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Air Forces comparison: Flag of India India vs Flag of Iran Iran

India's air force fields 2,338 active aircraft — 3.9:1 Iran's 603.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of India IndiaWorld #4 35.3
AIRS Index / 100

India leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of Iran IranWorld #30 12.5
  • 588 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 250
  • 987 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 152
  • 328 Transportweight ×10 80
  • 21 Special missionweight ×8 6
  • 39 UAVsweight ×10 23
  • 375 Trainersweight ×1 92
India Iran 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
India Iran Ratio
Official name Indian Air Force Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Active aircraft 2,338 603 🇮🇳 3.9×
Aircraft on order 691 0 🇮🇳
Combat aircraft 588 250 🇮🇳 2.4×
Combat share of fleet 25.1 % 41.5 % 🇮🇷 1.6×
Aircraft types in service 45 36 🇮🇳 1.2×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 28 % United States · 51 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 987 152 🇮🇳 6.5×
Transport aircraft 328 80 🇮🇳 4.1×
Special-mission aircraft 21 6 🇮🇳 3.5×
Trainers 375 92 🇮🇳 4.1×
UAVs 39 23 🇮🇳 1.7×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇳 IndiaDhruv ×287Su-30 Flanker-C ×258Mi-17 Hip-H ×222
🇮🇷 IranF-4 Phantom II ×61F-5E Tiger II ×48CH-47 Chinook ×43
Fleet evolution · India
Fleet evolution · Iran
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Iran vsIsraelUnited StatesSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesSingapore

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, India or Iran?
India has more military aircraft with 2,338 active aircraft compared to Iran's 603, a difference of 1,735 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, India or Iran?
India has more combat aircraft with 588 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Iran's 250.
Which country has more military helicopters, India or Iran?
India operates more military helicopters with 987 compared to Iran's 152.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, India or Iran?
India has more transport aircraft with 328 compared to Iran's 80.
How do the India and Iran air forces compare in size?
India's air force is 3.9 times larger than Iran's in terms of total active aircraft (2,338 vs 603).
Which country has more aircraft on order, India or Iran?
India has 691 aircraft on order compared to Iran's 0.