GlobalMilitary.net Open-source military intelligence Updated daily
Head-to-head

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

India operates 2,338 active military aircraft vs 1,566 for South Korea.

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

India leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 28.2
  • 588 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 374
  • 987 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 869
  • 328 Transportweight ×10 47
  • 21 Special missionweight ×8 35
  • 39 UAVsweight ×10 9
  • 375 Trainersweight ×1 232
India South Korea 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 South Korea Ratio
Official name Indian Air Force Republic of Korea Air Force
Active aircraft 2,338 1,566 🇮🇳 1.5×
Aircraft on order 691 389 🇮🇳 1.8×
Combat aircraft 588 374 🇮🇳 1.6×
Combat share of fleet 25.1 % 23.9 % 🇮🇳 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 45 39 🇮🇳 1.2×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 28 % United States · 61 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 987 869 🇮🇳 1.1×
Transport aircraft 328 47 🇮🇳 7.0×
Special-mission aircraft 21 35 🇰🇷 1.7×
Trainers 375 232 🇮🇳 1.6×
UAVs 39 9 🇮🇳 4.3×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇳 IndiaDhruv ×287Su-30 Flanker-C ×258Mi-17 Hip-H ×222
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×166
Fleet evolution · India
Fleet evolution · South Korea
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Military strength Navies Armies Ranks & insignia
Change opponent
India vsChinaUnited StatesPakistanRussiaBangladesh
South Korea vsNorth KoreaUnited StatesChinaJapanPakistan

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, India or South Korea?
India has more military aircraft with 2,338 active aircraft compared to South Korea's 1,566, a difference of 772 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 987 compared to South Korea's 869.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, India or South Korea?
India has more transport aircraft with 328 compared to South Korea's 47.
Which country has more aircraft on order, India or South Korea?
India has 691 aircraft on order compared to South Korea's 389.