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Air Forces comparison: Flag of India India vs Flag of South Korea South Korea

India operates 2,217 active military aircraft vs 1,543 for South Korea.

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 South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 31.3
  • 588 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 374
  • 993 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 856
  • 328 Transportweight ×10 50
  • 18 Special missionweight ×8 30
  • 290 Trainersweight ×1 233
India South Korea 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 South Korea Ratio
Official name Indian Air Force Republic of Korea Air Force
Active aircraft 2,217 1,543 🇮🇳 1.4×
Aircraft on order 587 410 🇮🇳 1.4×
Combat aircraft 588 374 🇮🇳 1.6×
Combat share of fleet 26.5 % 24.2 % 🇮🇳 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 38 34 🇮🇳 1.1×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 29 % United States · 60 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 993 856 🇮🇳 1.2×
Transport aircraft 328 50 🇮🇳 6.6×
Special-mission aircraft 18 30 🇰🇷 1.7×
Trainers 290 233 🇮🇳 1.2×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇳 IndiaDhruv ×287Su-30 Flanker-C ×259Mi-17 Hip-H ×222
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×167
Fleet evolution · India
Fleet evolution · South Korea
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, India or South Korea?
India has more military aircraft with 2,217 active aircraft compared to South Korea's 1,543, a difference of 674 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, India or South Korea?
India has more combat aircraft with 588 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Korea's 374.
Which country has more military helicopters, India or South Korea?
India operates more military helicopters with 993 compared to South Korea's 856.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, India or South Korea?
India has more transport aircraft with 328 compared to South Korea's 50.
How do the India and South Korea air forces compare in size?
India's air force is 6.6 times larger than South Korea's in terms of total active aircraft (328 vs 50).
Which country has more aircraft on order, India or South Korea?
India has 587 aircraft on order compared to South Korea's 410.