Air Forces comparison: United Kingdom vs Russia
Russia's air force fields 4,300 active aircraft — 6.7x United Kingdom's 640. The breakdown includes 151 vs 1,524 combat aircraft, 0 vs 152 bombers, 259 vs 1,604 helicopters, 59 vs 515 transport aircraft, 156 vs 442 trainers (United Kingdom vs Russia). United Kingdom has 41 aircraft on order vs 677 for Russia. The United Kingdom air force is officially the Royal Air Force, while Russia's is the Russian Air Force.
Royal Air Force 🇬🇧
| Official Name | Royal Air Force |
| Active aircraft | 640 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 41 |
| Roundel |
|
Russian Air Force 🇷🇺
| Official Name | Russian Air Force |
| Local Name | Военно-воздушные cилы (Voenno-vozdushnye sily) |
| Active aircraft | 4300 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 677 |
| Roundel |
|
British aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
Combat
|
151 | |
Bomber
|
0 | |
Helicopter
|
259 | |
Training
|
156 | |
Transport
|
59 | |
Other
|
15 | |
Russian aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
|
Combat
|
1524 | |
|
Bomber
|
152 | |
|
Helicopter
|
1604 | |
|
Training
|
442 | |
|
Transport
|
515 | |
|
Other
|
63 | |
Evolution of British Air Force fleet
Evolution of Russian Air Force fleet
Aircraft Types Radar Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more military aircraft, United Kingdom or Russia?
Russia has more military aircraft with 4,300 active aircraft compared to United Kingdom's 640, a difference of 3,660 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, United Kingdom or Russia?
Russia has more combat aircraft with 1,524 fighters and attack aircraft compared to United Kingdom's 151.
Which country has more military helicopters, United Kingdom or Russia?
Russia operates more military helicopters with 1,604 compared to United Kingdom's 259.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, United Kingdom or Russia?
Russia has more transport aircraft with 515 compared to United Kingdom's 59.
How do the United Kingdom and Russia air forces compare in size?
Russia's air force is 8.7 times larger than United Kingdom's in terms of total active aircraft (515 vs 59).
Which country has more aircraft on order, United Kingdom or Russia?
Russia has 677 aircraft on order compared to United Kingdom's 41.