Indian Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
India has 588 fighter and attack jets in service across 7 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 2,353 military aircraft and 47 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
588 active · 332 on order
Su-30 Flanker-C
Active258 +12 BranchAir Force Service entry1996
Jaguar
Active112 BranchAir Force Service entry1972
MiG-29 Fulcrum
Active59 BranchAir Force Service entry1983
Mirage 2000
Active46 BranchAir Force Service entry1983
MiG-29K Fulcrum-D
Active40 BranchNavy Service entry2010
Tejas
Active37 +180 BranchAir Force Service entry2015
Rafale
Active36 +140 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry2001
Military Helicopters
987 active · 184 on order
Dhruv
Active287 +25 BranchArmy +2 Service entry2002
Mi-17 Hip-H
Active222 BranchAir Force Service entry1977
SA316 Alouette III
Active181 BranchAir Force +2 Service entry1961
SA 315B Lama
Active150 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1971
AH-64 Apache
Active28 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1984
SH-3 Sea King
Active25 BranchNavy Service entry1961
SH-60 Seahawk
Active21 +3 BranchNavy Service entry1984
CH-47 Chinook
Active15 BranchAir Force Service entry1962
Mi-24 Hind
Active15 BranchAir Force Service entry1972
Prachand
Active15 +156 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry2021
Ka-27 Helix
Active14 BranchNavy Service entry1982
Ka-31
Active14 BranchNavy Service entry1995Transport & Tanker Aircraft
331 active · 54 on order
An-32 Cline
Active102 BranchAir Force Service entry1982
Do 228
Active93 +14 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1982
HS 748
Active56 BranchAir Force Service entry1961
Il-76 Candid
Active17 BranchAir Force Service entry1974
C-295 Persuader
Active16 +40 BranchAir Force Service entry2001
C-130 Hercules
Active12 BranchAir Force Service entry1956
C-17 Globemaster III
Active11 BranchAir Force Service entry1993
ERJ 135
Active7 BranchAir Force Service entry1997
Airbus A321
Active4 BranchAir Force Service entry1994
BN-2B Defender
Active4 BranchNavy Service entry1965
Gulfstream III
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry1980
BD-700 Global Express
Active2 BranchAir Force Service entry1999
Boeing 737
Active2 BranchAir Force Service entry1968
Gulfstream G100
Active2 BranchAir Force Service entry1985Special Mission Aircraft
22 active · 8 on order
Trainers
373 active · 67 on order
Unmanned Aircraft
52 active · 46 on order
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 India have in 2026?
India has 588 fighter and attack jets in service across 7 types as of 2026, the Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker-C being the most numerous with 258 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 India air force page.
How many aircraft does the Indian military operate in 2026?
India operates 2,353 aircraft across 47 distinct types as of 2026, split between 3 service branches.
Which Indian service branch has the most aircraft?
The Indian Air Force operates the largest fleet with 1,699 active airframes across 37 types.
What is the most numerous Indian military aircraft?
The HAL Dhruv is the single most numerous airframe in India's inventory, with 287 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.