful militaries
Global Firepower (GFP), an analytical website that tracks global military powers, released the 2023 Military Strength Ranking, rating 145 countries based on an index of 60 individual factors measuring currently available firepower. The United States (US) topped the list, followed closely by Russia and China. India retained its fourth rank, followed by the United Kingdom (UK), South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, France, and Italy.
How GFP measures PowerIndex
According to the GFP, it compares countries based on "categories ranging from quantity of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography" to determine a nation's PowerIndex. The measure of a country's overall firepower is called PowerIndex. The PowerIndex is inversely proportional to conventional fighting capability. The smaller the PowerIndex value, "the more 'powerful' a nation's conventional fighting capability is," says GFP.
How top-ranking countries fare in comparison to each other
The US is ranked the highest with a PowerIndex value of 0.0712. Russia is marginally behind the US at 0.0714, while China stands at 0.0722. With some gap after the third rank, India is ahead of the UK at 0.1025 against the latter's 0.1435. South Korea's PowerIndex is at 0.1505, followed by Pakistan's 0.1694.
Here are other nations ranked highly
Once a great military power, Turkey is ranked 11 on the list, followed by Brazil, Indonesia, and Egypt. Ukraine sits at the 15th rank on the list with a PowerIndex value of 0.2516, while Australia ranks 16th. Iran and its nemesis Israel stand at the 17th and 18th spots with a PowerIndex value of 0.2712 and 0.2757, respectively.
Lowest-ranking countries on GFP list
Bhutan ranked lowest on the list at 145th place with a PowerIndex value of 6.2017. The West African country of Benin stood at the 144th rank with a PowerIndex value of 4.1269. At 143rd rank, Moldova was the lowest-ranked European nation on the list, while Iceland stood at 137th place. Suriname, Liberia, and Somalia were ranked 140, 141, and 142, respectively.
People question Russia's firepower in light of Ukraine war
However, many have questioned Russia's ranking second on the list because it has yet to defeat Ukrainian forces, which the US and Western European countries are aiding in the ongoing war. Moreover, the Wagner Group's recent coup against President Vladimir Putin, which Russia reportedly managed to foil, chipped away at the latter's reputation.
US's military budget 10 times more than India
Since the Russia-Ukraine crisis began in February last year, Russia overtook India to clinch the third spot in terms of military spending. Meanwhile, the defense budget of the US is a staggering 10 times more than India's spending, while China spends four times more than India does. In 2022, the total global military expenditure surged by 3.7% to reach $2.24 trillion.
