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Air Forces comparison: Flag of China China vs Flag of Germany Germany

China's air force fields 3,731 active aircraft — 6.3:1 Germany's 589.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of China ChinaWorld #2 53.1
AIRS Index / 100

China leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of Germany GermanyWorld #12 25.4
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · price 0
  • 2,043 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 224
  • 1,019 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 290
  • 380 Transportweight ×10 69
  • 39 Special missionweight ×8 4
  • 16 Trainersweight ×1 2
China Germany Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by unit price, helicopters by era) · figures: active airframes at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
China Germany Ratio
Official name People's Liberation Army Air Force German Air Force
Active aircraft 3,731 589 🇨🇳 6.3×
Aircraft on order 130 302 🇩🇪 2.3×
Combat aircraft 2,043 224 🇨🇳 9.1×
Combat share of fleet 54.8 % 38.0 % 🇨🇳 1.4×
Aircraft types in service 44 18 🇨🇳 2.4×
Main supplier China · 85 % France · 34 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,019 290 🇨🇳 3.5×
Transport aircraft 380 69 🇨🇳 5.5×
Special-mission aircraft 39 4 🇨🇳 9.8×
Trainers 16 2 🇨🇳 8.0×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-7 Fishcan ×417J-11 Responsive Dragon ×365J-20 Mighty Dragon ×300
🇩🇪 GermanyTyphoon ×138NH90 / Caiman ×101Tornado ×86
Fleet evolution · China
Fleet evolution · Germany
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, China or Germany?
China has more military aircraft with 3,731 active aircraft compared to Germany's 589, a difference of 3,142 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or Germany?
China has more combat aircraft with 2,043 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Germany's 224.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or Germany?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,019 compared to Germany's 290.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or Germany?
China has more transport aircraft with 380 compared to Germany's 69.
How do the China and Germany air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 5.5 times larger than Germany's in terms of total active aircraft (380 vs 69).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or Germany?
Germany has 302 aircraft on order compared to China's 130.