North Korean Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
North Korea has 571 fighter and attack jets in service across 9 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 1,179 military aircraft and 21 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
571 active
J-5 Fresco
Active241 Service entry1957
J-6 Farmer
Active97 Service entry1962
MiG-23 Flogger
Active56 Service entry1970
MiG-29 Fulcrum
Active35 Service entry1983
MiG-15 Fagot
Active34 Service entry1949
Su-25 Frogfoot
Active34 Service entry1981
J-7 Fishcan
Active30 Service entry1966
MiG-21 Fishbed
Active26 Service entry1958
Su-7 Fitter
Active18 Service entry1959| Combat share of the fleet | 48% (571 of 1,179) |
| Median fighter design entry | 1962 |
| Cold War designs | 9 of 9 fighter types |
| Oldest design | MiG-15 Fagot 1949 |
| Newest design | MiG-29 Fulcrum 1983 |
Strategic Bombers
80 active
Military Helicopters
253 active
Transport & Tanker Aircraft
275 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 North Korea have in 2026?
North Korea has 571 fighter and attack jets in service across 9 types as of 2026, the Shenyang J-5 Fresco being the most numerous with 241 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 North Korea air force page.
How many aircraft does the North Korean military operate in 2026?
North Korea operates 1,179 aircraft across 21 distinct types as of 2026, split between 1 service branch.
What is the most numerous North Korean military aircraft?
The Antonov An-2 Colt is the single most numerous airframe in North Korea's inventory, with 270 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.