Chinese Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
China has 2,842 fighter and attack jets in service across 13 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 5,662 military aircraft and 53 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
2,842 active · 50 on order
J-10 Vigorous Dragon
Active608 BranchAir Force Service entry2005
J-16 Qianlong
Active450 BranchAir Force Service entry2015
JL-8
Active366 BranchAir Force Service entry1994
J-20 Mighty Dragon
Active350 BranchAir Force Service entry2017
J-11 Responsive Dragon
Active295 BranchAir Force Service entry1998
J-7 Fishcan
Active200 BranchAir Force Service entry1966
JH-7 Flounder
Active200 BranchAir Force Service entry1992
Su-30 Flanker-C
Active97 BranchAir Force Service entry1996
J-8 Finback
Active88 BranchAir Force Service entry1980
J-15 Flying Shark
Active75 +50 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 entry2014| Combat share of the fleet | 50% (2,842 of 5,662) |
| Median fighter design entry | 1998 |
| Cold War designs | 3 of 13 fighter types |
| Oldest design | J-7 Fishcan 1966 |
| Newest design | Shenyang J-35 2025 |
Strategic Bombers
234 active
Military Helicopters
1,263 active · 23 on order
Mi-17 Hip-H
Active234 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1977
Z-20
Active205 BranchArmy +1 Service entry2019
Z-10
Active200 +12 BranchArmy Service entry2012
Z-8
Active181 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1989
Z-9 Haitun
Active167 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1994
Z-19
Active120 +11 BranchArmy Service entry2012
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
H120 / EC120 Colibri
Active15 BranchArmy Service entry1998
Ka-31
Active9 BranchAir Force Service entry1995
Mi-8 Hip
Active8 BranchAir Force Service entry1967
AS332 Super Puma
Active6 BranchAir Force Service entry1981
H225M / EC725 Caracal
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry2005
Guimbal Cabri G2
Active2 BranchArmy Service entry2008Transport & Tanker Aircraft
444 active
Y-20
Active95 BranchAir Force Service entry2016
An-2 Colt
Active90 BranchAir Force Service entry1947
Y-7
Active75 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry—
Y-9
Active67 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry2012
Y-8
Active66 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1981
Il-76 Candid
Active20 BranchAir Force Service entry1974
Boeing 737
Active12 BranchAir Force Service entry1968
Tu-154 Careless
Active12 BranchAir Force Service entry1972
CL-600 Challenger
Active4 BranchAir Force Service entry1980
Airbus A319 CJ
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry1995Special Mission Aircraft
102 active
Trainers
585 active
Unmanned Aircraft
192 active
Other National Fleets
- 🇺🇸 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 fighter jets does China have in 2026?
China has 2,842 fighter and attack jets in service across 13 types as of 2026, the Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon being the most numerous with 608 airframes. The figure counts combat aircraft only; bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and drones are listed further down this page, and the full inventory with yearly history is on the China air force page.
How many aircraft does the Chinese military operate in 2026?
China operates 5,662 aircraft across 53 distinct types as of 2026, split between 2 service branches.
Which Chinese service branch has the most aircraft?
The People's Liberation Army Air Force operates the largest fleet with 4,569 active airframes across 46 types.
What is the most numerous Chinese 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, across every service that flies them: air force, army aviation and naval aviation alike. Retired, stored and test-only aircraft are excluded; a type on order but not yet delivered is shown as such.