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

China's air force fields 5,662 active aircraft — 26:1 Vietnam's 216.

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 Vietnam VietnamWorld #46 9.0
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 2,842 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 70
  • 1,263 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 42
  • 444 Transportweight ×10 20
  • 102 Special missionweight ×8 0
  • 192 UAVsweight ×10 9
  • 585 Trainersweight ×1 75
China Vietnam 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 Vietnam Ratio
Official name People's Liberation Army Air Force Vietnam People's Air Force
Active aircraft 5,662 216 🇨🇳 26×
Aircraft on order 73 18 🇨🇳 4.1×
Combat aircraft 2,842 70 🇨🇳 41×
Combat share of fleet 50.2 % 32.4 % 🇨🇳 1.5×
Aircraft types in service 53 17 🇨🇳 3.1×
Main supplier China · 89 % Ex-USSR · 55 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Helicopters 1,263 42 🇨🇳 30×
Transport aircraft 444 20 🇨🇳 22×
Special-mission aircraft 102 0 🇨🇳
Trainers 585 75 🇨🇳 7.8×
UAVs 192 9 🇨🇳 21×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608J-16 Qianlong ×450JL-8 ×366
🇻🇳 VietnamSu-30 Flanker-C ×35Mi-8 Hip ×30Su-17 Fitter ×25
Fleet evolution · China
Fleet evolution · Vietnam
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, China or Vietnam?
China has more military aircraft with 5,662 active aircraft compared to Vietnam's 216, a difference of 5,446 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or Vietnam?
China has more combat aircraft with 2,842 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Vietnam's 70.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or Vietnam?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,263 compared to Vietnam's 42.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or Vietnam?
China has more transport aircraft with 444 compared to Vietnam's 20.
How do the China and Vietnam air forces compare in size?
China's air force is 26.2 times larger than Vietnam's in terms of total active aircraft (5,662 vs 216).
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or Vietnam?
China has 73 aircraft on order compared to Vietnam's 18.