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There are countries that need their own Armed Forces like a goat needs an electric guitar. This is, for example, the Principality of Liechtenstein, where there is only a police force of 120 people. These are Iceland, Costa Rica, Andorra, etc. But not everything is so simple, because if you bark very loudly at Moska, the elephant can sneak up unnoticed. All these states have an impressive “roof”, which is guaranteed to them by major global players in the military arena.
But there are also countries that seem to have Armed Forces, but looking at their state, you can’t help but think that it would be better for these states to abandon them altogether. Why spend money on a worthless army when you can work on the economy or grow garlic on your balcony?
In this article you will find the five most insignificant armies in the world, which would be better off not existing at all.
#5: LIBYA
Until 2011, Libya had a very powerful army. And how could it be otherwise if the country was ruled by a talented military man, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi? The army consisted of ground forces, naval forces and air force. The total number of military personnel reached 50,000 people. As for weapons and equipment, Libya had “full stuffing”: airplanes, helicopters, air defense systems, tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, submarines and so on. Most of this variety of Libya was supplied by the USSR at one time. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was no one to supply the Libyans, and because of the imposed sanctions, the country could not modernize or simply repair equipment that was failing. Sanctions were lifted only in 2004, but Gaddafi did not have long to rule the country.
In 2011, a civil war broke out in Libya. Gaddafi was killed, and rebel forces came to power and disbanded the old army in an attempt to create a new one. However, nothing worked out for them, because a bad manager is bad in everything. The main problem was the inability of the new government to put the country on the path to de-escalate the conflict.
As a result, the modern Libyan army numbers almost 90,000 people, but there is no army. The Armed Forces, due to the chaos in the country, were divided into so-called brigades, some of which are subordinate to the authorities, and some of which are at war with them.
At the end of 2013, there were FOUR main armed groups in Libya:
Libyan Shield (a coalition of factions controlled from Misrata);
Ministry of Defense forces controlled from the city of Zintan;
"Guard for the Protection of Oil Facilities";
"Army of Bark", subordinate to the Council of Cyrenaica;
Now there may be many more of them. Add here the ISIS terrorists, as well as all the lethal weapons the country inherited from Gaddafi. Agree that it would be better if such a powder keg did not exist in North Africa at all, but let’s say “thank you” to NATO. They, as always, got rid of a threat that did not exist. So Libya does not have any Armed Forces as such. There is chaos, and it can be a hundred times more dangerous.
#4: ZAMBIA
If we evaluate the Zambian Army in a global context, then we can safely say that the army of this African country has a completely wretched military potential. However, everything is not so bad if we consider Zambia within Africa alone. Zambia is even trying to buy something from China, if only they had the money.
Although if you look at the list of Zambian weapons, it becomes unclear how this country could get into such a rating. The country's tank fleet, for example, includes 5 Soviet T-54s, about 20 T-55s and 30-50 light PT-76s.
There are also Soviet BRDM-1 (Armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicle) and BRDM-2, 44 of each. There are 28 English Ferret armored vehicles, as well as 52 armored personnel carriers with various registrations.
The artillery consists of 95 towed guns, 93 mortars and approximately 50 MLRS. Also in service are the Soviet Malyutka ATGMs and Strela-2 MANPADS, plus more than 150 anti-aircraft guns, which in the old days Zambia acquired from Yugoslavia and the USSR.
The Zambian Air Force is armed with 5 old Soviet MiG-21 fighters and 5 very old Chinese J-6 fighters, which were a copy of the Soviet MiG-19. Zambia has 33 transport aircraft, including even the Soviet Yak-40. There are the most training aircraft - 83. Some of them, purely theoretically, can be used as light attack aircraft. There are 30 helicopters in the area. There is an air defense system with Soviet S-125 air defense systems and the English Rapier.
Now the most important thing: why is such potential not a cause for concern? The fact is that there is no one to service all this wealth. A lot of equipment has long been out of order, and there is no talk of repairs and modernization because there is no money. In principle, the Zambian Army can ensure the security of the country, but only if some more powerful country does not decide to attack it. For example, South Africa.
#3: MALI
Mali once had a relatively large army, thanks to the support of the same USSR. The help of the Soviet Union was very, very significant, and therefore Soviet equipment and weapons can still be seen in Mali. Be it T-34 tanks or MiG-21 aircraft. However, after the collapse of the USSR, a rapid degradation of Mali’s defensive potential began, which reached its climax in 2012, when the civil war began in Mali.
As you know, many African countries today have armies not to attack their neighbors, but solely to restore order within the country. In 2012, what was left of the Malian army could not suppress unrest, armed clashes and riots. Today, there is practically nothing left of the Mali army (the total armed forces are approximately 7,500 people), and the country itself exists only thanks to the foreign military contingent located on its territory (the armies of France and Chad). However, according to many experts, the presence of foreign troops only increases the number of Islamists in the country. So, it is likely that this country will soon disappear completely from the pages of geographical atlases.
#2: MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique is today one of the poorest countries in the world, but in the 70s and 80s this country was the closest ally of the USSR in Africa. Consequently, the scenario was exactly the same as in the case of Mali, Zambia and Libya. The Soviet Union supplied Mozambique with weapons, thanks to which the country's government won a victory in the long-term civil war.
However, the USSR soon collapsed. The supply of weapons stopped, and the old equipment began to slowly break down. The Armed Forces of Mozambique have begun a process of degradation similar to that in Mali. Mozambique does not have the money to buy new weapons, and therefore has to use what still works.
However, unlike Libya and Mali, Mozambique was no longer rocked by civil wars. The situation in the country today is quite stable, so even though Mozambique cannot ensure the country’s defense, it does not need it yet, because no one is going to attack a country eking out a miserable existence.
#1: SOMALIA
The leader in our ranking of the most worthless armies in the world is Somalia. This country with a rich history has always attracted the attention of colonialists. It was conquered by one or the other. They were torn apart and divided into zones of influence by the European powers.
Somalia gained independence only in 1960. The USSR immediately established diplomatic relations with the government of free Somalia, providing the country with the maximum possible support. It would seem that you can heal easily and freely, but that was not the case.
After independence, Somalia laid territorial claims against Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The Somali government supported the rebels in these countries, playing a very trivial and unremarkable game. In the 70s, Somalia received significant military assistance from the USSR and decided to attack Ethiopia, which was also a Soviet ally. Moscow had to choose. The choice fell on a more reliable ally – Ethiopia. Somalia suffered a crushing defeat, never realizing the dream of creating a united Greater Somalia.
A political crisis began in the country, and in the 80s a rebel war began in the north of the country. As a result, in 1991, the President of Somalia was overthrown, and the country plunged into total chaos of a civil war that continues to this day.
The country was torn into many pieces. Different groups at different times appropriated certain territories for themselves, declaring new states on them. What kind of unified army can we talk about here? Somalia is still in complete chaos, despite the fact that the country has an internationally recognized government based in the capital, Mogadishu. Of Somalia's armed forces, only the police remain, there is no trace of the former air force, and the navy consists only of high-speed patrol boats, which the government leases. The strength of the Somali Navy is 200 sailors.
Bottom line
It turns out that all the countries that today have the weakest armies in the world once received support from the USSR. It turns out that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, not only Russia and the countries of the former USSR suffered, but also many African states. In this regard, the question arises: in how many countries will civil war and total degradation begin when the United States breaks up into 50 independent states?
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The top most powerful and numerous armed forces of the countries in the world have long been known. For years, the first place has been occupied by the American army, the Russian army takes second place, and bronze is given to China. True, in some rankings the Armed Forces of the Celestial Empire come in second place, India in third, and Russia in fourth. Ukrainian troops are also constantly making progress, ranking 25th in strength in the world and second in strength in Europe after Russia's.
But what about the armed forces at the bottom of the rankings? Former military photojournalist for the US Air Force, now the editor of We are The Mighty, Blake Stilwell, has compiled his list of the worst, weakest armies in the world, some of which receive considerable funds from the treasury, but, to put it mildly, do not become the key to success. His rating "" is given with some additions and clarifications. For example, the Philippines is removed from the ranking, since for the most part the former colony of the United States was clearly underestimated, probably taking up arms against the scandalous President Rodrigo Duterte.
1. Costa Rica
In fact, this small Central American country does not have an army as such. The Constitution of November 7, 1949 prohibited the creation and maintenance of a professional army in peacetime. So to speak, the country is protected by the Civil Guard, and there is also an air surveillance service, a border service and the national police, the coast guard. Although in fact the main shield of the state is the armed forces of other countries, in particular the United States, which will immediately respond to an invasion of Costa Rica.
2. Iceland
A similar situation is observed in Iceland, with a population of about 300 thousand people. For the most part, the defense of the Viking descendants was provided by American troops and a NATO base. Today, Iceland has a coast guard of 130 people, which also has three patrol ships, one boat, one F-27 patrol aircraft, and two search and rescue helicopters. There is a police force (450 people), which includes the special unit Víkingasveitin. However, this does not prevent Icelanders from participating in peacekeeping missions.
3. Iraq
4th largest army in the world during the time of Saddam Hussein. The current army is just a pale shadow of it. Despite years of training by American and British instructors, $26 billion in investment and military assistance, the Iraqi Armed Forces are frankly weak. Even more, not so long ago, 50 thousand “dead souls” were discovered in the ranks of the army, who received salaries, but did not exist and, accordingly, did not fight. Perhaps this is why IS jihadists managed to subjugate the western part of Iraq in 2014. Now Baghdad is gradually returning what it captured, but not on its own - the main force is obviously US aircraft and elite Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
4. North Korea
Pyongyang tirelessly threatens the world with military, in particular nuclear, power. The propaganda of the authoritarian communist state convinces the population of the colossal strength of the DPRK Armed Forces with the latest equipment, weapons, jeeps and large rations. By the way, about the last one. In August, information leaked online that North Korean soldiers were actually starving - instead of the required 250 grams, some units received only 70 grams per meal. Commanders even sent the military to collect roots and berries in the surrounding area.
One more thing. The Korean People's Army uses willow soldiers as free labor, so there is often no need to talk about combat training. And they will be lucky if the servicemen receive boots, a uniform and will be able to hold a machine gun.
5. Eritrea
This country is also called African North Korea. The Eritrean military has proportionately more conscripts than any country in the world. They are used more for forced labor than for security or fighting the Somali branch of al-Qaeda, the al-Shabab group. About 2 thousand people flee to neighboring Sudan every month. To Sudan!
6. Nigeria
Nigerian troops are at war with the Boko Haram group, which operates in this country, as well as Niger, Chad and Cameroon. In fairness, we note that the group, which is so fond of raids on villages and refugee camps, was named the bloodiest in 2015. She surpassed even the Islamic State, to whom she swore allegiance, in terms of the number of murders.
But in any case, having considerable oil resources (that is, there is money), Nigeria is extremely unsuccessful in its fight against the Islamists. Soldiers complain that not everyone has weapons or body armor. The military in the hot-button state of Borno is extremely poorly equipped, and its armored vehicles are mostly faulty. There were cases when, during clashes with Boko Haram, they ran away along with civilians.
7. Tajikistan
The Tajik army is a mess. Unlike other post-Soviet republics, Tajikistan did not build its own armed forces after the collapse of the USSR. The Tajiks remained defenseless, relying on Russian peacekeeping forces. True, in 1994 they created their own army, which immediately led to an escalation of the conflict in the country. As a result, Tajiks give preference to the Russian army.
8. Mongolia
The descendants of the great conqueror Temujin (Genghis Khan) have long been unable to boast of their former strength. The country does not have a Navy, nor does it need one. Mongolia is locked between Russia and China, depends heavily on them, and if something happens, it will not be able to defend itself against them. In fact, if relations between Moscow and Beijing suddenly deteriorate and war breaks out between them, the fighting will take place on the territory of Mongolia.
Yes, Ulaanbaatar once sent its forces to help the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan, but as it turned out, their contribution was to show how to use old Soviet weapons and equipment.
9. Saudi Arabia
Oddly enough, the Saudi army leaves much to be desired. There is money in Riyadh - this is a known fact. Funds are allocated for the army. Even more - it would seem that there is a “break-in” of soldiers, because the Saudis lead a military coalition along with other Arab monarchies, which has been participating in the Yemeni war since 2015 (the war began in 2014). However, having superiority at sea, in the air, good equipment and US intelligence assistance, Saudi Arabia and the UAE still cannot break the resistance of the rebel Houthis, who are supported by Iran. The Houthis still hold the capital, Sanaa.
10. Afghanistan
Kabul closes the list. Here, by the way, the situation is similar to Iraq. Years of training of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), assistance, including financial, from the United States have not turned the Afghan army into a combat-ready and formidable force. On the contrary, the Taliban are now going on the offensive, besieging entire cities. This is not surprising, given that for centuries no one has been able to completely subjugate Afghanistan, including the USSR. For Moscow, it generally became American Vietnam.
One adviser once told Qatar's Al Jazeera: "In fact, if you talk to any of the coalition troops, they will tell you that the Afghans can fight, but only after NATO feeds, clothes, arms and transports them to battlefield".
The troops are considered an important part of the country and its security. Every year, large funds are allocated from budgets for the maintenance and modernization of weapons, training and maintenance of soldiers, and much more. Countries are also taking special initiatives to strengthen themselves militarily.
Hypothetically, it is impossible to compare the armies of different countries of the world and find out which of them is the strongest. However, without leading to carnage, we will try to get an idea of the military power of countries, taking into account: the arsenal at their disposal; implementation of advanced technologies; military combat skills of soldiers; power and number of allies; army size; allocated budget for maintaining troops, etc.
Let's look at the TOP 10 countries with the most powerful armies in the world.
The most powerful armies in the world
10. Japan
Japan - samurai, which was the leading force during World War II. Interestingly, according to the peace treaty that was signed after the end of World War II, Japan is prohibited from having an offensive army. In response to growing controversy over China's expanding military power, Japan has begun military expansion for the first time in 40 years, establishing new military bases on its outer islands. “The Land of the Rising Sun,” for the first time in the last 11 years, increased military spending to $49,100 million and, according to this indicator, ranks 6th in the world. The Japanese Army has more than 247,000 active personnel and nearly 60,000 in reserve. The air force squadron consists of 1,595 aircraft (5th in the world). The fleet consists of about 131 warships. In addition, through its recent defense initiatives, it maintains a strong military presence in Asia.
9. South Korea
South Korea borders North Korea, which has an extremely powerful army at its disposal, and therefore poses a constant threat to South Korea. But a possible attack by neighbors is not the only problem for South Korea. To meet the growing weaponry of China and Japan, South Korea is increasing its defense spending, which currently stands at about $34 billion. The number of troops is more than 640,000 active personnel and 2,900,000 additional personnel in reserve. The air force is represented by 1,393 aircraft (6th largest). Fleet - 166 ships. South Korea also has about 15,000 ground weapons, including missile systems, as well as 2,346 tanks. South Korean troops regularly take part in military exercises with the United States.
In 2015, the Turkish government decided to increase its country's defense spending by 10%. This may be due to the fact that not far from Turkey there is a war between the Islamic State and Syrian troops, or perhaps due to the likelihood of a clash with the Kurdish separatist organization. Turkey's defense budget is around $18180000000. The size of the army (both regular and reserve) is just over 660000. The Turkish Air Force has 1000 aircraft. There are also 16,000 ground weapons in service. Turkey has strong diplomatic relations with the United States (though these ties are weakening every year), and is also involved in initiatives around the world.
7. Germany
Germany is one of the world's strongest economic forces, but despite spending about $45 million every year, the army's fortunes seem to have worsened over the past few years. One of the reasons for this may be that the generation born and raised in the 1950s and 60s was against war and feared attacks from other countries with stronger armies. This still discourages people from joining the military. In 2011, compulsory military service was eliminated to prevent the country from becoming a militarized country. The force consists of only 183,000 active personnel and 145,000 reservists. There are 710 aircraft in service with aviation. The total number of weapons of various types is almost one.
6. France
France is another country that followed Germany and in 2013 the country's government decided to "effectively" freeze military spending and defense jobs by 10% to save money on technologically advanced equipment. Currently, France's military budget is about $43 billion a year, which is 1.9% of the country's GDP (well below the spending target set by NATO). The French armed forces number about 220 thousand active personnel and the same number of people are in reserve. Aviation is represented by more than 1000 aircraft. There are also approximately 9,000 ground vehicles in service. Even if this does not make France a formidable army, it has several trump cards: its position in the EU and the UN, as well as the presence of about 290 nuclear weapons.
5. UK
The UK is another EU member also implementing a plan to reduce the size of its armed forces by 20% between 2010 and 2018. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force are also being cut. Britain's military budget currently stands at $54 billion. Britain's regular army numbers about 205,000. The Air Force is represented by 908 aircraft. Navy - 66 ships. However, the British Army is still considered powerful and superior to many others due to the training of soldiers. Britain also has 160 nuclear weapons, which is the strongest argument. The Royal Navy plans to commission HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2020.
The Indian government decided to take advantage of the fact that the country's population is very large. The Indian Army has a sizeable strength of 3.5 million, including 1.325 million active personnel. The sheer size of the Indian army is one of the reasons why India ranks so high in our rankings and in the ranking of the best armies in the world. The army's strength is complemented by nearly 16,000 ground vehicles, which include 3,500 tanks, as well as 1,785 aircraft, along with nuclear weapons. Indian ballistic missiles could hit all of Pakistan or most of China. The current military budget is $46 billion, but the government plans to increase this amount by 2020, as well as modernize some weapons.
It has another 2,800 aircraft in its air force. China has approximately 300 nuclear weapons at its disposal, along with 180 different methods of deploying them. China recently acquired classified information about the new F-35, and is known to successfully steal sensitive military equipment. China is rightfully one of the top 3 armed forces.
According to official data, China's defense budget is $126 billion, and in the near future this amount may increase by another 12.2%. The Chinese army is a formidable force, with 2.285 million active front-line personnel and another 2.3 million reservists - the world's largest ground force, which also operates with 25,000 ground vehicles. Chinese aviation consists of 2,800 aircraft. China also has about 300 nuclear weapons at its disposal. Taking all this into account, we can say that China rightfully occupies third place in our ranking of the most powerful countries in the world.
Russia's military budget is $76,600 million, but in the next three years it will increase by 44%. In fact, the Kremlin’s expenses have increased by about a third since 2008, and this was especially reflected when he became president of the Russian Federation in 2000. The Russian army has shown significant growth since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago. About 766,000 active personnel are involved in the Russian army, including about 2.5 million people in the reserve forces. In addition, there are 15,500 tanks in service, making Russia the largest tank force in the world, although they become obsolete like any other equipment. Russia is also a leader among nuclear states, having at its disposal 8,500 active nuclear warheads.
1. United States of America
The United States annually spends colossal amounts of money, in the amount of $6125 billion, on maintaining the army. This budget is equal to the sum of the budgets of the other nine countries combined. The United States maintains a surprisingly large military of more than 1.4 million soldiers, plus another 800,000 reservists. In addition to active ground teams, the Reserve includes trained men and women ready to assist troops at a moment's notice. The advantage of the United States is that the country is a world leader in the production of aviation equipment. The United States also has 19 aircraft carriers in service, while all other states have only 12 aircraft in total. 7,500 nuclear warheads also help maintain the United States' title as the world's most powerful country and military.
Which army in the world is considered the most combat-ready? A question that does not have a clear answer; the real combat effectiveness of an army can only be determined in a real war. In peacetime, you can determine the combat effectiveness of an army by comparing several main characterizing components.
For convenience, we will divide these components into points and, based on them, we will conduct the most unbiased, dry analysis of the combat effectiveness of the most powerful armies in comparison with each other:
1. Combat and numerical strength of the army and navy
2. Quantity and quality of weapons and military equipment
3. Quality and training of command officers
All these components of the army's combat effectiveness express the potential ability to carry out assigned tasks in real military operations.
The following question arises: which countries’ armies are to be compared? For example, when such a question is asked on the same Internet, on various military and near-military forums and websites, Russia and the United States are unconditional on this list, China is also present everywhere, just as the constantly warring Israeli army is included in this list too. The Bundeswehr and the British Army are very rarely mentioned, but, oddly enough, the first place among the European countries is occupied by a state that has not been at war with anyone for several centuries.
Let’s take three countries for comparison: Russia, USA, China. So, let's begin. I would like to immediately note that the data is approximate, taken from open sources, the exact data is kept in safes by the district commanders, but even from these data it is possible to give a general assessment.
1. Combat and numerical strength of the army and navy
According to these indicators, China is in the lead (more than 2,000,000 people), the United States is in second place (about 1,500,000 people), Russia is in third place, about a million people. North Korea and India also have large armies.
2. Quantity and quality of weapons and military equipment
— By number of tanks Russia is in first place (with plans to reduce the number as part of the ongoing military reform), the United States is in second, and China is in third place.
— By combat aircraft The USA is absolutely in the lead, Russia is in second place, China is in third.
— For combat helicopters The USA is in first place, Russia is in second, China, with a significant lag, is in third place.
— By number of warships in the fleet The USA traditionally leads, China takes second place, and Russia takes third.
But not everything is so simple, because if you bark very loudly at Moska, the elephant can sneak up unnoticed. All these states have an impressive “roof”, which is guaranteed to them by major global players in the military arena.
But there are also countries that seem to have Armed Forces, but looking at their state, you can’t help but think that it would be better for these states to abandon them altogether. Why spend money on a worthless army when you can work on the economy or grow garlic on your balcony?
In this article you will find the five most insignificant armies in the world, which would be better off not existing at all.
#5: LIBYA
Until 2011, Libya had a very powerful army. And how could it be otherwise if the country was ruled by a talented military man, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi? The army consisted of ground forces, naval forces and air force. The total number of military personnel reached 50,000 people. As for weapons and equipment, Libya had “full stuffing”: airplanes, helicopters, air defense systems, tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, submarines and so on. Most of this variety of Libya was supplied by the USSR at one time. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was no one to supply the Libyans, and because of the imposed sanctions, the country could not modernize or simply repair equipment that was failing. Sanctions were lifted only in 2004, but Gaddafi did not have long to rule the country.
In 2011, a civil war broke out in Libya. Gaddafi was killed, and rebel forces came to power and disbanded the old army in an attempt to create a new one. However, nothing worked out for them, because a bad manager is bad in everything. The main problem was the inability of the new government to put the country on the path to de-escalate the conflict.
As a result, the modern Libyan army numbers almost 90,000 people, but there is no army. The Armed Forces, due to the chaos in the country, were divided into so-called brigades, some of which are subordinate to the authorities, and some of which are at war with them.
At the end of 2013, there were FOUR main armed groups in Libya:
Libyan Shield (a coalition of factions controlled from Misrata);
Ministry of Defense forces controlled from the city of Zintan;
"Guard for the Protection of Oil Facilities";
"Army of Bark", subordinate to the Council of Cyrenaica.
Now there may be many more of them. Add here the ISIS terrorists, as well as all the lethal weapons the country inherited from Gaddafi. Agree that it would be better if such a powder keg did not exist in North Africa at all, but let’s say “thank you” to NATO. They, as always, got rid of a threat that did not exist. So Libya does not have any Armed Forces as such. There is chaos, and it can be a hundred times more dangerous.
#4: ZAMBIA
If we evaluate the Zambian Army in a global context, then we can safely say that the army of this African country has a completely wretched military potential. However, everything is not so bad if we consider Zambia within Africa alone. Zambia is even trying to buy something from China, if only they had the money.
Although if you look at the list of Zambian weapons, it becomes unclear how this country could get into such a rating. The country's tank fleet, for example, includes 5 Soviet T-54s, about 20 T-55s and 30-50 light PT-76s.
There are also Soviet BRDM-1 (Armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicle) and BRDM-2, 44 of each. There are 28 English Ferret armored vehicles, as well as 52 armored personnel carriers with various registrations.
The artillery consists of 95 towed guns, 93 mortars and approximately 50 MLRS. Also in service are the Soviet Malyutka ATGMs and Strela-2 MANPADS, plus more than 150 anti-aircraft guns, which in the old days Zambia acquired from Yugoslavia and the USSR.
The Zambian Air Force is armed with 5 old Soviet MiG-21 fighters and 5 very old Chinese J-6 fighters, which were a copy of the Soviet MiG-19. Zambia has 33 transport aircraft, including even the Soviet Yak-40. There are the most training aircraft - 83. Some of them, purely theoretically, can be used as light attack aircraft. There are 30 helicopters in the area. There is an air defense system with Soviet S-125 air defense systems and the English Rapier.
Now the most important thing: why is such potential not a cause for concern? The fact is that there is no one to service all this wealth. A lot of equipment has long been out of order, and there is no talk of repairs and modernization because there is no money. In principle, the Zambian Army can ensure the security of the country, but only if some more powerful country does not decide to attack it. For example, South Africa.
#3: MALI
Mali once had a relatively large army, thanks to the support of the same USSR. The help of the Soviet Union was very, very significant, and therefore Soviet equipment and weapons can still be seen in Mali. Be it T-34 tanks or MiG-21 aircraft. However, after the collapse of the USSR, a rapid degradation of Mali’s defensive potential began, which reached its climax in 2012, when the civil war began in Mali.
As you know, many African countries today have armies not to attack their neighbors, but solely to restore order within the country. In 2012, what was left of the Malian army could not suppress unrest, armed clashes and riots. Today, there is practically nothing left of the Mali army (the total armed forces are approximately 7,500 people), and the country itself exists only thanks to the foreign military contingent located on its territory (the armies of France and Chad). However, according to many experts, the presence of foreign troops only increases the number of Islamists in the country. So, it is likely that this country will soon disappear completely from the pages of geographical atlases.
#2: MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique is today one of the poorest countries in the world, but in the 70s and 80s this country was the closest ally of the USSR in Africa. Consequently, the scenario was exactly the same as in the case of Mali, Zambia and Libya. The Soviet Union supplied Mozambique with weapons, thanks to which the country's government won a victory in the long-term civil war.
However, the USSR soon collapsed. The supply of weapons stopped, and the old equipment began to slowly break down. The Armed Forces of Mozambique have begun a process of degradation similar to that in Mali. Mozambique does not have the money to buy new weapons, and therefore has to use what still works.
However, unlike Libya and Mali, Mozambique was no longer rocked by civil wars. The situation in the country today is quite stable, so even though Mozambique cannot ensure the country’s defense, it does not need it yet, because no one is going to attack a country eking out a miserable existence.
#1: SOMALIA
The leader in our ranking of the most worthless armies in the world is Somalia. This country with a rich history has always attracted the attention of colonialists. It was conquered by one or the other. They were torn apart and divided into zones of influence by the European powers. Somalia gained independence only in 1960. The USSR immediately established diplomatic relations with the government of free Somalia, providing the country with the maximum possible support. It would seem that you can heal easily and freely, but that was not the case.
After independence, Somalia laid territorial claims against Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The Somali government supported the rebels in these countries, playing a very trivial and unremarkable game. In the 70s, Somalia received significant military assistance from the USSR and decided to attack Ethiopia, which was also a Soviet ally. Moscow had to choose. The choice fell on a more reliable ally – Ethiopia. Somalia suffered a crushing defeat, never realizing the dream of creating a united Greater Somalia.
A political crisis began in the country, and in the 80s a rebel war began in the north of the country. As a result, in 1991, the President of Somalia was overthrown, and the country plunged into total chaos of a civil war that continues to this day.
The country was torn into many pieces. Different groups at different times appropriated certain territories for themselves, declaring new states on them. What kind of unified army can we talk about here? Somalia is still in complete chaos, despite the fact that the country has an internationally recognized government based in the capital, Mogadishu. Of Somalia's armed forces, only the police remain, there is no trace of the former air force, and the navy consists only of high-speed patrol boats, which the government leases. The strength of the Somali Navy is 200 sailors.
Bottom line
It turns out that all the countries that today have the weakest armies in the world once received support from the USSR. It turns out that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, not only Russia and the countries of the former USSR suffered, but also many African states. In this regard, the question arises: in how many countries will civil war and total degradation begin when the United States breaks up into 50 independent states?