{"id":13610376,"date":"2026-08-18T14:58:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T12:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/world-military-strength-compared-aircraft-ships-troops-spending-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T15:32:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T13:32:04","slug":"world-military-strength-compared-aircraft-ships-troops-spending-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/it\/world-military-strength-compared-aircraft-ships-troops-spending-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The World&rsquo;s Militaries, Counted"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<p>In 2025 the world spent <strong>$2,887 billion<\/strong> on its armed forces. That is the highest figure SIPRI has ever recorded, the eleventh consecutive annual increase, and it works out at $352 for every person alive.<\/p><p>Below is what that money bought, counted as carefully as open sources allow: aircraft, ships, submarines, carriers and people, country by country.<\/p><p>Two warnings before the tables. First, every number here is an <em>estimate<\/em> from a named source with a stated date &mdash; they are not interchangeable, and mixing editions produces nonsense. Second, and more importantly, the definitions do more work than the numbers. A &ldquo;destroyer&rdquo; is whatever a navy decides to call a destroyer. Whether a country has 291 warships or 461 depends entirely on which rulebook you open. We have flagged those traps as we go, because they are where almost every viral military comparison falls apart.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;border-radius:8px;padding:20px 22px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#222\">Quick Facts<\/p><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:15px\"><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>World military spending, 2025<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">$2,887 billion (current 2025 US$) &mdash; up 2.9% in real terms<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>World military burden<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">2.5% of global GDP &mdash; the highest since 2009<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>Top spender<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">United States, $954bn &mdash; 33% of the world total<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>Active military aircraft worldwide<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">52,231 across 161 nations (FlightGlobal\/Cirium, 1 Oct 2025 data)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>Largest air fleet<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">United States, 13,033 aircraft &mdash; 25% of the global total<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>Fixed-wing aircraft carriers<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">20 hulls, operated by just six countries<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>Largest navy by hull count<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">China (PLAN), over 370 battle-force ships<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>Largest army<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">China (PLA), about 2.0 million active personnel<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;color:#666;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>Principal sources<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#222\">SIPRI (April 2026), FlightGlobal World Air Forces 2026, US CRS, US DoD, IISS, CSIS<\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Part One: The Money<\/h2><p>Spending is the cleanest of all these measures, because SIPRI has been doing it consistently since 1949 and publishes its methodology. It is also the best single predictor of everything else on this page, with a lag of about a decade.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Top 15 military spenders, 2025<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Spending in current 2025 US dollars. Changes in real terms (constant 2024 US$). Square brackets denote a SIPRI estimate.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Spending<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Share of world<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">% of GDP<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Change on 2024<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Change since 2016<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Per capita<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">1. United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$954bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">33%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3.1%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&minus;7.5%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+11%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$2,755<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">2. China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[$336bn]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[12%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[1.7%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+7.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+62%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$237<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">3. Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[$190bn]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[6.6%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[7.5%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+5.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+96%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$1,318<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">4. Germany<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$114bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.3%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+24%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+118%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$1,346<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">5. India<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$92.1bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3.2%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.3%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+8.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+39%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$63<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">6. United Kingdom<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$89.0bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3.1%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&minus;2.0%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+32%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$1,283<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">7. Ukraine<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[$84.1bn]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[2.9%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[40%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+20%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+1,501%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$2,197<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">8. Saudi Arabia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[$83.2bn]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[2.9%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">[6.5%]<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+1.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+12%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$2,428<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">9. France<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$68.0bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.0%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+1.5%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+21%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$1,021<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">10. Japan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$62.2bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.2%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+9.7%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+61%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$504<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">11. Israel<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$48.3bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.7%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">7.8%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&minus;4.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+120%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$5,108<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">12. Italy<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$48.1bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.7%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+20%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+57%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$813<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">13. South Korea<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$47.8bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.7%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.6%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+2.6%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+30%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$924<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">14. Poland<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$46.8bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.6%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">4.5%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+23%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+207%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$1,219<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">15. Spain<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$40.2bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.1%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+50%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+122%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$839<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>World<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>$2,887bn<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">100%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.5%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+2.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+41%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$352<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Source: SIPRI Fact Sheet, Trends in World Military Expenditure 2025, published 27 April 2026. The top five account for 58% of world spending; the top fifteen for 80%.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#fff;border:1px solid #e3e8f0;border-radius:10px;padding:20px 22px;margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Who spends the most, 2025<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Military expenditure, US$ billion. The United States alone outspends the next seven countries combined.<\/p><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United States<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$954bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:100.0%;height:100%;background:#d32f2f;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">China<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$336bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:35.2%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Russia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$190bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:19.9%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Germany<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$114bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:11.9%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">India<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$92.1bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:9.7%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United Kingdom<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$89.0bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:9.3%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Ukraine<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$84.1bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:8.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Saudi Arabia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$83.2bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:8.7%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">France<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$68.0bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:7.1%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Japan<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">$62.2bn<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.5%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888\">SIPRI, April 2026. Current 2025 US$.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Burden, Not Just Bulk<\/h2><p>Absolute spending flatters large economies. Military burden &mdash; spending as a share of GDP &mdash; shows how much a country is actually straining.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#fff;border:1px solid #e3e8f0;border-radius:10px;padding:20px 22px;margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Military burden: spending as a share of GDP, 2025<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">The picture inverts almost completely. Ukraine is spending nearly half its economy on survival.<\/p><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Ukraine<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">40%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:100.0%;height:100%;background:#d32f2f;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Israel<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">7.8%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:19.5%;height:100%;background:#d32f2f;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Russia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">7.5%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:18.8%;height:100%;background:#d32f2f;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Saudi Arabia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">6.5%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:16.3%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Poland<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">4.5%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:11.3%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United States<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">3.1%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:7.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">South Korea<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">2.6%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.5%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United Kingdom<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">2.4%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.0%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Germany<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">2.3%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:5.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">India<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">2.3%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:5.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Spain<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">2.1%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:5.3%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">France<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">2.0%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:5.0%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Italy<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1.9%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:4.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">China<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1.7%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:4.3%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Japan<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1.4%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:3.5%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888\">SIPRI, April 2026. World average: 2.5%.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>Ukraine has now spent four consecutive years with the highest military burden on earth &mdash; 40 per cent of GDP and 63 per cent of all government spending. Russia&rsquo;s military share of government spending reached 20 per cent in 2025, the highest SIPRI has ever recorded for the country.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Global military spending rose again in 2025 as states responded to another year of wars, uncertainty and geopolitical upheaval with large-scale armament drives. Given the range of current crises, as well as many states&rsquo; long-term military spending targets, this growth will probably continue through 2026 and beyond.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Xiao Liang<\/strong> &mdash; Researcher, SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme, April 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Long View: 1, 5, 10 and 20 Years<\/h2><p>A single year tells you very little. Trends tell you what a country has decided about the next decade.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Real-terms change in military spending, top 10 spenders<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Percentage change in constant 2024 US dollars over each period, ending 2025.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">1 year<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">5 years<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">10 years<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">20 years<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&minus;7.5%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&minus;1.5%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+11%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+8.5%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+7.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+31%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+62%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+349%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+5.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+136%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+96%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+347%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Germany<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+24%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+77%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+118%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+136%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">India<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+8.9%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+16%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+39%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+123%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United Kingdom<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&minus;2.0%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+24%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+32%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+21%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Ukraine<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+20%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+969%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+1,501%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+2,729%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Saudi Arabia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+1.4%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+15%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+12%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+83%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">France<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+1.5%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+11%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+21%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+22%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Japan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+9.7%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+51%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+61%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">+62%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">The 1-year and 10-year figures are published by SIPRI. The 5-year and 20-year columns are calculated from SIPRI&rsquo;s own constant-2024-dollar series; the same method reproduces SIPRI&rsquo;s published figures exactly. Note that 2020 is a COVID-distorted base year and Russia&rsquo;s 2020 figure was a pre-invasion trough, so the 5-year column is base-sensitive.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#fff;border:1px solid #e3e8f0;border-radius:10px;padding:20px 22px;margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Twenty-year growth, 2005 to 2025<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Real-terms change. Ukraine is excluded from the scale &mdash; at +2,729% it would flatten everything else.<\/p><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">China<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+349%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:100.0%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Russia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+347%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:99.4%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Germany<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+136%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:39.0%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">India<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+123%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:35.2%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Saudi Arabia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+83%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:23.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Japan<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+62%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:17.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">France<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+22%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.3%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United Kingdom<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+21%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.0%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United States<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">+8.5%<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:2.4%;height:100%;background:#d32f2f;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888\">SIPRI constant 2024 US$. Ukraine: +2,729%.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>That last line is the whole story of the century so far. Chinese and Russian spending have both grown roughly 350 per cent in twenty years. American spending has grown 8.5 per cent. The United States still spends more than the next seven countries combined, but the gap has been closing for two decades, and 2025 was the first year in some time that Washington&rsquo;s spending actually fell.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The decline in US military expenditure in 2025 is likely to be short-lived. Spending approved by the US Congress for 2026 has risen to over $1 trillion, a substantial increase from 2025, and could rise further to $1.5 trillion in 2027 if President Trump&rsquo;s latest budget proposal is accepted.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Nan Tian<\/strong> &mdash; Programme Director, SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme, April 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">NATO Versus Everyone<\/h2><p>Alliance arithmetic changes the picture completely. NATO&rsquo;s 32 members between them spent $1,581 billion in 2025 &mdash; 55 per cent of all military spending on earth.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">The blocs, 2025<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Current 2025 US dollars, on SIPRI&rsquo;s methodology.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Bloc<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Spending<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Share of world<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Ratio vs Russia<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">NATO (32 members)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$1,581bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">55%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">8.3&times;<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash; of which United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$954bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">33%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">5.0&times;<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash; of which European members (29)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$559bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">19%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2.9&times;<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$336bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">12%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1.8&times;<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$190bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">6.6%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Russia and China combined<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">$526bn<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">18%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">NATO&rsquo;s own accounting gives a higher figure &mdash; $1,630bn for 2025 &mdash; because it counts some items differently. SIPRI notes NATO estimated Canada&rsquo;s 2025 spending $5.0bn higher without disclosing the scope of the additional spending. Ratios are our calculation.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>European NATO spending rose faster in 2025 than in any year since 1953. Germany passed 2 per cent of GDP for the first time since 1990; Spain for the first time since 1994, with a 50 per cent single-year jump. Poland now carries the heaviest burden in the alliance at 4.5 per cent.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;In 2025 military spending by European NATO members rose faster than at any time since 1953, reflecting the ongoing pursuit of European self-reliance alongside increasing pressure from the United States to strengthen burden sharing within the alliance.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Jade Guiberteau Ricard<\/strong> &mdash; Researcher, SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme, April 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Part Two: Airpower<\/h2><p>There are <strong>52,231<\/strong> active military aircraft in the world, spread across 161 nations. The number fell by 411 last year, mostly because the entire Syrian air force &mdash; 414 aircraft &mdash; was deleted from the count.<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=1208951072  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:lqMK.cd61\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/08\/f-35-lightning-ii-formation-airpower.jpg\" alt=\"F-35 Lightning II fighters in formation\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The United States operates a quarter of every military aircraft on the planet, and three quarters of the world&rsquo;s aerial tankers. US Air Force photo via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">The twelve largest air arms, 2026<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">All services combined. Data drawn 1 October 2025.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Total aircraft<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Combat aircraft<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Bombers<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Tankers<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Transports<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Combat helicopters<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">1. United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">13,033<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2,718<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">132<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">610<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">917<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">5,567<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">2. Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">4,237<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,559<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">115<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">18<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">458<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,535<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">3. China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3,529<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,814<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">150<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">9<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">287<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">913<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">4. India<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2,183<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">600<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">6<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">277<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">894<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">5. South Korea<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,540<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">340<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">4<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">40<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">786<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">6. Japan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,429<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">264<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">10<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">53<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">568<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">7. Pakistan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,397<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">421<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">4<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">63<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">319<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">8. Turkey<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,101<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">201<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">7<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">84<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">481<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">9. Egypt<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,088<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">332<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">53<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">348<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">10. France<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">973<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">223<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">15<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">118<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">434<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">11. Saudi Arabia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">917<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">364<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">22<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">49<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">264<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">12. North Korea<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">837<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">455<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">205<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\"><em>(15.) United Kingdom<\/em><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><em>625<\/em><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><em>141<\/em><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><em>&mdash;<\/em><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><em>9<\/em><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><em>30<\/em><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><em>215<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Source: FlightGlobal World Air Forces 2026, data partner Cirium, published 13 November 2025. &ldquo;Combat helicopters&rdquo; is the report&rsquo;s category for all non-training rotorcraft. The directory contains no uncrewed aircraft at all &mdash; any drone figure attributed to it is false.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#fff;border:1px solid #e3e8f0;border-radius:10px;padding:20px 22px;margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Total military aircraft, 2026<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">The US fleet is larger than ranks two to six combined.<\/p><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United States<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">13,033<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:100.0%;height:100%;background:#d32f2f;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Russia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">4,237<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:32.5%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">China<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">3,529<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:27.1%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">India<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">2,183<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:16.7%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">South Korea<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1,540<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:11.8%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Japan<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1,429<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:11.0%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Pakistan<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1,397<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:10.7%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Turkey<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1,101<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:8.4%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Egypt<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">1,088<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:8.3%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">France<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">973<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:7.5%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Saudi Arabia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">917<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:7.0%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">North Korea<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">837<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.4%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888\">FlightGlobal World Air Forces 2026.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The USA has 25% of all operational military aircraft, and heads all six equipment categories in our directory. Its numerical advantage ranges from having 19% of all combat aircraft and 28% of combat helicopters to 33% of special mission assets and 75% of all tankers.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Craig Hoyle<\/strong> &mdash; FlightGlobal, World Air Forces 2026, 13 November 2025<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>That tanker figure is the one professionals notice. Combat aircraft can be bought; the ability to move them across an ocean and keep them there cannot. Three quarters of the world&rsquo;s aerial refuelling capacity belongs to one country, and it is the single clearest measure of who can actually fight far from home.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Bombers: A Club of Three<\/h2><p>Only three countries operate strategic bombers. Everyone else&rsquo;s long-range strike is done with fighters, cruise missiles or not at all.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Strategic bomber fleets, 2026<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Active aircraft.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Total<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Composition<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">150<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">H-6 variants: 120 with the air force, 30 with naval aviation<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">132<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">72 B-52H, 40 B-1B, 20 B-2. B-21 Raider: none active yet, 100 on order<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">115<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">56 Tu-22M, 44 Tu-95, 15 Tu-160<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">FlightGlobal World Air Forces 2026. China now fields the largest bomber force by headcount, though the H-6 is a derivative of the 1950s Tu-16 and is not comparable to a B-2. FlightGlobal cautions that its Russian figures are likely higher than reality because airframe losses inside a conflict zone cannot be verified.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>The Russian caveat matters. Ukraine&rsquo;s June 2025 drone raid on Russian airbases reportedly destroyed around a fifth of Moscow&rsquo;s operational strategic bombers on the ground &mdash; aircraft that no longer exist but which still appear in inventories.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Chinese Number That Jumped<\/h2><p>China&rsquo;s combat fleet rose 14.6 per cent in a single edition, from 1,583 to 1,814. Almost none of that was new construction. It was a counting revision.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #ef6c00;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Multiple sources indicate that around 300 of the fifth-generation fighters have now been produced, so our estimate has been set at 250 operational examples; up from only 19 previously.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Craig Hoyle<\/strong> &mdash; FlightGlobal, World Air Forces 2026, on the J-20 estimate<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>China is now building somewhere between 220 and 280 new fighters a year, on independent estimates. And the total above still excludes the Shenyang J-35 entirely &mdash; so the real figure is higher than 3,529.<\/p><p>There is a matching caution on the Russian side, in the opposite direction. FlightGlobal counts 1,559 Russian combat aircraft. Justin Bronk of RUSI, counting only genuinely serviceable modern types and discounting stored MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-25 airframes, arrives at roughly 545 to 560 fighters plus the bombers &mdash; a gap of about 2.4 times. Both numbers are defensible. They are answering different questions.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;First, the impact of the attrition that the VKS has suffered during operations in Ukraine has been lower than would be suggested by the numbers of lost and damaged aircraft. In fact, the VKS&rsquo; fleet has expanded in that time.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Justin Bronk<\/strong> &mdash; Royal United Services Institute, The Evolution of Russian and Chinese Air Power Threats, January 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Fifth Generation: Roughly 1,300 Aircraft, Very Unevenly Spread<\/h2><p>Raw fleet totals hide the thing that actually decides a modern air battle. Of the 52,231 military aircraft in the world, only around <strong>1,300<\/strong> are fifth-generation stealth fighters &mdash; about 2.5 per cent of the total, and they are distributed more unequally than any other category on this page.<\/p><p>A definitional note first, because this label is abused more than any other in aviation. We count the F-22, the F-35, the J-20, the J-35 and &mdash; with reservations explained below &mdash; the Su-57. Aircraft still in development, such as Turkey&rsquo;s KAAN and South Korea&rsquo;s KF-21, are not counted. Nor are 4.5-generation types like the F-15EX, Rafale or late-tranche Typhoon, which are in several respects more capable than the Su-57 despite the generational label.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;There is no universally accepted criterion for what does and does not count as a fifth-generation fighter, and manufacturers use these terms for marketing.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Aaron Spray<\/strong> &mdash; Aerospace Global News, Global air power rankings, October 2025<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Fifth-generation fighters in service, 2026<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Operational aircraft. The United States and China are the only countries operating two different fifth-generation types.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Fifth-gen aircraft<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Types operated<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">1. United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">620+<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-22 Raptor, F-35A\/B\/C<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">183 F-22 airframes remain of 187 built; the rest are F-35s across the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">2. China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">300+<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">J-20, J-35<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Estimates range from about 250 to over 500. Neither type is exported<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">3. Australia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">72<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35A<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Operated alongside Super Hornets and Growlers<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">4. Norway<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">52<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35A<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">One of only two air forces to have transitioned fully to the F-35<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">5. Netherlands<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">49<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35A<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Fully transitioned. A Dutch F-35 scored a drone kill over Poland in 2025<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">6. Israel<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">46<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35I &ldquo;Adir&rdquo;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">A uniquely customised F-35A with Israeli systems<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">7. Japan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">46<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35A (43), F-35B (3)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">The F-35Bs are flown by the Air Self-Defense Force, not the Navy<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">8. South Korea<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">40<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35A<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Separate from the domestic KF-21 programme<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">9. United Kingdom<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">38<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35B<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Joint RAF and Royal Navy Lightning Force, flown from both carriers<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">10. Italy<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">38<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35A (32), F-35B (6)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">F-35Bs operate from the carrier Cavour<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">11. Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~20<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Su-57<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Roughly 19 in service at the end of 2024, about six delivered that year<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>World<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>~1,300<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">More than 1,300 F-35s of all variants have now been delivered across 17-plus nations<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Compiled from FlightGlobal World Air Forces, WDMMA and national defence ministries, October 2025, with Lockheed Martin delivery figures to March 2026. Figures for China and Russia are estimates and the spread between sources is wide.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#fff;border:1px solid #e3e8f0;border-radius:10px;padding:20px 22px;margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Fifth-generation fighters by operator<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Approximate aircraft in service. The eleventh-placed operator is Russia.<\/p><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United States<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">620+<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:100.0%;height:100%;background:#d32f2f;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">China<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">300+<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:48.4%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Australia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">72<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:11.6%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Norway<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">52<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:8.4%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Netherlands<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">49<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:7.9%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Israel<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">46<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:7.4%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Japan<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">46<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:7.4%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">South Korea<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">40<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.5%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">United Kingdom<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">38<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.1%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Italy<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">38<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:6.1%;height:100%;background:#1565c0;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 10px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14px;color:#333;margin-bottom:3px\"><span style=\"font-weight:600\">Russia<\/span><span style=\"color:#555;white-space:nowrap\">~20<\/span><\/div><div style=\"background:#f0f2f6;border-radius:4px;height:14px;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:3.2%;height:100%;background:#ef6c00;border-radius:4px\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888\">The United States operates roughly half of all fifth-generation aircraft in existence.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=801754590  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:wLQL.cd64\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/08\/chengdu-j-20-formation-fifth-generation-fighter.jpg\" alt=\"Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation fighters in formation\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Chinese J-20s. China is now producing fifth-generation fighters faster than any other country, and is the only nation besides the United States fielding two stealth fighter types. Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Line That Puts It in Perspective<\/h2><p>Read the table again and note where Russia sits. The Netherlands &mdash; a country of 18 million people with a single fighter type &mdash; fields more fifth-generation aircraft than the Russian Federation.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Compared with the other fifth-generation jets, the Su-57 has a large radar cross section, exists in very small numbers, and has failed to make any impact in penetrating and dismantling Ukrainian air defence.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Aerospace Global News<\/strong> &mdash; Global air power rankings, October 2025<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>Russia&rsquo;s difficulty is not design ambition but production. Sanctions have kept some of the Su-57&rsquo;s advertised systems out of the aircraft entirely, and serial deliveries have run at single digits a year. Algeria is expected to become the first export customer, with a reported order for twelve.<\/p><p>The opposite problem exists in the two categories nobody exports. The F-22 line closed in 2011 after 187 aircraft, and the United States has never sold one abroad. China applies the same ban to the J-20. Both countries keep their best air-superiority aircraft for themselves and export the multirole one &mdash; the F-35 for America, and probably the J-35 for China, which is openly touted for export.<\/p><p>Which leaves one asymmetry that matters more than any individual airframe. The F-35 has been ordered by around twenty countries. Every one of those fleets is interoperable, shares a common logistics chain, and can pass targeting data to the others. China&rsquo;s stealth fleet is larger than anyone&rsquo;s but Washington&rsquo;s, and it flies alone.<\/p><p>The counting caveat applies here too, as it does everywhere on this page. FlightGlobal&rsquo;s directory records 177 active F-22s and 883 F-35s worldwide, because it excludes aircraft in storage or undergoing upgrade. Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,300. Both numbers are correct; they answer different questions.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Part Three: Navies<\/h2><p>This is where counting becomes genuinely treacherous, and where most published comparisons are simply wrong.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Aircraft Carriers: Six Countries, Twenty Ships<\/h2>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Aircraft carriers in service, August 2026<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Fixed-wing carriers only. Helicopter carriers listed separately below.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">CATOBAR<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">STOBAR<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">STOVL<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Total<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">11<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">11<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">10 Nimitz-class plus USS Gerald R. Ford<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Fujian commissioned 5 Nov 2025 &mdash; first non-US ship with electromagnetic catapults<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">India<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Vikramaditya and the domestically built Vikrant<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United Kingdom<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales, 65,000 t each<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">France<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Charles de Gaulle, 42,000 t, nuclear<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Italy<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Cavour; the LHD Trieste is not yet F-35B qualified<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">(1)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">&mdash;<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Admiral Kuznetsov laid up, refit suspended, has not sailed since 2017<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>World<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>13<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>4<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>3<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\"><strong>20<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Add Spain&rsquo;s Harrier-carrying Juan Carlos I and nine US F-35B-capable amphibious ships and the total is about 30<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Compiled from USNI News, Naval News, navy.mil and national navies, August 2026.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=1197821360  decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:5qmC.cd62\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/08\/chinese-aircraft-carrier-fujian-flight-deck.jpg\" alt=\"Flight deck of the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Fujian, commissioned in November 2025, is the first carrier outside the US Navy to use electromagnetic catapults. Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<p>A fourth Chinese carrier is under construction at Dalian. Satellite imagery from May 2026 shows a hull about 286 metres long with two large compartments carrying the hallmarks of shielded reactor containment.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #ef6c00;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;If China does build out such an extensive carrier fleet, it would represent a sea change in the global balance of military power. Doing so would allow it to not only close the quantitative gap with the U.S. Navy&rsquo;s eleven-carrier fleet, but also the qualitative gap if many of its new carriers feature advanced capabilities like nuclear propulsion.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>CSIS Hidden Reach<\/strong> &mdash; Matthew Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs and Joseph Bermudez Jr., Tracking China&rsquo;s Fourth Aircraft Carrier, 21 May 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>The Pentagon&rsquo;s stated expectation, published in December 2025: the PLAN aims to produce six carriers by 2035, for a total of nine.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LtblkuKN_d8\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666\"><em>The carriers currently under construction around the world, including China&rsquo;s Type 004 and France&rsquo;s nuclear-powered replacement for the Charles de Gaulle.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/H5FjW1MI-3U\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666\"><em>Every aircraft carrier in service in 2026, country by country.<\/em><\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Warships: The 291-or-461 Problem<\/h2><p>Ask how many ships the US Navy has and the honest answer is another question: counted how?<\/p><p>The US counting rule is a Navy instruction, not a law. It admits commissioned warships and certain support vessels, and excludes patrol craft, unmanned vessels, tugs, barges, hospital ships and most sealift. On that rule the US Navy had <strong>293<\/strong> battle-force ships in October 2025. Count every hull of every kind and the same navy is <strong>461<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;As a general rule to avoid potential statistical distortions, comparisons of the number of ships in the Navy over time should use, whenever possible, a single counting method.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Congressional Research Service<\/strong> &mdash; Ronald O&rsquo;Rourke, Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans, RL32665, 20 January 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>The same trap applies to the famous China comparison. The Pentagon&rsquo;s last published figure had the PLAN at <strong>over 370 battle-force ships<\/strong> against the US Navy&rsquo;s 291 &mdash; and contrary to a widespread claim, that Chinese figure explicitly <em>excludes<\/em> around 60 missile-armed patrol catamarans. It is not padded with speedboats.<\/p><p>Worth noting for anyone quoting the Pentagon: the December 2025 edition of the China Military Power Report dropped the battle-force number entirely. The last published figure dates from the 2024 edition.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Major fleets by hull count<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Commissioned or in service. &ldquo;Destroyer&rdquo; means whatever the country itself calls one &mdash; see the warning below.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Navy<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Carriers \/ big decks<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Cruisers<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Destroyers<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Frigates<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Submarines<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Fleet total<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">11 CVN + 9 LHA\/LHD<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">7<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">77<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">65 (14 SSBN, 47 SSN, 4 SSGN)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">293 battle force<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">China (PLAN)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3 CV + 4 LHD<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">10 (Type 055)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">52<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">54<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">66+ (6 SSBN, 12&ndash;14 SSN, 48+ SSK)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">over 370<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1 (non-operational)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">4<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">8&ndash;12<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">12<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">54&ndash;72<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~290 incl. reserve<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">India<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2 CV<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">13<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">20<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">19 (3 SSBN, 16 SSK)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~145 combatants<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Japan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2 CVM + 2 DDH<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0 (2 from 2027)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">36<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">16<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">23<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">155 vessels<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">South Korea<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2 LPH<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">13<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">15<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">21<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">262 (2022 figure)<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United Kingdom<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2 CV<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">6<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">7<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">10 (4 SSBN, 6 SSN)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~63 in service<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">France<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1 CVN + 3 LHD<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">15 nominal \/ 10 first-rank<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">7&ndash;10<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">not published<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Australia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2 LHD<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">3<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">7<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">6<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">32 commissioned<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Germany<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">0 (none since 2003)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">11<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">6<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~65 (2022 figure)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Compiled from CRS, US DoD, USNI News, Naval News, national navies and IISS, 2025&ndash;26. The US has zero frigates: the Constellation class was cancelled in November 2025.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why &ldquo;Destroyer&rdquo; Means Nothing<\/h2><p>The column above is close to meaningless without this warning, so here it is plainly. Ship classes are national branding decisions, not engineering categories.<\/p><p>China&rsquo;s Type 055 displaces 12,000 to 13,000 tonnes. The Pentagon calls it a cruiser; China calls it a destroyer. China&rsquo;s &ldquo;cruiser&rdquo; count in American tables jumped from zero to eight purely because of US naming convention.<\/p><p>Germany has not rated a ship as a destroyer since 2003 &mdash; as deliberate policy, to symbolically underline military restraint &mdash; despite operating 7,000-tonne frigates. France and Italy operate the <em>identical<\/em> Horizon-class hull with the identical missile system: France calls it a frigate, Italy calls it a destroyer. Britain&rsquo;s Type 26 frigate outweighs its Type 45 destroyer. Italy&rsquo;s 6,000-tonne, 16-cell PPA is officially an offshore patrol vessel; Indonesia bought two and commissioned them as frigates. Iran calls 1,500-tonne ships destroyers; US naval intelligence classifies them as corvettes.<\/p><p>Compare hull counts across navies without reading the definitions and you are comparing marketing departments.<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=318356152  decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:zxRM.cd63\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/08\/nimitz-class-carrier-flight-deck-operations.jpg\" alt=\"Flight deck operations aboard a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">US carriers and amphibious ships account for roughly 90 per cent of the tonnage gap between the American and Chinese fleets. US Navy photo via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Tonnage, Missile Cells and the Better Questions<\/h2><p>Because hull counts are so unreliable, analysts prefer tonnage. Here honesty requires an admission: <strong>no current aggregate tonnage figure for either navy exists from an authoritative public source.<\/strong> The comparison everyone repeats rests on a 2018 Brookings estimate &mdash; the US Navy at roughly twice China&rsquo;s tonnage, a gap of about three million tons &mdash; and a 2024 CSIS study. Anyone quoting a 2026 tonnage figure is inventing it.<\/p><p>What CSIS did establish in 2024 is more interesting than the raw number.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;U.S. aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships account for about 90 percent of the displacement gap. If carriers turn out to be of limited value for modern naval warfare, much of the U.S. displacement advantage disappears, and recent rates of expansion suggest that China can probably surpass the United States in aggregate displacement of cruisers, destroyers, and frigates in less than ten years.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Alexander Palmer, Henry Carroll and Nicholas Velazquez<\/strong> &mdash; CSIS, Unpacking China&rsquo;s Naval Buildup, 5 June 2024<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>Better metrics exist. Vertical launch cells &mdash; the actual magazine depth of a fleet &mdash; put the US Navy at around 9,900 against the PLAN&rsquo;s 4,200. That still sounds comfortable until you see the trend: in 2004 the ratio was 222 to one.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Measures that matter more than hull count<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">2024 data unless stated.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Measure<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">United States<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">China<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Warships over 1,000 t, missile or torpedo armed<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">219<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">234<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Vertical launch cells<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~9,900<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~4,200<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Nuclear-powered submarines<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">66<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">12<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Submarine VLS cells<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,168<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">none confirmed<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Share of fleet launched after 2010<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~25%<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~70%<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Support and auxiliary ships<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">126<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">167<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Shipyard capacity (2023, ONI)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">under 100,000 t<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">23,250,000 t<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Sources: CSIS, Unpacking China&rsquo;s Naval Buildup, June 2024; US Office of Naval Intelligence briefing slide, 2023. On auxiliaries and shipbuilding capacity China is ahead, which is the reverse of the usual framing.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>That last line is the one that keeps American planners awake. The ONI slide put Chinese shipyard capacity at over 23 million tons against under 100,000 for the United States &mdash; a ratio of more than 230 to one. The US Navy confirmed the slide was genuine while cautioning it was drawn from public sources and was never meant as a deep analysis of Chinese commercial shipbuilding.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SgkSjtxwJeE\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666\"><em>Carrier size compared &mdash; the United States, China and the United Kingdom side by side.<\/em><\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Part Four: People<\/h2><p>Manpower has its own version of the definitions problem: authorised strength, funded billets and actual serving headcount are three different numbers, and countries quote whichever flatters them.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Active military personnel, top 15<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">Best estimate of actual serving strength, not authorised establishment.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Active personnel<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Year<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Source<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">1. China<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2,035,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2024<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">US DoD China Military Power Report<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">2. India<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,376,729<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2024<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Indian MoD, in-position strength<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">3. United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,285,084<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">30 Sep 2025<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">US Defense Manpower Data Center<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">4. North Korea<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,280,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2022&ndash;26<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">ROK MoD \/ IISS<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">5. Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~1,134,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2025<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS Military Balance<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">6. Ukraine<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">800,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Dec 2025<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">President Zelensky<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">7. Pakistan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">660,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2026<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">8. Iran<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~610,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2025<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">9. Turkey<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">494,500<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2025<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">NATO &mdash; but IISS gives 355,200<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">10. South Korea<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~450,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">Jul 2025<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">ROK MoD<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">11. Vietnam<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">450,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2026<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">12. Egypt<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">438,500<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2026<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">13. Indonesia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">433,700<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2026<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">14. Brazil<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">376,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2023<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">15. Thailand<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">360,850<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">2026<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">IISS &mdash; unchanged since 2023<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Ranking is sensitive to source. On the NATO figure Turkey is 9th; on the IISS figure it falls to 16th, because Turkey&rsquo;s Gendarmerie moved to the Interior Ministry in 2016.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 2px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#111\">Authorised versus actual: the recruitment gap<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:13px;color:#777\">The four cases where the difference is largest.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x:auto\"><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;min-width:520px\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f5f7fb\"><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Country<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Authorised<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Actually serving<\/th><th style=\"padding:9px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:2px solid #dde3ec;color:#333;font-weight:700;white-space:nowrap\">Shortfall<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Russia<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,535,000 (decree, Aug 2026)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~1,134,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">~400,000<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">India<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,495,645 sanctioned<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,376,729<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">118,916 (8%)<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fff\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">Japan<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">247,154<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">217,701<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">29,453 (12%)<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"background:#fbfcfe\"><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap\">United States<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,302,800 (FY2026 NDAA)<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">1,285,084<\/td><td style=\"padding:8px 10px;text-align:right;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6;color:#222;white-space:nowrap\">17,716 (1.4%)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;font-size:12px;color:#888;font-style:italic\">Russia has raised its authorised end strength six times since 2022. Japan filled just 72% of its recruiting target in FY2025.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>Demographics are quietly becoming the binding constraint. South Korea has gone from 563,000 active personnel in 2019 to about 450,000 in 2025, and projects 290,000 by 2030 &mdash; not through policy, but through birth rates. India loses around 60,000 people a year to attrition. The US Navy is roughly 20,000 sailors short at sea.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #ef6c00;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The acquisition of the most advanced fighter aircraft is of little strategic value if there are insufficient personnel to operate them. This is no longer a concern for the distant future&mdash;it is an immediate and pressing reality.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Tomohiro Sato<\/strong> &mdash; Foreign Policy at Brookings, The personnel base of the Japan Self-Defense Forces in an era of demographic decline, October 2025<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What None of These Numbers Tell You<\/h2><p>Every table above measures inventory. War is decided by things inventories cannot capture, and it is worth being explicit about the gaps.<\/p><p><strong>Readiness.<\/strong> FlightGlobal counts aircraft not recorded as in storage or undergoing upgrade. That is an accounting definition, not a statement that they can fly tomorrow. Of Russia&rsquo;s nine Akula-class attack submarines, five are in refit and one is in reserve &mdash; leaving perhaps three available from a paper fleet of nine.<\/p><p><strong>Munitions.<\/strong> Nobody publishes credible stockpile figures. A fleet of aircraft with two weeks of precision weapons is a two-week air force, and several NATO members discovered exactly this after 2022.<\/p><p><strong>Logistics and training.<\/strong> Tankers, transports, spare parts and flying hours decide whether a force can be used. The tanker column is the closest proxy on this page, and it is brutally lopsided.<\/p><p><strong>The counting problem cuts both ways.<\/strong> The most instructive example of 2026 came from the Gulf. After the campaign against Iran, US Central Command reported that a fleet which had eleven ships in the Gulf of Oman had none. Yet analysts assessed that 80 to 90 per cent of Iran&rsquo;s small boats and minelaying craft survived &mdash; and those are the vessels that actually threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The ships that appeared in the tables were destroyed. The ships that never appeared in any table are the ones that still matter.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Shape of It<\/h2><p>Strip out the detail and four things are happening at once.<\/p><p>The United States retains an enormous, and in some categories overwhelming, lead &mdash; a quarter of the world&rsquo;s military aircraft, three quarters of its tankers, eleven carriers, two thirds of the world&rsquo;s nuclear submarines and a third of all military spending. That lead is real and it is not close to disappearing.<\/p><p>China is closing specific gaps very quickly, and has already passed the US on hull count, on warships over 1,000 tonnes, on fleet age, on auxiliaries and on shipbuilding capacity by a factor of over two hundred. Its 31st consecutive annual spending increase is the longest unbroken run in SIPRI&rsquo;s entire database.<\/p><p>Europe is rearming faster than at any point since the early 1950s, from a very low base, and mostly by writing cheques rather than by fielding new units &mdash; the equipment those budgets buy will not arrive for years.<\/p><p>And the constraint everyone is running into is not money. It is people, shipyards and production lines. Japan cannot fill its ranks. Korea is shrinking by demography. The United States can fund carriers faster than it can build them. In that world, the twenty-year spending trend at the top of this article is a better guide to 2040 than any inventory table below it.<\/p><p><em>Sources: SIPRI, Trends in World Military Expenditure 2025 (April 2026) and the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database; FlightGlobal World Air Forces 2026 with data partner Cirium; US Congressional Research Service reports RL32665 and RL33153 by Ronald O&rsquo;Rourke; US Department of Defense, Military and Security Developments Involving the People&rsquo;s Republic of China (2024 and 2025 editions); CSIS, Unpacking China&rsquo;s Naval Buildup (2024) and Hidden Reach (2026); RUSI; IISS Military Balance; US Naval Institute News; Naval News; NATO; national defence ministries.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777\"><em>A note on method: every figure carries its source and year. Where sources disagree, both are given rather than averaged. Where no authoritative figure exists &mdash; current fleet tonnage, most national drone inventories &mdash; we have said so instead of estimating.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/china-j-20-j-35-stealth-fighter-production-numbers-2030\/\">China Doesn&rsquo;t Need the Best Stealth Jet &mdash; Just the Most<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/f-22-raptor-winner-america-stopped-building\/\">F-22 Raptor: The Winner America Stopped Building<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/iran-war-us-cost-aircraft-losses-munitions-overview-2026\/\">What the Iran War Has Cost America So Far<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/india-rafale-mrfa-source-code-dispute-france-2026\/\">India&rsquo;s Rafale Deal Hits a Firewall<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The world spent $2,887 billion on defence in 2025. Here is what it bought: aircraft, carriers, warships, submarines and troops, country by country \u2014 with every source, every date, and every definitional trap flagged.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":13609290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13610376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>World Military Strength Compared: The 2026 Numbers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Aircraft, fifth-generation fighters, carriers, warships, submarines, troops and spending for every major military power, with sources and dates.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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