Open-source order of battle for 2026: 1,326,050 active troops, 12,784 aircraft, 234 warships, 171,065 ground vehicles, 5,042 nuclear warheads.
United States is currently involved in the "2026 Iran Conflict". Aircraft and naval losses are logged on the dedicated tracker as they are reported.
| Domain | Strength | Composition |
|---|---|---|
| United States Air Force | 12,784 aircraft | 2,948 combat 147 bombers 5,442 helicopters 247 air bases +3,419 on order |
| United States Navy | 234 warships | 143 major combatants 18 carriers 65 submarines |
| Ground Forces | 171,065 vehicles | 4,640 main battle tanks |
| Nuclear Forces | 5,042 warheads | 1,770 deployed Air, Sea, Land Active |
| Personnel | 1,326,050 active | 806,700 reserve |
| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 15% | 93.9 | Active, reserve & paramilitary personnel |
| Ground forces | 20% | 100.0 | Tanks, armor & artillery weighted by type |
| Naval power | 20% | 98.3 | Weighted by hull type: carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines |
| Air power | 25% | 100.0 | Weighted by aircraft type and fleet age |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 98.5 | Warhead count with delivery-mode modifiers |
| Defense budget | 10% | 100.0 | Annual spending, purchasing-power adjusted |
| Readiness | modifier | ×1.20 | Budget per soldier: proxy for training, maintenance & technology |
| Population | 340.1M (2024) |
| GDP | $28.8 trillion (2024) |
| GDP per capita | $84,534 |
| Military budget | $920.0 billion (2025) |
| Share of GDP | 3.2% (2025) |
| Military spending per capita | $2,705 (2025) |
| Inflation rate | 2.95% (2024) |
| Capital | Washington DC |
| Region | America |
| Land area | 9,147,593 km² |
| Coastline | 19,924 km |
| Land borders | 12,034 km |
| Bordering countries | 2 |
| Currency | USD |
The United States defines its defense posture through the 2026 National Defense Strategy, which prioritizes homeland defense and the security of the Western Hemisphere. Strategic doctrine emphasizes "Peace through Strength" and a realist prioritization of resources. Primary security concerns include deterring peer competitors in the Indo-Pacific, securing the southern border against transnational cartels, and maintaining the nuclear triad.
The United States is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and maintains bilateral defense treaties with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. Trilateral security arrangements include the AUKUS pact with Australia and the United Kingdom, focused on undersea capabilities and advanced technology sharing. Current policy shifts focus toward increased allied burden-sharing, with a stated objective for NATO partners to meet higher defense spending targets of 5% of GDP.
The armed forces are organized under the Department of War (re-designated from the Department of Defense in early 2026), consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, with the Coast Guard operating under the Department of Homeland Security. Operations are conducted through Unified Combatant Commands, such as INDOPACOM and EUCOM.
The United States maintains a self-sufficient defense industrial base with minimal reliance on foreign imports for primary combat platforms. Domestic manufacturing is led by several large contractors:
Export programs are managed through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), making the United States the global leader in arms exports. Current industrial policy focuses on "supercharging" the defense industrial base by expanding production capacity and integrating non-traditional technology firms like Anduril for autonomous systems.
Modernization priorities for 2025 and 2026 center on the "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative and the "Replicator" program for mass-produced autonomous platforms. The Department of Defense is transitioning to Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) to network sensors and shooters across all branches.
Gen. Dale White told an industry conference in Dayton on July 30 that the sixth-generation fighter has entered engineering and manufacturing development and that Boeing is building test aircraft, with first flight held to 2028.
The US Army converted a one-year PAC-3 order into a seven-year agreement worth up to $58.6 billion on July 29, 2026, the largest Patriot interceptor contract ever placed, as the wars with Iran and in Ukraine drain American missile stocks.
The US Navy awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII's Newport News Shipbuilding a combined $76.6 billion on July 29, 2026 for nine Block VI Virginia-class attack submarines and five Build II Columbia-class ballistic missile boats.
The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia returned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay on July 27, 2026 from the last operational deployment of her career. The Navy has since deferred her inactivation to July 2027 at Norfolk. Her three sister SSGNs follow by fiscal 2029.
Bell-Boeing handed over the 359th and last MV-22B to the US Marine Corps at Amarillo, Texas, on July 28, 2026, ending two decades of production for the service. The Osprey will now be modernized rather than replaced, with the fleet expected to fly into the 2050s.
An uncrewed Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft detonated against the hull of the decommissioned amphibious assault ship ex-USS Peleliu on 17 July, the first live-fire use of a US Navy attack drone boat against a large warship, during the RIMPAC 2026 sinking exercise north of Kauai.