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

India operates 2,338 active military aircraft vs 1,299 for Japan.

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

India leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of Japan JapanWorld #5 28.7
  • 588 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 344
  • 987 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 427
  • 328 Transportweight ×10 114
  • 21 Special missionweight ×8 113
  • 39 UAVsweight ×10 2
  • 375 Trainersweight ×1 299
India Japan 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 Japan Ratio
Official name Indian Air Force Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Active aircraft 2,338 1,299 🇮🇳 1.8×
Aircraft on order 691 369 🇮🇳 1.9×
Combat aircraft 588 344 🇮🇳 1.7×
Combat share of fleet 25.1 % 26.5 % 🇯🇵 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 45 36 🇮🇳 1.2×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 28 % United States · 64 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 987 427 🇮🇳 2.3×
Transport aircraft 328 114 🇮🇳 2.9×
Special-mission aircraft 21 113 🇯🇵 5.4×
Trainers 375 299 🇮🇳 1.3×
UAVs 39 2 🇮🇳 20×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇳 IndiaDhruv ×287Su-30 Flanker-C ×258Mi-17 Hip-H ×222
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×200UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×93Mitsubishi F-2 ×90
Fleet evolution · India
Fleet evolution · Japan
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, India or Japan?
India has more military aircraft with 2,338 active aircraft compared to Japan's 1,299, a difference of 1,039 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, India or Japan?
India has more combat aircraft with 588 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 344.
Which country has more military helicopters, India or Japan?
India operates more military helicopters with 987 compared to Japan's 427.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, India or Japan?
India has more transport aircraft with 328 compared to Japan's 114.
How do the India and Japan air forces compare in size?
India's air force is 1.8 times larger than Japan's in terms of total active aircraft (2,338 vs 1,299).
Which country has more aircraft on order, India or Japan?
India has 691 aircraft on order compared to Japan's 369.