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

Japan operates 1,410 active military aircraft vs 1,552 for South Korea.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Japan JapanWorld #5 29.2
AIRS Index / 100

Japan leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 28.5
  • 341 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 374
  • 533 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 856
  • 110 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 127 Special missionweight ×8 34
  • 3 UAVsweight ×10 9
  • 296 Trainersweight ×1 233
Japan 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
Japan South Korea Ratio
Official name Japan Air Self-Defense Force Republic of Korea Air Force
Active aircraft 1,410 1,552 🇰🇷 1.1×
Aircraft on order 343 410 🇰🇷 1.2×
Combat aircraft 341 374 🇰🇷 1.1×
Combat share of fleet 24.2 % 24.1 % 🇯🇵 ≈
Aircraft types in service 34 36 🇰🇷 1.1×
Main supplier United States · 67 % United States · 60 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 533 856 🇰🇷 1.6×
Transport aircraft 110 46 🇯🇵 2.4×
Special-mission aircraft 127 34 🇯🇵 3.7×
Trainers 296 233 🇯🇵 1.3×
UAVs 3 9 🇰🇷 3.0×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×199UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×114UH-60 Black Hawk ×101
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×167
Fleet evolution · Japan
Fleet evolution · South Korea
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Japan vsUnited StatesChinaIndiaPakistanTurkey
South Korea vsNorth KoreaUnited StatesIndiaPakistanChina

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Japan or South Korea?
South Korea has more military aircraft with 1,552 active aircraft compared to Japan's 1,410, a difference of 142 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Japan or South Korea?
South Korea has more combat aircraft with 374 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 341.
Which country has more military helicopters, Japan or South Korea?
South Korea operates more military helicopters with 856 compared to Japan's 533.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Japan or South Korea?
Japan has more transport aircraft with 110 compared to South Korea's 46.
How do the Japan and South Korea air forces compare in size?
Japan's air force is 2.4 times larger than South Korea's in terms of total active aircraft (110 vs 46).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or South Korea?
South Korea has 410 aircraft on order compared to Japan's 343.