The establishment of
military bases abroad enables a country to
project power, e.g., to conduct
expeditionary warfare, to influence events abroad. Depending on their size and infrastructure, they can be
staging areas or for logistical, communications, and intelligence support. Many conflicts throughout modern history have resulted in overseas military bases being established in large numbers by
world powers. These bases have helped them to achieve political and military goals. At one time, the establishment of coaling stations for naval ships was important. The
United Kingdom and other colonial powers established overseas military bases in many of their colonies during the
First and
Second World Wars. During the
Cold War, the
United States and the
Soviet Union established military bases within their respective spheres of influence. The
war on terror has resulted in overseas military bases being established in the
Middle East. While the overall number of overseas military bases has fallen since 1945, the United States,
Turkey, the United Kingdom,
Russia,
India, and
France still possess or utilize a substantial number of them. Smaller numbers of overseas military bases are operated by
China,
Iran,
Italy,
Japan,
Saudi Arabia,
Singapore and the
United Arab Emirates. The United States is the largest operator of military bases abroad, with 38 "named bases" with active duty, national guard, reserve, or civilian personnel as of September 2014. Its largest, in terms of personnel, was
Ramstein AB in Germany, with almost 9,200 personnel. == Australia ==