Top 10 largest Air Forces in the world in 2025
According to the data compiled in 2024 by the World Population Review and released in 2025, the total number of aircraft in service with the top 10 countries is listed as follows.
United States ~14,486 Aircrafts
The United States remains the undisputed king of the sky with over 14,000 aircraft across the Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Army. It boosts a large fleet of fighters, bombers, and a massive logistics and drone fleet. It has fighter jets like the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor; bombers like the B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress, making the U.S. Air Force unmatched.
Russia ~ 4,292 Aircrafts
Russia has the second-largest fleet with more than 4,000 aircraft. It includes a combination of bombers such as the Tu-160 “White Swan” and advanced fighter jets like Su-35 and the newer Su-57, which play a major role in its regional dominance and global deterrence.
China ~ 3,304 Aircrafts
China comes third on the list, with the People's Republic of China's army consisting of a large number of domestically produced fighter jets, J-20 stealth fighter and J-16 multirole aircraft. The People's Republic of China is investing heavily in indigenous production to make the People’s Liberation Army Air Force a formidable force.
India ~ 2,296 Aircrafts
India ranks fourth globally, with a mix of Russian Su-30MKI and French-origin Rafale and Mirage aircraft. The Indian Air Force is undergoing modernisation with an emphasis on indigenous production, such as Tejas. With the growing influence of China in the South Asian region, India feels compelled to upgrade its arsenal to maintain strategic deterrence.
Japan ~ 1,459 Aircrafts
Japan’s air force blends American and indigenous tech with a focus on maritime security, homeland defence, and high-tech integration. Japan's Air Self-Defence includes advanced F-35 Lightning II and F-15J fighters.
Pakistan ~ 1,434 Aircrafts
Pakistan, another Asian nation, is on the list with over 1,434 aircraft. It relies on a combination of American F-16s, Chinese JF-17 Thunder aircraft, and French Mirage fighters. Pakistan continues to develop its air prowess in combination with China to act as a deterrent to India
South Korea ~ 1,171 Aircrafts
South Korea’s high-tech fleet includes advanced fighter jets and indigenous systems, ready to respond to regional threats from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Air Force has a modern fleet, having a mixture of US and indigenous aircraft. It includes T-50 Golden Eagle, F-35A Lightning II aircraft, KF-16 fighters, and indigenous KAI T-50 trainers and is working on developing KF-21 Boramae.
Egypt ~ 1,093 Aircrafts
Egypt’s diverse fleet, bolstered by recent acquisitions from France and Russia, reflects its strategic influence in North Africa and the Middle East. has fighter jets such as Rafale and Mirage from France, F-16 Fighting Falcon from the US, MiG-29M from Russia, and KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle from South Korea. Apart from these, it also has AWECS, trainers, helicopters and UAVs.
Turkey ~ 1,069 Aircrafts
Turkey combines traditional air power with a cutting-edge UAV program, making it a major NATO and regional air power. Its unmanned aerial systems, such as Bayraktar drones, have gained international appreciation.
France ~ 972 Aircrafts
France rounds out the top 10 with a robust and modern air fleet, driven by the Rafale multirole fighter and strong aerospace exports. The French Air Force has roughly 972 active aircraft, with indigenous fighter jets like Rafale and Mirage
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