Who has the best navy in the world overall?

Hands down the US does. We have more ships, planes and subs than any other country. Russia used to be close, but they had to sell a lot of their ships to help keep the government running.

With all due respect to the RN and the JDF, the US Navy should be considered the best in terms of pure power projection. No other navy can match the power of a carrier battle group. Additionally, no other navy has the amphibious capabilities of the Navy/Marine Corps team. The RN has had to deal with some pretty severe budget constraints over the last decade - they're stretching to construct a modern carrier. While they may have an excellent special warfare component, does this make them the best navy?

It's not a question of size, it is all about the ability to project power. Didn't Iraq previously have one of the ten largest armies in the world? Eritrea has more military personnel than the UK, but who do you think would win that fight?

The US, we have almost 1000 graduates a week coming out of boot camp. That doesn't count the officers each year coming out of Annapolis. The ships are being built to accommodate the people joining.

The JDF is a highly trained well motivated and equipped coastal defense force. The UK does have the best navel special operations force. However, the US Navy is the finest blue water force in the world and stands alone as the major seagoing force.

I would have to say the US. We have over 50% of the entire worlds combat value. That takes into account the quality of the ships and crew, not pure tonnage or # of ships. Theortically if every nation in the world ganged up on our navy, we would still be more combat effective.

In terms of ships we have over 3,000,000 tons of ships the next largest is Russia with 900,000 tons of ships.

Yes the United States.

We have fleets in all of the 7 Seas. One Submarine can literally destroy and an entire nation, and everything in it.

It has to be the US. No other country even comes close. The Soviet Union had a larger navy when they existed but now their navy is in disrepair.

The U.S. Navy is the best when it comes to weapons and tactics. However, for a navy dedicated to coastal defense, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, the designation for their navy, is the best with their patrol boats and silent diesel submarines. I'm a military fiction author and know this stuff by heart.

The Italians have the best navy for going in reverse. They are famnous for their coweardice.

AHhh! Define "Best."

A navy that defends its countries shores should probably do so by never firing a shot using deterance. A country like Canada might be in the running for best at what they are designed to do.

A country that sends its ships all over the globe and displays power and intimiadation and uses its force to invade other countries at the expense of its own countries taxpayers costing trillions and trillions of dollars a year in spite of its nations unenployment, poverty and lack of substantial afforadable healthcare....

Is that better? Does that make the US best?

g-day!