Which country has the most powerful military in Europe?

In my opinion,France has one of the best trained, experienced and equipped militaries in Europe.
The UK is second,and will put Germany third despite its problems....
(However,i also think that the most powerful European military force is the US military contingent stationed in Europe..  )
(Sorry if this isn't the right section...)

I voted "other".

Serbia held off all of NATO for over 70 days with skill and cunning and obsolete equipment...

United Kingdom. By far the most advanced and most powerful military in Europe.

With the probable exception of the US no other country has a more advanced military than the UK anywhere in the world.

This vote again proves that us americans are horribly uneducated about geography.

Errr....... Russia? Still don't know why people forget that Russia is a part of both continents.

Mike E wrote:Errr....... Russia? Still don't know why people forget that Russia is a part of both continents.

+1

Let's assume this we are talking about EU.
UK military looks good but today it's tiny and soft. Navy is very potent.
Germany has interesting weapons but their army is pathetic.
France on other looks solid.

Europe has rejected Russia... Russia should choose to do the same.

Europe has also largely rejected but used Turkey.

I think both Turkey and Russia should give up any ideas of being European and just aim to be a bridge between Europe and Asia... an economic position rather than political, but they should both be capable of making a bit of money and earning a good living as land bridges.

GarryB wrote:I voted "other".

Serbia held off all of NATO for over 70 days with skill and cunning and obsolete equipment...

I would back up garryb on this, for the size of the country and the equipment it had it did pretty well, and all down to training, not fancy weapons. Serbia with proper funding has a chance of becoming a potent small force not to be ignored.

GarryB wrote:Europe has rejected Russia... Russia should choose to do the same.

Europe has also largely rejected but used Turkey.

I think both Turkey and Russia should give up any ideas of being European and just aim to be a bridge between Europe and Asia... an economic position rather than political, but they should both be capable of making a bit of money and earning a good living as land bridges.

But Russia is Europe. Culturally it always was. Literature, classical music, architecture. It was influenced and was influencing west. No one can reject that. Politically Russia always was just.. Russia.

But Russia is Europe. Culturally it always was. Literature, classical music, architecture. It was influenced and was influencing west. No one can reject that. Politically Russia always was just.. Russia.

Russia is being rejected and no doubt will get little say in the matter... right now Russia can do nothing right... so it can either give in and let the west have its way with its enormous untapped resources, or it can look east and south... I think Europe might treat Russia rather better when they realise Russia doesn't actually need them.

And in addition to my vote for Serbia, I would like to add Finland for Obvious reasons.

They defend themselves when needed and but also don't reciprocate... during WWII they could easily have decided to assist the Nazis in their attack on Leningrad, but they limited their operations to getting back land stolen by Stalin and did not take advantage of opportunities when the Soviets were in trouble.

Can't say the same of Poland in the 1920s and 1939-40 period... and of course several other countries that took advantage when a neighbour was being dismembered by another force.

GarryB wrote:Russia is being rejected and no doubt will get little say in the matter... right now Russia can do nothing right... so it can either give in and let the west have its way with its enormous untapped resources, or it can look east and south... I think Europe might treat Russia rather better when they realise Russia doesn't actually need them.

As/when/if you travel to Russia, you will realize that from Kalingrad to Vladivostok every single Russian considers themselves to be European. And they are not wrong because Russians are Caucasians just like the other indigenous groups in Europe.

Language apart there is no difference between Russians, Brits, Germans, French and other European races. We all belong to the same race.

NickM wrote:

GarryB wrote:Russia is being rejected and no doubt will get little say in the matter... right now Russia can do nothing right... so it can either give in and let the west have its way with its enormous untapped resources, or it can look east and south... I think Europe might treat Russia rather better when they realise Russia doesn't actually need them.

Language apart there is no difference between Russians, Brits, Germans, French and other European races. We all belong to the same race.

Yes.
We're all Homo Sapiens.

My ethnicity is European too, as are the majority of people in New Zealand and Australia, but that does not make NZ or Oz part of Europe either.

Most western maps separate Russia from Europe, who are the Russians to argue with Europeans?

It is not skin colour or religion that separate the Russians from the Europeans... it is merely lines on a map and the interpretation of those lines currently separates Russia from Europe...

From a biological point of view, there are no races. Genetic differences between various populations are too small, smaller than difference between two apes from the same African jungle. Europeans do not differ genetically at all, except some minor differences in skin and hair color + maybe some facial features, that may as well be due to genetic drift in the past.

My favorite European army is Bundeswehr. Training-wise, all western European countries are very similar. If I had to choose, I would bet for either Bundeswehr or French Army.

meh, who wants to be associated with the eurowussies anyway? if russia is "excluded" from the possible choices then id say its the french- they are still fairly active in the colonial subjugation business and most of their military and industry capabilities are still intact.

Russia is part of Europe and the west historically and no thing can change that. BUT Russia is not part of the atlantic WEST since the 1917 revolution (and before there were rivalries and some disdain against Russia, but it was still an European imperial power)

But in the topic my vote is UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece

The real answer is probably the US as all of the European military forces are just extensions of US military power operated by puppet states controlled by Brussels...

United Kingdom.

Its all about interest. And "togheter" has different explanation depending of interest. USA has and alwais had his interests. Just that they cover whit "peace thinking" all those. Just fancy words for same shit.


Now regarding best EU... thinking UK is now best ally of US.... i think them...

UK, and it`s not even close compared to the others.

They were sluggish in some areas, like making Typhoon a true multi role  - compared to Rafale etc.

Besides equipment, one has to take in consideration their approach to warfare which has a Russian flavour to it - meaning it`s deeply rooted in a realistic approach.

France and UK are = imho.

all others are simply garbage. Well... Not meaning it truly, but, well, only UK and FR have true navies and airforce, both have atom bombs, etc... France is involved in a multitude of conflicts in africa and elsewhere, a lot of well trained and experienced troops thanks to rotation.

France has very interesting ground vehicles, but probably nothing adapted to assymetrical warfare and IED like US and UK. Leclerc and Chally 2 are simply show off beasts,  but both are great tanks.

I'd say poland is probably the biggest and best EU army after germany, unfortunately... (why unfortunately? because poland is 1st US dog and 1st russophobic nation in europe).

firearms wise, france and UK are simply disgusting imho, germany, belgium and switzerland have fantastic weapons, and sell them to almost all europeans army anyway including france and UK.

If we include russia in the list... well, russia is n°1 by far. France have an advantage over russia however, it's long range projection (by sea), but russia doesn't need that, having enough job on the ground at its borders, having no land to protect/conquer overseas.

If we include russia in the list... well, russia is n°1 by far. France have an advantage over russia however, it's long range projection (by sea), but russia doesn't need that, having enough job on the ground at its borders, having no land to protect/conquer overseas.

Russia could obliterate any Euro force in days, if not hours... which one would you like to compare?

The UK managed to send a task force to the Falklands in 1982, but if they faced the Soviet Navys attack subs alone it never would have happened.

the Russian air force could obliterate the UK from stand off launch positions 4,000km away with strategic bombers, and the French would be no safer from such an attack.

The only thing that keeps any Euro country safe from Russia is that first of all Russia is not interested and second the US threat of nuclear retaliation.

Garry - if there is war between Russia and some EU country, then that country will not be fighting alone but in coalition with other EU countries. A combo of Germany + France + Poland + UK would be a mighty force and it would be hard for Russia to break through it. If other European countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Netherlands) joined in, it would be even harder.

We Germans are masters of maneuvre warfare. A Russian invasion of EU may as well end up like Russian invasion of East Prussia in 1914: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_invasion_of_East_Prussia_%281914%29

Lothar von Trotha wrote:Garry - if there is war between Russia and some EU country, then that country will not be fighting alone but in coalition with other EU countries. A combo of Germany + France + Poland + UK would be a mighty force and it would be hard for Russia to break through it. If other European countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Netherlands) joined in, it would be even harder.

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Haha...Germany has 44 functioning Fighters, including F4, Poland is not better, Netherlands has no Tank fleet anymore, Greece won't do shit, Italy incapable to do even if they wanted, that counts for all european countries, they can not protect themselfs even against Neighbouring countries and you suggest they could withstand Russia a military Super Power....