Thread: Who has the strongest military in Europe?

Originally Posted by crooks

Ah man, I hate arguing (after all, I'm Irish!).

Listen, I feel Britain is over-deployed.
That's all.

I'm no great shakes at military figures so (and I'm being serious here) how many troops does GB have exactly?

I believe 8,000 are deployed in Iraq, and I know the french have 36,000 deployed abroad, so I call a truce and am interested to hear this if you know the answer.

I don't mind an argument - just on the correct n friendly terms, based on facts

Operational troop deployments (correct as of 3/11)

Afghanistan: 5,800
Bosnia and Kosovo: 900
Iraq: 7,200
UN missions: 300
Northern Ireland: 8,500

Non-operational

NON-OPERATIONAL
Germany: 22,500* (includes some troops in Iraq, i.e the heavy armoured forces).
Cyprus: 3,100
South Atlantic Islands: 1,200
Gibraltar: 550
Diego Garcia: 40

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4094818.stm

Pretty reliable figures from the MoD.

Total British army strength (on paper) is circa 108,000 regulars, 35,000 Territorial Army.

As for over-stretched, yes it certainly is. I wouldnt disagree on that fact. It does not, however, make the army a joke. It makes our politicians a joke, when they are willing to indulge in wars without bothering to provide the funding for those deployments. The UK defence budget is still essentially a peace-time one. I don't really think we are at peace...

Originally Posted by crooks

Sure France doesn't have any colonial territory left, but neither does The UK or the US, so I have no idea where that was going.

The US most certainly has colonial territories left.

Puerto Rico, the Marianas, US Virgin Islands, and probably some other minor territories not many people know of.

Every few years we ask Puerto Rico if they want to become independent, or join the union. Guess what? Every single time they vote to remain part of the US Commonwealth. Not independent, and not part of the union.

Originally Posted by gunnut

Every few years we ask Puerto Rico if they want to become independent, or join the union. Guess what? Every single time they vote to remain part of the US Commonwealth. Not independent, and not part of the union.

Best of both worlds?

Originally Posted by Kansas Bear

Best of both worlds?

Pretty much. They don't have the tax obligations to the federal government, only local. Corporations like to set up shop there for that reason. They bring in employment to the locals. The US defends this land. They don't have a need for their own military.

The draw back is they may not have US citizenship, only count as US nationals. They don't have a say in the federal government in the form of their own representatives in the congress with voting power. They have a non-voting representative in the congress.

Thanks for the figures PubFather.

Nice.........but where are the 300 on UN service deployed?

Originally Posted by crooks

Thanks for the figures PubFather.

Nice.........but where are the 300 on UN service deployed?

http://www.army.mod.uk/deployments/index.htm

A more detailed list straight from the horses mouth as it were. As to the actual breakdown of the 300 - your are on your own their. It probably consists of small groups of "advisors" and specialists across the globe.

Nice to talk to you in a civil manner

Pdf27 or dave_angel may have better info, as (IIRC) they are both serving members of the British army.

Originally Posted by PubFather

http://www.army.mod.uk/deployments/index.htm

A more detailed list straight from the horses mouth as it were. As to the actual breakdown of the 300 - your are on your own their. It probably consists of small groups of "advisors" and specialists across the globe.

Nice to talk to you in a civil manner


Pdf27 or dave_angel may have better info, as (IIRC) they are both serving members of the British army.

Nice to talk to you as well .

Does anyone have any figures for France?