Country profile · SD Strength Index
United States Military Strength 2026
Score by area
| Air power | 100 | |
| Missiles & strike | 48 | |
| Air & missile defence | 86 | |
| Sea power | 100 | |
| Land forces | 95 | |
| Manpower | 87 | |
| Budget & industry | 100 |
Armed forces in 2026
Key figures
As of 2026-10| Defence budget | 893–1,050 $bn | B |
| Share of GDP | 3.2–3.5 % | B |
| Active personnel | 1.3m | A |
| Reserves | 770k | B |
| Combat aircraft | 2,500–3,000 | C |
| Fifth-generation fighters | 850–1,000 | C |
| Attack helicopters | 800–950 | B |
| All military aircraft | 12.5k–13.5k | B |
| Main battle tanks | 2,500–4,600 | C |
| Rocket artillery | 600–800 | C |
| Aircraft carriers | 11 | A |
| Destroyers | 74–78 | B |
| Frigates | 0 | A |
| Submarines | 71 | A |
| Ballistic missiles | 400 | A |
| Longest missile range | 12k–13k km | B |
| Long-range air-defence batteries | 60–75 | C |
| Nuclear warheads | 3,700 | B |
A confirmed B strong estimate C estimated range
Main equipment
| Equipment | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| F-22A Raptor | 184–185 | B |
| B-2A Spirit | 19 | A |
| B-52H Stratofortress | 76 | A |
| B-21 Raider | 2–6 | C |
| LGM-30G Minuteman III | 400 | A |
| Ohio-class SSBN | 14 | A |
| Virginia-class SSN | 25–26 | B |
| THAAD interceptors (stock) | 234–278 | C |
| Patriot interceptors (stock) | 759–1,000 | C |
| SM-3 interceptors (stock) | 160–280 | C |
| SM-6 (stock) | 790–970 | C |
How strong is the US military in 2026?
Nobody else can fight this far from home. National defence spending passed $1 trillion for the first time in fiscal 2026. About $890bn sits in the regular budget and another $152bn comes from the 2025 reconciliation law, money the Pentagon can spend over five years. Silent Dossier puts the total near $1.04 trillion, about 3.4 per cent of a $30.5 trillion economy.
That buys about 1.3 million active personnel, some 770,000 selected reservists and Guardsmen, and around 13,000 military aircraft. Washington's real edge is reach. Its carriers, bombers and tankers work from roughly 750 overseas bases, backed by NATO and treaty allies in Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines.
How many aircraft carriers and submarines does the US have?
Eleven carriers are in service: USS Gerald R. Ford and ten Nimitz-class ships. John F. Kennedy passed preliminary acceptance on 29 September 2026 and should commission in 2027. The battle force stood at 293 ships in October 2025, including 76 destroyers and 31 amphibious ships. It is shrinking this year as more than a dozen old hulls retire.
All 71 submarines run on nuclear power. About 53 are attack boats, 14 are Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and four are Ohios converted to carry cruise missiles. In July 2026 the Navy signed for nine Virginia Block VI boats worth $42.1bn. The gap is at the bottom of the fleet. In November 2025 the Constellation frigate programme was cut to the two hulls already building, and the Navy has no frigates in service.
How big is the US Air Force fleet?
Silent Dossier estimates about 2,700 fighter and attack aircraft across the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Between 850 and 1,000 of them are stealth fighters: 184 F-22 Raptors plus the F-35s in American service. Some 140 bombers sit behind them, made up of 76 B-52Hs, about 45 B-1Bs and 19 B-2s. The B-21 Raider is in early production and the first operational jet goes to Ellsworth in 2027.
Around 500 tankers and about 100 airborne early warning aircraft let those fighters work thousands of kilometres from base. China has an estimated 25 tankers. Age is the catch. The average US Air Force fighter is more than 27 years old, the fleet sits below the minimum Congress set, and often fewer than 60 per cent of fighters are fit to fly a mission.
What are the US military's weaknesses?
Magazines. The war with Iran that began on 28 February 2026 burned interceptors and cruise missiles faster than industry can make them. Silent Dossier estimates that by July fewer than 1,000 Patriot interceptors and only 234 to 278 THAAD rounds were left. Production runs at about 183 Patriots and 96 THAADs a year, so THAAD stocks will not recover before about 2029. The campaign had cost $33.4bn by 30 June, $22.3bn of it in munitions.
The land force is large and well equipped: an estimated 2,640 active Abrams tanks, about 700 HIMARS and M270 launchers and roughly 40,000 armoured vehicles. Air defence is thin for a global power, with an estimated 60 Patriot batteries and eight THAAD batteries spread over several theatres. Golden Dome, the homeland missile shield launched in 2025, is meant to close that gap. Its cost over 20 years is estimated at about $1.2 trillion.
Has the US military been tested in combat?
More than any rival. American ships fought Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea in 2024 and 2025, and US forces struck Iran's nuclear sites in June 2025. On 3 January 2026 a raid on Caracas captured Nicolás Maduro. It used more than 150 aircraft from 20 bases and lost none. Eight weeks later US and Israeli forces opened the air war on Iran, firing an estimated 850 Tomahawks in the first month. A ceasefire agreed on 7 and 8 April has broken down several times, and strikes were still coming in October.
The war has cost aircraft and lives. By April, 42 American aircraft had been lost or damaged, among them four F-15Es, seven KC-135 tankers and 24 MQ-9 drones. Silent Dossier counts at least 21 US service members killed and more than 860 wounded.
Combat record and readiness
Struck Houthi targets in the Red Sea in 2024 and 2025 and bombed Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025. A raid on Caracas on 3 January 2026 captured Maduro without US losses. From 28 February 2026 it fought an air and missile war on Iran with Israel, under a ceasefire since 8 April that has repeatedly broken down.
Builds the full range itself: fighters, stealth bombers, carriers, nuclear submarines, missiles, satellites and drones. The B-21 is in early production and nine Virginia Block VI submarines were ordered in July 2026. Interceptor output lags use, with THAAD at about 96 a year.
The Iran war drew down THAAD, Patriot and long-range strike munitions, and THAAD stocks will take until about 2029 to rebuild. The fighter fleet averages 27.4 years old, with mission-capable rates often below 60%. Shipyard and submarine maintenance backlogs persist.
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Questions readers ask
Is the US military the strongest in the world?
Yes. Silent Dossier rates it ahead of China and Russia on spending, air power, sea power and reach. China leads on missiles, air defence and manpower, but nobody else pairs 11 carriers with 71 nuclear submarines.
How much does the US spend on its military?
About $1.04 trillion in fiscal 2026, the first year national defence spending topped $1 trillion. That is roughly 3.4 per cent of GDP. About $152bn of it comes from a 2025 law that lets the Pentagon spend the money over five years.
How many active soldiers does the US have?
About 1.3 million on active duty across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force. The Army is the largest service at 454,000. Around 770,000 more serve in the selected reserve and National Guard.
How many nuclear weapons does the US have?
An estimated 3,700 warheads in the military stockpile, about 1,770 of them deployed. They ride on 400 Minuteman III missiles, 14 Ohio-class submarines and the bomber force.
Can the US military beat China?
In a global war the US keeps the edge in submarines, stealth aircraft, carriers and allies. Near Taiwan it is far closer. China fights next door with more ships and an estimated 3,100 ballistic missiles, and the Iran war has left American interceptor stocks short.