Marines

[patnor1011]

The Special Air Service (SAS) is the principal special forces organisation of the British Army. Formed in 1941 to conduct raids behind German lines in North Africa, it is widely regarded as the finest and best trained special forces unit in the world and subsequently it serves as a model for similar units in other countries including....US Delta force, Germany's KSK, and Israel's Sayeret Matkal to name but a few...
Their successful campaigns across the world including Second World War: North-West Europe 1944-45, Benghazi Raid, Tobruk 1941, North Africa 1940-43, Landing in Sicily, Sicily 1943, Termoli, Valli di Comacchio, Italy 1943-45, Greece 1944-45, Adriatic, Middle East 1943-44
Falkland Islands 1982; Western Iraq, Gulf 1991; Western Iraq 2003 ... serve only to highlight their reputation as the best trained fighting unit in the world.

 

[patnor1011]

Another answer.
The term "best fighting" is ambiguous and it reduces the answer to a postulation of generalities. We can only render an opinion. There isn't a clear answer.

The Chinese have a top notch fighting force of some two and a quarter million. They've got the largest standing army in the world. Good technology and a superbly considered tactical kit that suits their superior numbers and matches their fine technology would make them an impossibly resilient opponent in a head-to-head action.

The United States Armed Forces, some one and a half million strong and second largest, are the best equipped and trained army in the world. Ever. Bleeding edge technology and overpowering mobility are impossible to best in open combat. Nothing comes close to U.S. air and sea power.

Each side has nuclear weapons in its black bag. But the U.S. has probably a 30- to 50-to-1 advantage in the heavy stuff, depending on which numbers one chooses to go with. And there is no comparison in the ability to deliver the weapons. A few dozen long range missiles is about all China is working with. We have hundreds. And their delivery systems have little mobility and only modest accuracy (if that can be said for atomic weapons), while the U.S. fields far greater numbers of extremely mobile and impossible to defend against delivery systems that can place packages spot on.

An analogy that might be put forth is that if the U.S. went up against the Chinese, it would be akin to the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. The question as to which armed force is the "best fighting" deteriorates into a rhetorical debate.

As an aside, it won't come to that. No worries. But consider that the Chinese are clever and apply a singular determination to execute their national policies. They plan for global dominance, and the country as a whole stands behind that because of one-party politics. The United States, owning to fragmented national support for the questionably capable non-uniformed leadership, is losing in its efforts to succeed in its policy of simply being influential in world affairs. The political climate in the U.S. is such that policy makers cannot agree on what to have for lunch.

The disparity between the goals and objectives of China and the U.S. is the difference between playing to win and just playing to keep things close. Where's John Nash when we need him to think this one through and calculate our chances in a game like that?

 

[jamthe3]

To be fair, I'm gonna eat a little crow on this because quite simply....Harold is right. I lost my temper and whereas many topics are fine to discuss or intelligently debate in a chat thread of a forum, bickering and arguing over differing ideals truly is a bit juvenile and I joined the childish pontificating.

I really, really enjoy reading on and on when visiting this forum and have been quick to complain of just such a thing...especially when it appears someone's outright attacking another member. This time the shoe's on the other foot and for that I apologize.

NOW, on the topic of the most elite fighting force.....just kidding; my hat's off to all who have served their country.

Cheers,
John

 

[Oz]

That is classy to say that Jam, well put. The moderators have an uphill battle keeping the forum stress free.

Leading by example is the best way to help them.

 

[g_axelsson]

I must say that the Canadian fighting forces are the best and finest in the world.

... after all, this is a Canadian forum.

:lol:

Thanks Noxx for the forum! :wink: