Israel Continues To Rank As One of the Most Powerful Militaries In The World

Israel possessed the 16th strongest military in the world as of March, 2016, according to Global Firepower's annual ranking. 

The rankings omit consideration of nuclear capability and it likely that if this were not the case, Israel would gain in rank considerably over the 8 non-nuclear countries currently ranked ahead on the list.

Global Firepower considers amount and diversity of armament, recent combat experience, number of troops, alliances, logistical factors, geography, technological sophistication and many other elements for a total of 50 factors. 

When population is taken into consideration as well, Israel's relatively small 8.3 million (98th largest country in the world) easily competes with rival nations that dwarf it in the size, such as Brazil's population of 211 million (15th in the ranking).

Compared within its own region, Israel is still a veritable powerhouse next to Iran at 21st, Saudi Arabia at 24th and Iraq at 59th. 

Egypt ranked above Israel if nuclear arms are not taken into account, although Egypt does so with eleven times the population base. 

Yet the Six Days War showed the effectiveness of the Israeli defense Force against a coalition of Arab states. 

So, what sets Israel so far ahead of other countries and secures its perennially-high position in military rankings?

A 2014 report by Business Insider pointed out that "a close defense relationship with the US and an energetic domestic defense industry give Israel a qualitative edge over all of the region's other militaries." 

Thus, not only does Israel spend 4.5 of its GDP on research and development, twice the average of OECD countries, but its strategic alliance with the most technologically advanced military in the world allows Israel to stay a generation or two ahead of his enemies.

In drone warfare, Israel is the world's largest exporter, taking 70% share of the market while the United States builds military drones for only 25% of the market. 

In 2010, as many as five NATO countries were flying Israeli drones in Afghanistan. Israeli pilots are both highly trained and possess high levels of combat experience. 

In the same report, Chris Harmer, a senior naval analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, went on record as saying that: "pilot to pilot, airframe to airframe, the Israeli air force is the best in the world." 

The diversity of combat systems, many of them the product of the United States, also serves to balance out Israel's offensive and defensive capabilities.

The focus on digital warfare and close collaboration with the US has made Israel a dominant force in cyberwar, including development of offensive computer viruses, psy-ops campaigns and sophistication data exfiltration tools. 

Israel is an incredible center for high tech development and the military is a beneficiary of these advances. With a spy satellites presence in space, Israel ranks above much larger countries that have never launched a single satellite. 

It is no coincidence that all military age Israeli citizens serve their country. Not only is the entire country mobilized, but the military is a highly professional force commanded by some of the best strategic minds in warfare today. 

With four major military engagements since 2006, the IDF is battle hardened has shown itself ready to respond to any challenge.

We should expect the Global Firepower ranking sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, so stay on the lookout for an update to these numbers.

Meanwhile, we should not overlook a factor that is missing from the Global Firepower assessment: "Behold, He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalm 121.4)