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

China's air force fields 6,341 active aircraft — 4.1:1 South Korea's 1,552.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of China ChinaWorld #2 74.5
AIRS Index / 100

China leads on 7 of 7 categories

Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 28.5
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 3,222 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 374
  • 1,549 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 856
  • 452 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 109 Special missionweight ×8 34
  • 190 UAVsweight ×10 9
  • 585 Trainersweight ×1 233
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 6,341 1,552 🇨🇳 4.1×
Aircraft on order 130 410 🇰🇷 3.2×
Combat aircraft 3,222 374 🇨🇳 8.6×
Combat share of fleet 50.8 % 24.1 % 🇨🇳 2.1×
Aircraft types in service 56 36 🇨🇳 1.6×
Main supplier China · 86 % United States · 60 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,549 856 🇨🇳 1.8×
Transport aircraft 452 46 🇨🇳 9.8×
Special-mission aircraft 109 34 🇨🇳 3.2×
Trainers 585 233 🇨🇳 2.5×
UAVs 190 9 🇨🇳 21×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608J-11 Responsive Dragon ×495J-16 Qianlong ×450
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×167
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 6,341 active aircraft compared to South Korea's 1,552, a difference of 4,789 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or South Korea?
China has more combat aircraft with 3,222 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Korea's 374.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or South Korea?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,549 compared to South Korea's 856.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or South Korea?
China has more transport aircraft with 452 compared to South Korea's 46.
How do the China and South Korea air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 9.8 times larger than South Korea's in terms of total active aircraft (452 vs 46).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or South Korea?
South Korea has 410 aircraft on order compared to China's 130.