IDF ranked as world's 11th most powerful army

The Global Firepower Index ranks the IDF as the world's eleventh most powerful army. The index rates the armed forces of 106 countries.

The rating takes over 50 factors into account, including budgets, equipment, weapons arsenals, access to resources, etc.

According to the index, the IDF has 3.5 million available manpower, 3,870 tanks, 680 aircraft, 80-200 nuclear warheads, 14 submarines, and a $15 billion budget.

The index focuses more on quantity than quality. For example, North Korea has 78 submarines, but these are not exactly the world's best, to say the least. The index does not take into account a nuclear weapons arsenal, nor does it penalize the rating of landlocked countries that lack navies.

The Business Insider website reported the list of the world's 35 strongest armies, with the IDF in eleventh place, behind Turkey and South Korea, but ahead of countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Egypt, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, and Sweden. The figures are correct as of April 2014.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 13, 2014

IDF ranked as world's 11th most powerful army

The Global Firepower Index ranks Israel ahead of Australia, Italy and Canada.