10 Biggest Navies in the World

Asymmetrical wars in Afghanistan, Vietnam, and now in Syria demonstrate all too clearly that relatively small numbers of belligerents can carry out successful military operations against superior forces. But still, firepower is extremely important. A country's projection of power relies in large part upon its military capabilities. Successfully being able to project and wield that power is a key diplomatic asset. And when we are talking about firepower, we must consider the navies. And if you don't know, there is a nice article in Insidermonkey on the biggest navies in the world.

This list of the Top 10 Largest Navies in the World takes into account those warships that are active in service and commissioned. The top 3 biggest navy: United States of America has the largest navy in the world with 12% of the total active warships in the world, followed by Russia 10% with the second largest navy, and China 8% being the third largest navy in the world. These rankings take the country's warships into consideration with the greater weight rather than the navy personnel.

It’s a universal truth handed down since antiquity: a country with a coastline has a navy. Big or small, navies worldwide have the same basic mission to project military might into neighboring waters and beyond. The peacetime role of navies has been more or less the same for thousands of years. Navies protect the homeland, keep shipping routes and lines of communication open, show the flag and deter adversaries. In wartime, a navy projects naval power in order to deny the enemy the ability to do the same. This is achieved by attacking enemy naval forces, conducting amphibious landings, and seizing control of strategic bodies of water and landmasses.

Anyway, beside the navies, there are other firepower as well. And when you are measuring a country, you have to consider them as well. So, if you want the complete knowledge, our list on the 10 most militarily powerful countries in the world as well.