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

South Korea's air force fields 1,576 active aircraft — 2.6:1 Israel's 600.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Israel IsraelWorld #9 24.9
AIRS Index / 100

South Korea leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 27.9
  • 346 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 387
  • 130 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 870
  • 15 Transportweight ×10 47
  • 34 Special missionweight ×8 34
  • 9 UAVsweight ×10 9
  • 66 Trainersweight ×1 229
Israel 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
Israel South Korea Ratio
Official name Israeli Air Force Republic of Korea Air Force
Active aircraft 600 1,576 🇰🇷 2.6×
Aircraft on order 126 392 🇰🇷 3.1×
Combat aircraft 346 387 🇰🇷 1.1×
Combat share of fleet 57.7 % 24.6 % 🇮🇱 2.3×
Aircraft types in service 20 38 🇰🇷 1.9×
Main supplier United States · 89 % United States · 61 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 130 870 🇰🇷 6.7×
Transport aircraft 15 47 🇰🇷 3.1×
Special-mission aircraft 34 34 —
Trainers 66 229 🇰🇷 3.5×
UAVs 9 9 —
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇱 IsraelF-16 Fighting Falcon ×122F-16I Sufa ×100F-15 Eagle ×51
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×166
Fleet evolution · Israel
Fleet evolution · South Korea
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Israel or South Korea?
South Korea has more military aircraft with 1,576 active aircraft compared to Israel's 600, a difference of 976 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Israel or South Korea?
South Korea has more combat aircraft with 387 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Israel's 346.
Which country has more military helicopters, Israel or South Korea?
South Korea operates more military helicopters with 870 compared to Israel's 130.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Israel or South Korea?
South Korea has more transport aircraft with 47 compared to Israel's 15.
How do the Israel and South Korea air forces compare in size?
South Korea's air force is 2.6 times larger than Israel's in terms of total active aircraft (1,576 vs 600).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Israel or South Korea?
South Korea has 392 aircraft on order compared to Israel's 126.