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These were the world's 15 weakest militaries in 2018
After nearly two decades focused on fighting terrorists and insurgents, the US has again put its focus on battling uniformed militaries, especially those of its two foremost rivals: China and Russia.
Those three countries field the world's most sophisticated and powerful militaries.
While head-to-head comparisons of military strength can be highly subjective, Global Firepower's 2018 Military Strength Ranking tries to fill that void by drawing on more than 55 factors to assign a Power Index score to 136 countries - adding Ireland, Montenegro, and Liberia to last year's list.
The ranking assesses the diversity of each country's weapons and their available manpower. Geography, logistical capacity, available natural resources, and the status of local industry are also taken into account.
While recognised nuclear powers receive a bonus, their nuclear stockpiles are not factored into the score. Landlocked countries are not docked for lacking a navy, but countries with navies are penalised if their fleets lack a mixture of ship classes that magnify a force's power.
Read more: These are the world's 20 most dangerous countries, and photos showing what life is like there
In general, a country's current political and military leadership was not considered (though NATO members got a boost) but financial health and stability are.
The top power index score is 0.0000, which is "realistically unattainable," according to Global Firepower. The closer a military is to this number, the more powerful it is.
Here are the forces that came in at the bottom of the list - the world's weakest militaries.
Nicaragua — overall rank: 122
Power Index rating: 2.9577
Total population: 6,025,951
Total military personnel: 13,000
Total aircraft strength: 20
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 84
Total naval assets: 30
Defence budget: $US44.2 million
Madagascar — overall rank: 123
Power Index rating: 3.0136
Total population: 25,054,161
Total military personnel: 21,600
Total aircraft strength: 2
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 12
Total naval assets: 8
Defence budget: $US56 million
Bosnia and Herzegovina — overall rank: 124
Power Index rating: 3.0321
Total population: 3,856,181
Total military personnel: 12,750
Total aircraft strength: 20
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 149
Total naval assets: 0
Defence budget: $US250 million
Dominican Republic — overall rank: 125
Power Index rating: 3.1398
Total population: 10,734,247
Total military personnel: 65,925
Total aircraft strength: 62
Fighter aircraft: 8
Combat tanks: 6
Total naval assets: 33
Defence budget: $US110.85 million
Gabon — overall rank: 126
Power Index rating: 3.2781
Total population: 1,772,255
Total military personnel: 4,850
Total aircraft strength: 24
Fighter aircraft: 6
Combat tanks: 0
Total naval assets: 10
Defence budget: $US81.5 million
Namibia — overall rank: 127
Power Index rating: 3.5441
Total population: 2,484,780
Total military personnel: 15,500
Total aircraft strength: 31
Fighter aircraft: 6
Combat tanks: 10
Total naval assets: 8
Defence budget: $US120 million
Panama — overall rank: 128
Power Index rating: 3.7436
Total population: 3,753,142
Total military personnel: 34,000
Total aircraft strength: 27
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 0
Total naval assets: 20
Defence budget: $US145 million
Mauritania — overall rank: 129
Power Index rating: 3.7474
Total population: 3,758,571
Total military personnel: 20,870
Total aircraft strength: 26
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 35
Total naval assets: 5
Defence budget: $US39.1 million
Central African Republic — overall rank: 130
Power Index rating: 3.7667
Total population: 5,625,118
Total military personnel: 5,825
Total aircraft strength: 4
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 4
Total naval assets: 0
Defence budget: $US18.5 million
El Salvador — overall rank: 131
Power Index rating: 3.7741
Total population: 6,172,011
Total military personnel: 47,000
Total aircraft strength: 52
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 0
Total naval assets: 4
Defence budget: $US165 million
Somalia — overall rank: 132
Power Index rating: 4.0425
Total population: 11,031,386
Total military personnel: 15,900
Total aircraft strength: 25
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 140
Total naval assets: 3
Defence budget: $US58.96 million
Sierra Leone — overall rank: 133
Power Index rating: 4.7266
Total population: 6,163,195
Total military personnel: 10,750
Total aircraft strength: 5
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 2
Total naval assets: 10
Defence budget: $US13.04 million
Suriname — overall rank: 134
Power Index rating: 5.1689
Total population: 591,919
Total military personnel: 2,270
Total aircraft strength: 3
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 0
Total naval assets: 3
Defence budget: $US67.4 million
Liberia — overall rank: 135
Power Index rating: 5.5241
Total population: 4,689,021
Total military personnel: 1,500
Total aircraft strength: 0
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 0
Total naval assets: 0
Defence budget: $US10 million
Bhutan — overall rank: 136
Power Index rating: 7.5497
Total population: 758,288
Total military personnel: 75,000
Total aircraft strength: 2
Fighter aircraft: 0
Combat tanks: 0
Total naval assets: 0 (landlocked)
Defence budget: $US10 million
