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

China's air force fields 5,662 active aircraft — 21:1 Philippines's 268.

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 Philippines PhilippinesWorld #59 7.2
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 2,842 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 17
  • 1,263 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 154
  • 444 Transportweight ×10 36
  • 102 Special missionweight ×8 6
  • 192 UAVsweight ×10 30
  • 585 Trainersweight ×1 25
China Philippines 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 Philippines Ratio
Official name People's Liberation Army Air Force Philippine Air Force
Active aircraft 5,662 268 🇨🇳 21×
Aircraft on order 73 35 🇨🇳 2.1×
Combat aircraft 2,842 17 🇨🇳 167×
Combat share of fleet 50.2 % 6.3 % 🇨🇳 7.9×
Aircraft types in service 53 32 🇨🇳 1.7×
Main supplier China · 89 % United States · 62 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,263 154 🇨🇳 8.2×
Transport aircraft 444 36 🇨🇳 12×
Special-mission aircraft 102 6 🇨🇳 17×
Trainers 585 25 🇨🇳 23×
UAVs 192 30 🇨🇳 6.4×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608J-16 Qianlong ×450JL-8 ×366
🇵🇭 PhilippinesUH-60 Black Hawk ×47UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×30MD-500 ×24
Fleet evolution · China
Fleet evolution · Philippines
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, China or Philippines?
China has more military aircraft with 5,662 active aircraft compared to Philippines's 268, a difference of 5,394 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or Philippines?
China has more combat aircraft with 2,842 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Philippines's 17.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or Philippines?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,263 compared to Philippines's 154.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or Philippines?
China has more transport aircraft with 444 compared to Philippines's 36.
How do the China and Philippines air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 21.1 times larger than Philippines's in terms of total active aircraft (5,662 vs 268).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or Philippines?
China has 73 aircraft on order compared to Philippines's 35.