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

China's air force fields 6,014 active aircraft — 8.8:1 Germany's 686.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of China ChinaWorld #2 74.0
AIRS Index / 100

China leads on 7 of 7 categories

Roundel of Germany GermanyWorld #11 23.3
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 3,042 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 225
  • 1,402 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 291
  • 452 Transportweight ×10 73
  • 109 Special missionweight ×8 5
  • 190 UAVsweight ×10 49
  • 585 Trainersweight ×1 43
China Germany Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by generation tier, helicopters by era; the enabler, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · 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 6,014 686 🇨🇳 8.8×
Aircraft on order 73 303 🇩🇪 4.2×
Combat aircraft 3,042 225 🇨🇳 14×
Combat share of fleet 50.6 % 32.8 % 🇨🇳 1.5×
Aircraft types in service 54 23 🇨🇳 2.3×
Main supplier China · 89 % France · 30 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,402 291 🇨🇳 4.8×
Transport aircraft 452 73 🇨🇳 6.2×
Special-mission aircraft 109 5 🇨🇳 22×
Trainers 585 43 🇨🇳 14×
UAVs 190 49 🇨🇳 3.9×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608J-11 Responsive Dragon ×495J-16 Qianlong ×450
🇩🇪 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 6,014 active aircraft compared to Germany's 686, a difference of 5,328 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or Germany?
China has more combat aircraft with 3,042 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Germany's 225.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or Germany?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,402 compared to Germany's 291.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or Germany?
China has more transport aircraft with 452 compared to Germany's 73.
How do the China and Germany air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 8.8 times larger than Germany's in terms of total active aircraft (6,014 vs 686).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or Germany?
Germany has 303 aircraft on order compared to China's 73.