India ranked 4th most powerful military power in world

Out of 133 countries, India has been ranked the 4th most powerful military power in the world, according to the Global Fire Power Index (GFPI) 2017. According to the index, India has an active military comprising of 13, 62,500 personnel. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has 2102 aircraft — 676 fighter, 809 attack, and others. The Indian Army has a total of 4426 combat tanks, 6704 armoured fighting vehicles, 290 self-propelled artillery guns and 7414 towed artillery guns. The list is topped by US followed by Russia and China. According to the report, India’s defense budget is $51 billion as against China’s $161.7 billion and Pakistan’s $7 billion. The index relied on 50 parameters like military resources, natural resources, logistical flexibility, geographical features, and available manpower. The list did not take nuclear stockpiles into account but recognized / suspected nuclear powers received a bonus.