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

Japan operates 1,301 active military aircraft vs 1,576 for South Korea.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Japan JapanWorld #5 28.6
AIRS Index / 100

Japan leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 27.9
  • 344 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 387
  • 430 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 870
  • 113 Transportweight ×10 47
  • 113 Special missionweight ×8 34
  • 2 UAVsweight ×10 9
  • 299 Trainersweight ×1 229
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 1,301 1,576 🇰🇷 1.2×
Aircraft on order 369 392 🇰🇷 1.1×
Combat aircraft 344 387 🇰🇷 1.1×
Combat share of fleet 26.4 % 24.6 % 🇯🇵 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 36 38 🇰🇷 1.1×
Main supplier United States · 64 % United States · 61 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 430 870 🇰🇷 2.0×
Transport aircraft 113 47 🇯🇵 2.4×
Special-mission aircraft 113 34 🇯🇵 3.3×
Trainers 299 229 🇯🇵 1.3×
UAVs 2 9 🇰🇷 4.5×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×200UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×93Mitsubishi F-2 ×90
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×166
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 1,576 active aircraft compared to Japan's 1,301, a difference of 275 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Japan or South Korea?
South Korea has more combat aircraft with 387 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 344.
Which country has more military helicopters, Japan or South Korea?
South Korea operates more military helicopters with 870 compared to Japan's 430.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Japan or South Korea?
Japan has more transport aircraft with 113 compared to South Korea's 47.
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or South Korea?
South Korea has 392 aircraft on order compared to Japan's 369.