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Air Forces comparison: Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom vs Flag of India India

India's air force fields 2,338 active aircraft — 3.4:1 United Kingdom's 682.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of United Kingdom United KingdomWorld #13 22.8
AIRS Index / 100

India leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of India IndiaWorld #4 35.3
  • 158 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 588
  • 260 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 987
  • 51 Transportweight ×10 328
  • 25 Special missionweight ×8 21
  • 19 UAVsweight ×10 39
  • 169 Trainersweight ×1 375
United Kingdom India 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
United Kingdom India Ratio
Official name Royal Air Force Indian Air Force
Active aircraft 682 2,338 🇮🇳 3.4×
Aircraft on order 76 691 🇮🇳 9.1×
Combat aircraft 158 588 🇮🇳 3.7×
Combat share of fleet 23.2 % 25.1 % 🇮🇳 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 24 45 🇮🇳 1.9×
Main supplier United States · 29 % Ex-USSR · 28 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 260 987 🇮🇳 3.8×
Transport aircraft 51 328 🇮🇳 6.4×
Special-mission aircraft 25 21 🇬🇧 1.2×
Trainers 169 375 🇮🇳 2.2×
UAVs 19 39 🇮🇳 2.1×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇬🇧 United KingdomTyphoon ×111AW159 ×62AW101 ×58
🇮🇳 IndiaDhruv ×287Su-30 Flanker-C ×258Mi-17 Hip-H ×222
Fleet evolution · United Kingdom
Fleet evolution · India
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, United Kingdom or India?
India has more military aircraft with 2,338 active aircraft compared to United Kingdom's 682, a difference of 1,656 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, United Kingdom or India?
India has more combat aircraft with 588 fighters and attack aircraft compared to United Kingdom's 158.
Which country has more military helicopters, United Kingdom or India?
India operates more military helicopters with 987 compared to United Kingdom's 260.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, United Kingdom or India?
India has more transport aircraft with 328 compared to United Kingdom's 51.
How do the United Kingdom and India air forces compare in size?
India's air force is 3.4 times larger than United Kingdom's in terms of total active aircraft (2,338 vs 682).
Which country has more aircraft on order, United Kingdom or India?
India has 691 aircraft on order compared to United Kingdom's 76.