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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Iran Iran vs Flag of North Korea North Korea

Iran operates 666 active military aircraft vs 1,179 for North Korea.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Iran IranWorld #30 12.8
AIRS Index / 100

North Korea leads overall, ahead on 3 of 7 categories

Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #25 14.4
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 80
  • 255 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 571
  • 168 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 253
  • 94 Transportweight ×10 275
  • 6 Special missionweight ×8 0
  • 23 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 120 Trainersweight ×1 0
Iran North 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
Iran North Korea Ratio
Official name Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Korean People's Army Air Force
Active aircraft 666 1,179 🇰🇵 1.8×
Combat aircraft 255 571 🇰🇵 2.2×
Combat share of fleet 38.3 % 48.4 % 🇰🇵 1.3×
Aircraft types in service 39 21 🇮🇷 1.9×
Main supplier United States · 53 % Ex-USSR · 61 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 80 🇰🇵
Helicopters 168 253 🇰🇵 1.5×
Transport aircraft 94 275 🇰🇵 2.9×
Special-mission aircraft 6 0 🇮🇷
Trainers 120 0 🇮🇷
UAVs 23 0 🇮🇷
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇷 IranF-4 Phantom II ×61F-5E Tiger II ×48CH-47 Chinook ×43
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241J-6 Farmer ×97
Fleet evolution · Iran
Fleet evolution · North Korea
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Military strength Navies Armies Ranks & insignia
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Iran vsIsraelUnited StatesSaudi ArabiaIndonesiaUnited Arab Emirates
North Korea vsSouth KoreaUnited StatesTaiwanVietnamSaudi Arabia

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Iran or North Korea?
North Korea has more military aircraft with 1,179 active aircraft compared to Iran's 666, a difference of 513 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Iran or North Korea?
North Korea has more combat aircraft with 571 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Iran's 255.
Which country has more military helicopters, Iran or North Korea?
North Korea operates more military helicopters with 253 compared to Iran's 168.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Iran or North Korea?
North Korea has more transport aircraft with 275 compared to Iran's 94.
How do the Iran and North Korea air forces compare in size?
North Korea's air force is 1.8 times larger than Iran's in terms of total active aircraft (1,179 vs 666).