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

China's air force fields 5,662 active aircraft — 3.7:1 Pakistan's 1,542.

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 Pakistan PakistanWorld #16 21.3
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 2,842 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 485
  • 1,263 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 360
  • 444 Transportweight ×10 68
  • 102 Special missionweight ×8 43
  • 192 UAVsweight ×10 137
  • 585 Trainersweight ×1 449
China Pakistan 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 Pakistan Ratio
Official name People's Liberation Army Air Force Pakistan Air Force
Active aircraft 5,662 1,542 🇨🇳 3.7×
Aircraft on order 73 103 🇵🇰 1.4×
Combat aircraft 2,842 485 🇨🇳 5.9×
Combat share of fleet 50.2 % 31.5 % 🇨🇳 1.6×
Aircraft types in service 53 50 🇨🇳 1.1×
Main supplier China · 89 % United States · 24 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,263 360 🇨🇳 3.5×
Transport aircraft 444 68 🇨🇳 6.5×
Special-mission aircraft 102 43 🇨🇳 2.4×
Trainers 585 449 🇨🇳 1.3×
UAVs 192 137 🇨🇳 1.4×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608J-16 Qianlong ×450JL-8 ×366
🇵🇰 PakistanJF-17 Thunder ×175Mirage III / 5 / 50 ×85F-16 Fighting Falcon ×75
Fleet evolution · China
Fleet evolution · Pakistan
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, China or Pakistan?
China has more military aircraft with 5,662 active aircraft compared to Pakistan's 1,542, a difference of 4,120 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or Pakistan?
China has more combat aircraft with 2,842 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Pakistan's 485.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or Pakistan?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,263 compared to Pakistan's 360.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or Pakistan?
China has more transport aircraft with 444 compared to Pakistan's 68.
How do the China and Pakistan air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 3.7 times larger than Pakistan's in terms of total active aircraft (5,662 vs 1,542).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or Pakistan?
Pakistan has 103 aircraft on order compared to China's 73.