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

Iran operates 636 active military aircraft vs 1,131 for North Korea.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Iran IranWorld #30 14.8
AIRS Index / 100

North Korea leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #19 20.3
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · price 80
  • 295 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 571
  • 160 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 205
  • 81 Transportweight ×10 275
  • 12 Special missionweight ×8 0
  • 88 Trainersweight ×1 0
Iran North 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
Iran North Korea Ratio
Official name Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Korean People's Army Air Force
Active aircraft 636 1,131 🇰🇵 1.8×
Combat aircraft 295 571 🇰🇵 1.9×
Combat share of fleet 46.4 % 50.5 % 🇰🇵 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 36 20 🇮🇷 1.8×
Main supplier United States · 52 % Ex-USSR · 68 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Bombers 0 80 🇰🇵
Helicopters 160 205 🇰🇵 1.3×
Transport aircraft 81 275 🇰🇵 3.4×
Special-mission aircraft 12 0 🇮🇷
Trainers 88 0 🇮🇷
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇷 IranF-4 Phantom II ×63F-5E Tiger II ×44CH-47 Chinook ×35
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241MiG-19 Farmer ×97
Fleet evolution · Iran
Fleet evolution · North Korea
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Iran vsIsraelUnited StatesSaudi ArabiaIndonesiaQatar
North Korea vsSouth KoreaUnited StatesVietnamIndonesiaSingapore

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Iran or North Korea?
North Korea has more military aircraft with 1,131 active aircraft compared to Iran's 636, a difference of 495 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 295.
Which country has more military helicopters, Iran or North Korea?
North Korea operates more military helicopters with 205 compared to Iran's 160.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Iran or North Korea?
North Korea has more transport aircraft with 275 compared to Iran's 81.
How do the Iran and North Korea air forces compare in size?
North Korea's air force is 3.4 times larger than Iran's in terms of total active aircraft (275 vs 81).