These Countries Are Forming Armies Capable of Large-Scale War

July 21, 2021 Topic: Ground Forces Blog Brand: The Reboot Tags: DefenseTechnologyChinaIndiaUnited States

These Countries Are Forming Armies Capable of Large-Scale War

Like its American counterpart, the ground force of the PLA must share the financial pie with a pair of voracious partners.

Concluding Thoughts

In the end, the answers to “how do we build a powerful army” remain painfully simple. States that have access to enthusiastic populations with high human capital, that can cull the most innovative technologies from robust, modern economies, and that can structure their civil-military relations with just-enough-but-not-too-much independence will tend to do very well. Experience doesn’t hurt, either. The simplicity of the answers does not imply that the prescriptions are easy to achieve, however.

Robert Farley, a frequent contributor to the National Interest, is the author of The Battleship Book. He serves as a senior lecturer at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. His work includes military doctrine, national security, and maritime affairs. He blogs at Lawyers, Guns and Money, Information Dissemination, and The Diplomat. This article first appeared several years ago.

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