New Delhi, India

The United States took the first spot in Global Firepower's Military Strength Rankings 2024, followed by Russia and China. India clinched fourth sport, above the United Kingdom and Japan. Bhutan is at the bottom of the list with a power index of 6.3704. 

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Global Firepower's rankings are based on the evaluation of 145 countries, considering over 60 individual factors such as troop numbers, military equipment, financial stability, geographic location, and available resources. 

All the mentioned factors are taken into consideration to determine a particular country's PowerIndex ('PwrIndx') score, with categories ranging from the quantity of military and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography. 

In a statement on its website, Global Firepower said that "our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller, more technologically advanced nations to compete with larger, lesser-developed powers, and special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the list, which is compiled annually". 

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Here's the list of the top 10 countries with the most powerful militaries 

1. United States

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Power Index: 0.0699    

Total Military Personnel (est): 2,127,500

2. Russia

Power Index: 0.0702    

Total Military Personnel (est): 3,570,000

3. China

Power Index: 0.0706    

Total Military Personnel (est): 3,170,000

4. India

Power Index: 0.1023    

Total Military Personnel (est): 5,137,550

5. South Korea    

Power Index: 0.1416    

Total Military Personnel (est): 3,820,000

6. United Kingdom

Power Index: 0.1443    

Total Military Personnel (est): 1,108,860

7. Japan

Power Index: 0.1601    

Total Military Personnel (est): 328,150

8. Turkey

Power Index: 0.1697    

Total Military Personnel (est): 883,900

9. Pakistan 

Power Index: 0.1711    

Total Military Personnel (est): 1,704,000

10. Italy

Power Index: 0.1863    

Total Military Personnel (est): 289,000

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Forbes India cited a report by the World Bank to take a detailed look at how much the nations are investing in their militaries. 

For example, America's military spending is said to be $876 billion and it's on top of the Power Index list because of the country's commanding dominance in key material, financial, and resource categories. It is also a leading player in technological advancements, excelling in the medical, aerospace, and computer/telecom sectors. As per the report, the US has 13,300 aircraft, with 983 being attack helicopters. 

Russia stood at second position based on its advanced technology and strategic global influence. They have a significant and well-trained military force, but the Russian forces have been criticised for the reported shortcomings in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. 

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China is at the number three spot and the nation has made significant attempts to improve its navy, airpower, and land warfare capabilities, mostly from domestic sources. Its military spending is around $292 billion. 

As for India, the report mentioned that its military spending is around $81.3 billion. It has a growing focus on digitisation and modernisation, and in recent years, it has increased its defence budget significantly. 

Last year, India proposed $72.6 billion in defence spending for the 2023-24 financial year, which was 13 per cent up from the previous period's initial estimates. It aimed to add more fighter jets and roads along its tense border with China. As per the report, India possesses a total of 2,210 aircraft, 4,614 tanks, and 295 assets in terms of naval forces.