20 Largest Air Forces in The World

The 20 largest air forces in the world represent almost 70% of all combat aircraft in the world. To put things even further into context, the 10 largest air forces in the world operate 43% of all military aircraft in the world. Combined with the fact that most of these countries are also on the list of the 11 Strongest Navies in the World, the gap in military power between them and the rest of the planet seems insurmountable. But as some experts suggest, we are on the verge of an aerial warfare revolution, as drones could easily make this list obsolete in the coming years.

The important thing to note is that the size of the air force isn’t the biggest factor in determining the capability of a nation to conduct air battles. Far more important are the quality of its airplanes and pilots, plus the tactics employed by both sides. A swarm of North Korea’s MiG-21 would be of little, if any, use against a pair of the USAF’s F-22 or F-35 stealth fighters. They wouldn’t be able to detect them, let alone get a radar lock that would allow them to fire missiles at them at a range from which the American planes would be able to engage them. North Korean pilots wouldn’t even know they are in combat until a few seconds before the missile impact.

Pilot training is another important factor. Even the best equipment in the world is useless unless you have a trained operator, and modern fighter jets are not an exception. For instance, U.S pilots in 2013 flew 120 hours per year, which is a 50% reduction compared to the Cold War years. Some smaller air forces can barely scrape together the funds to keep their pilots in air for just 20 hours annually, which is woefully inadequate. The problem is somewhat alleviated by the use of modern simulators, but they aren’t a substitute for the real thing, merely a supplement.

In terms of combat aircraft types, the most used ones are the F-16, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) and General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD), with 2,264 flying (16% out of world’s total of 14,552 combat aircraft), followed by the F/A-18, manufactured by Boeing Co (NYSE:BA), Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), and McDonnell Douglas, and the Su-27/30/33, designed by Sukhoi.

In order to create the list of the 20 largest air forces in the world, we used Flight Global’s review of World Air Forces 2016. For the purpose of this article, we decided to focus on manned aircraft only and exclude drones, which are taking more and more space on runways around the world. Furthermore, we counted only combat fixed wing airframes. That means we left all helicopters and support types like tankers and transport planes, out of the equation, which are essential to any air force, but not what we are looking for at the moment. Here are the results, beginning on the next page.

20. Spain

Number of combat aircraft: 108

We kick off with a European force. Spain’s air arsenal consists of Eurofighter Typhoons and F/A-18s.

19. Italy

Number of combat aircraft: 152

Italy has received the first 6 F-35A fighters out of its total order of 60 F-35As and 15 F-35Bs, which are manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT).

18. Iran

Number of combat aircraft: 161

The Iranian Air Force that ranks 18th in our list of largest air forces in the world operates a strange mix of combat aircraft: pre-revolution American F-14s (manufactured by Grumman, which is now a part of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)) are combined with Russian MiG-29s, Chinese J-7s, and French Mirage F1s, evacuated from Iraq during the Persian Gulf War.

17. United Kingdom

Number of combat aircraft: 168

The mainstay of the Royal Air Force is the Eurofighter Typhoon. The first batch of four F-35Bs has also arrived in Britain and is currently jointly operated with the Fleet Air Arm in preparation for deployment on the new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elisabeth.

16. Germany

Number of combat aircraft: 169

The modern Luftwaffe is a far cry from the force that once ruled the European skies. The main type that’s in service is the Eurofighter Typhoon, coupled with older Tornados. Instead of purchasing F-35s, Germany is currently pursuing plans to organize its European allies into a consortium, similar to the one behind the Eurofighter project, that will create a new 5th generation stealth aircraft.

15. Greece

Number of combat aircraft: 206

Despite the financial crisis in Greece, the country remained dedicated to operating a strong air force, mainly consisting of various F-16 variants and Mirage 2000 fighters.

14. Turkey

Number of combat aircraft: 207

The Turkish Air Force ranks 14th in our list of largest air forces in the world. It is currently involved in the Syrian Civil War. Its F-16 managed to shoot down a Russian Su-24 in 2015, claiming that the aircraft had violated Turkish airspace, something the Russians vehemently denied.

13. France

Number of combat aircraft: 226

The vast majority of French aircraft in service are domestically made, which is a fact not many countries in the world can boast about. Dassault Mirages and new Rafales are the most numerous combat planes in the French skies.

12. Israel

Number of combat aircraft: 243

Rightly considered the most capable air force in the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force has proven its capabilities many times during its somewhat short history. With two (out of 50 ordered) F-35s already in Israel, it will continue to hold that title in the future.

11. Saudi Arabia

Number of combat aircraft: 245

Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest military spenders in the last decade. A large part of funds spent on the country’s armed forces went to the purchase of new aircraft, which landed it in 11th place among the largest air forces in the world.

10. Japan

Number of combat aircraft: 287

The Japanese have a long history of combat aviation. They were the first to realize the power of naval aviation and use it on a massive scale in Pearl Harbor. For a while, famous Zero fighters wreaked havoc on Allied pilots unfortunate enough to find themselves pitted against one of the most successful fighters in the early parts of WWII. Today, the Japanese air force consists mostly of U.S-made equipment, with some hybrid designs thrown into the mix. Like several other nations, Japan is also pursuing its own 5th generation fighter, regardless of the fact that it has F-35s on order.

9. Taiwan

Number of combat aircraft: 287

Taiwan’s (or the Republic of China, whichever you prefer) Air Force is mostly equipped with F-16s, currently being upgraded with new radar, and Mirage 2000 multirole fighters.

8. Pakistan

Number of combat aircraft: 394

The Pakistan Airforce ranks 8th in our list of largest air forces in the world. It operates a mix of U.S-made F-16s and older French Mirage III fighters. A significant number of JF-17 Thunders, a joint project between Pakistan and China, is also in use, with an undisclosed number of future orders.

7. Egypt

Number of combat aircraft: 336

Egypt is also undergoing a modernization process of its Air Force, with MiG-29s and Dassault Rafales on order, to replace the older MiG-21s it has in inventory.

6. South Korea

Number of combat aircraft: 406

The majority of fighters in South Korean service are U.S-made F-4s, F-15s, and F-16s, together with domestically-made KAI T-50 Golden Eagles.

5. North Korea

Number of combat aircraft: 527

While nobody outside a three-letter agency can be quite sure in what state the North Korean Air Force that ranks 5th in our list of largest air forces in the world, really is, a number of active aircraft can be guestimated fairly accurately. A vast majority of their fleet consists of Chinese-made F-5s, F-6s, F-7s, and H-5 aircraft, with less than a hundred Soviet-era MiG-21s and MiG-23s.

4. India

Number of combat aircraft: 809

The mainstay of the Indian Air Force that ranks 4th in our list of largest air forces in the world are Russian-made Su-33 MKI multirole fighters, designed to Indian specifications. All of them are slotted to be upgraded to Super Sukhoi standard by 2020. They are complemented by Mig-29s, Mirage 2000s, Sepecat Jaguars, and domestically-built HAL Tejas, which will replace all MiG-21s and MiG-27s currently in service by 2018 and 2022 respectively. In 2016, a deal for the purchase of 36 Dassault Rafale fighters was signed and in January 2017, Minister of Defense Manohar Parrikar announced that India is searching for a partner in a deal that will see “… 200 new single engine fighters be made in India, which will easily cost around $45 million apiece without weaponry”.

3. Russia

Number of combat aircraft: 1,438

The Russian Air Force has fallen from its glory days during the height of the Cold War when it was responsible for the large part of the Red Scare. During the 1990s, it was at its lowest point, both technologically and personnel-wise. However, in the last decade, it has been going through a sort of revival, thanks to the larger funds made available to it. New types of aircraft have been introduced into the service and in significant numbers. It still lags qualitatively and quantitatively behind the United States’ Airforce however. Its latest fifth generation fighter, the T-50, still hasn’t entered production, while the United States and its allies are already introducing the F-35 into service, with the F-22 being operational for almost ten years. And now, let’s see the top two entries in our list of largest air forces in the world.

2. China

Number of combat aircraft: 1,528

The Chinese Air Force has come a long way since the times when all it did was make bad copies of Russian planes. Today, it is finishing testing on its fifth generation stealth fighter and producing several indigenous aircraft models, some of which are exported to various countries around the world. Its jet engine technology seems to be the only thing the Chinese are lagging behind in, as it is still dependent on Russia to produce power plants for its jets.

1. The United States of America

Number of combat aircraft: 2,785

Without a doubt, the number one in our list of the largest air forces in the world belongs to the United States. The number above represents the combined air arsenal of all three branches, but in terms of real power and capability, the US Air Force and US Navy would probably be the two most powerful air forces in the world on their own. In fact, some 26% of all military aircraft of all types, including unmanned ones, are operated by the United States Armed Forces.

Disclosure: None