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Air Forces comparison: Flag of China China vs Flag of South Korea South Korea

China's air force fields 5,662 active aircraft — 3.6:1 South Korea's 1,576.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of China ChinaWorld #2 71.9
AIRS Index / 100

China leads on 7 of 7 categories

Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 27.9
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 2,842 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 387
  • 1,263 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 870
  • 444 Transportweight ×10 47
  • 102 Special missionweight ×8 34
  • 192 UAVsweight ×10 9
  • 585 Trainersweight ×1 229
China South Korea 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 South Korea Ratio
Official name People's Liberation Army Air Force Republic of Korea Air Force
Active aircraft 5,662 1,576 🇨🇳 3.6×
Aircraft on order 73 392 🇰🇷 5.4×
Combat aircraft 2,842 387 🇨🇳 7.3×
Combat share of fleet 50.2 % 24.6 % 🇨🇳 2.0×
Aircraft types in service 53 38 🇨🇳 1.4×
Main supplier China · 89 % United States · 61 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,263 870 🇨🇳 1.5×
Transport aircraft 444 47 🇨🇳 9.4×
Special-mission aircraft 102 34 🇨🇳 3.0×
Trainers 585 229 🇨🇳 2.6×
UAVs 192 9 🇨🇳 21×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608J-16 Qianlong ×450JL-8 ×366
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×166
Fleet evolution · China
Fleet evolution · South Korea
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, China or South Korea?
China has more military aircraft with 5,662 active aircraft compared to South Korea's 1,576, a difference of 4,086 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or South Korea?
China has more combat aircraft with 2,842 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Korea's 387.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or South Korea?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,263 compared to South Korea's 870.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or South Korea?
China has more transport aircraft with 444 compared to South Korea's 47.
How do the China and South Korea air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 3.6 times larger than South Korea's in terms of total active aircraft (5,662 vs 1,576).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or South Korea?
South Korea has 392 aircraft on order compared to China's 73.