Since the sea was navigable, it has been contested, and the ability to project strength across oceans is a defining feature of any national power.
The list below, based on data compiled in Global Firepower’s 2018 Military Strength Ranking, ranks countries solely by the number of naval assets they have, including support craft, patrol boats, corvettes, destroyers, frigates, and aircraft carriers — the latter of which refers to both traditional carriers and “helicopter carrier” warships.
A few of the countries that made the list are surprising, and represent naval power all over the world. Check out the 10 biggest navies below:
An Indonesian navy special-force gunner mans a machine gun mounted on a speedboat during a patrol along the coast of Bali, November 12, 2011. AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati
The Indonesian archipelago is strategically located between the Pacific and Indian oceans and has 34,000 miles of coastline. It is the world’s largest country composed only of islands, of which there are nearly 13,500 — 922 of them permanently inhabited.
Its 221 naval assets include eight frigates, 24 corvettes, three submarines, 74 patrol craft, and 12 mine-warfare vessels.
