Every Chinese Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
China operates 6,341 aircraft across 56 distinct types as of 2026 — fighters, bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems.
Fleet size by branch2 branches
6,341 active airframes across 56 types
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
3,222 active · 50 on order
J-10 Vigorous Dragon
Active608 BranchAir Force Service entry2005
J-11 Responsive Dragon
Active495 BranchAir Force Service entry1998
J-16 Qianlong
Active450 BranchAir Force Service entry2015
JL-8
Active366 BranchAir Force Service entry1994
J-20 Mighty Dragon
Active300 BranchAir Force Service entry2017
J-7 Fishcan
Active230 BranchAir Force Service entry1966
JH-7 Flounder
Active200 BranchAir Force Service entry1992
MiG-21 Fishbed
Active200 BranchAir Force Service entry1958
Su-30 Flanker-C
Active97 BranchAir Force Service entry1996
J-8 Finback
Active88 BranchAir Force Service entry1980
J-15 Flying Shark
Active75 BranchAir Force Service entry2013
Shenyang J-35
Active57 BranchAir Force Service entry2025
Su-27 Flanker
Active32 BranchAir Force Service entry1985
Su-35 Flanker-E
Active24 BranchAir Force Service entry2014Strategic Bombers
234 active
Military Helicopters
1,549 active · 80 on order
Z-9 Haitun
Active314 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1994
Mi-17 Hip-H
Active234 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1977
Z-20
Active205 BranchArmy +1 Service entry2019
Z-10
Active200 BranchArmy Service entry2012
Z-8
Active181 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1989
Z-19
Active175 BranchArmy Service entry2012
H120 / EC120 Colibri
Active93 BranchArmy Service entry1998
Z-11
Active53 BranchArmy Service entry1998
Z-18
Active24 BranchAir Force Service entry2018
UH-60 Black Hawk
Active19 BranchArmy Service entry1979
Ka-27 Helix
Active17 BranchAir Force Service entry1982
Ka-31
Active9 BranchAir Force Service entry1995
Mi-8 Hip
Active8 BranchAir Force Service entry1967
AS332 Super Puma
Active6 BranchAir Force Service entry1981
H125M / AS550 Fennec
Active6 BranchAir Force Service entry1990
H225M / EC725 Caracal
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry2005
Guimbal Cabri G2
Active2 BranchArmy Service entry2008Transport & Tanker Aircraft
452 active
Y-20
Active95 BranchAir Force Service entry2016
An-2 Colt
Active90 BranchAir Force Service entry1947
Y-7
Active78 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry—
Y-8
Active66 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1981
Y-9
Active47 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry2012
Il-76 Candid
Active20 BranchAir Force Service entry1974
An-26 Curl
Active19 BranchAir Force Service entry1969
Tu-154 Careless
Active12 BranchAir Force Service entry1972
Y-12
Active11 BranchAir Force Service entry1985
CL-600 Challenger
Active9 BranchAir Force Service entry1980
An-30 Clank
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry1968
Boeing 737
Active2 BranchAir Force Service entry1968Special Mission Aircraft
109 active
Trainers
585 active
Unmanned Aircraft
190 active
Other National Fleets
National fleets — aircraft in service by country
- 🇺🇸 United States · all-time
- 🇷🇺 Russia · all-time
- 🇨🇳 China · all-time
- 🇮🇳 India · all-time
- 🇰🇷 South Korea · all-time
- 🇯🇵 Japan · all-time
- 🇵🇰 Pakistan · all-time
- 🇰🇵 North Korea · all-time
- 🇪🇬 Egypt · all-time
- 🇹🇷 Turkey · all-time
- 🇫🇷 France · all-time
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · all-time
- 🇮🇹 Italy · all-time
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan · all-time
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · all-time
- 🇮🇷 Iran · all-time
- 🇬🇷 Greece · all-time
- 🇩🇿 Algeria · all-time
- 🇩🇪 Germany · all-time
- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates · all-time
- 🇮🇱 Israel · all-time
- 🇧🇷 Brazil · all-time
- 🇪🇸 Spain · all-time
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia · all-time
- 🇵🇱 Poland · all-time
- 🇮🇶 Iraq · all-time
- 🇦🇺 Australia · all-time
- 🇨🇦 Canada · all-time
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine · all-time
- 🇦🇷 Argentina · all-time
Frequently Asked Questions
How many aircraft does the China military operate in 2026?
China operates 6,341 aircraft across 56 distinct types as of 2026, split between 2 service branches.
Which China service branch has the most aircraft?
The People's Liberation Army Air Force operates the largest fleet with 4,968 active airframes across 49 types.
What is the most numerous China military aircraft?
The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon is the single most numerous airframe in China's inventory, with 608 active units.
Does this page include retired or stored aircraft?
No. Counts reflect airframes on active inventory in the most recent fleet snapshot. Retired, stored and test-only aircraft are excluded.