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

China's air force fields 5,662 active aircraft — 4.3:1 Turkey's 1,321.

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

China leads on 6 of 7 categories

Roundel of Turkey TurkeyWorld #11 23.4
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 2,842 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 283
  • 1,263 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 436
  • 444 Transportweight ×10 88
  • 102 Special missionweight ×8 23
  • 192 UAVsweight ×10 290
  • 585 Trainersweight ×1 201
China Turkey 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 Turkey Ratio
Official name People's Liberation Army Air Force Turkish Air Force
Active aircraft 5,662 1,321 🇨🇳 4.3×
Aircraft on order 73 290 🇹🇷 4.0×
Combat aircraft 2,842 283 🇨🇳 10×
Combat share of fleet 50.2 % 21.4 % 🇨🇳 2.3×
Aircraft types in service 53 33 🇨🇳 1.6×
Main supplier China · 89 % United States · 55 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,263 436 🇨🇳 2.9×
Transport aircraft 444 88 🇨🇳 5.0×
Special-mission aircraft 102 23 🇨🇳 4.4×
Trainers 585 201 🇨🇳 2.9×
UAVs 192 290 🇹🇷 1.5×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608J-16 Qianlong ×450JL-8 ×366
🇹🇷 TurkeyF-16 Fighting Falcon ×235UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×172UH-60 Black Hawk ×76
Fleet evolution · China
Fleet evolution · Turkey
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, China or Turkey?
China has more military aircraft with 5,662 active aircraft compared to Turkey's 1,321, a difference of 4,341 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or Turkey?
China has more combat aircraft with 2,842 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Turkey's 283.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or Turkey?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,263 compared to Turkey's 436.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or Turkey?
China has more transport aircraft with 444 compared to Turkey's 88.
How do the China and Turkey air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 4.3 times larger than Turkey's in terms of total active aircraft (5,662 vs 1,321).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or Turkey?
Turkey has 290 aircraft on order compared to China's 73.