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

India operates 2,217 active military aircraft vs 1,397 for Japan.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of India IndiaWorld #4 34.3
AIRS Index / 100

India leads on 3 of 5 categories

Roundel of Japan JapanWorld #9 28.5
  • 588 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 331
  • 993 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 533
  • 328 Transportweight ×10 110
  • 18 Special missionweight ×8 127
  • 290 Trainersweight ×1 296
India Japan Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by unit price, helicopters by era) · 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 2,217 1,397 🇮🇳 1.6×
Aircraft on order 587 353 🇮🇳 1.7×
Combat aircraft 588 331 🇮🇳 1.8×
Combat share of fleet 26.5 % 23.7 % 🇮🇳 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 38 31 🇮🇳 1.2×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 29 % United States · 67 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 993 533 🇮🇳 1.9×
Transport aircraft 328 110 🇮🇳 3.0×
Special-mission aircraft 18 127 🇯🇵 7.1×
Trainers 290 296 🇯🇵 ≈
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇳 IndiaDhruv ×287Su-30 Flanker-C ×259Mi-17 Hip-H ×222
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×199UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×140UH-60 Black Hawk ×101
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 2,217 active aircraft compared to Japan's 1,397, a difference of 820 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 331.
Which country has more military helicopters, India or Japan?
India operates more military helicopters with 993 compared to Japan's 533.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, India or Japan?
India has more transport aircraft with 328 compared to Japan's 110.
How do the India and Japan air forces compare in size?
India's air force is 3.0 times larger than Japan's in terms of total active aircraft (328 vs 110).
Which country has more aircraft on order, India or Japan?
India has 587 aircraft on order compared to Japan's 353.