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

Japan operates 1,301 active military aircraft vs 1,179 for North 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 5 of 7 categories

Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #25 14.4
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 80
  • 344 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 571
  • 430 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 253
  • 113 Transportweight ×10 275
  • 113 Special missionweight ×8 0
  • 2 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 299 Trainersweight ×1 0
Japan 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
Japan North Korea Ratio
Official name Japan Air Self-Defense Force Korean People's Army Air Force
Active aircraft 1,301 1,179 🇯🇵 1.1×
Aircraft on order 369 0 🇯🇵
Combat aircraft 344 571 🇰🇵 1.7×
Combat share of fleet 26.4 % 48.4 % 🇰🇵 1.8×
Aircraft types in service 36 21 🇯🇵 1.7×
Main supplier United States · 64 % Ex-USSR · 61 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 80 🇰🇵
Helicopters 430 253 🇯🇵 1.7×
Transport aircraft 113 275 🇰🇵 2.4×
Special-mission aircraft 113 0 🇯🇵
Trainers 299 0 🇯🇵
UAVs 2 0 🇯🇵
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×200UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×93Mitsubishi F-2 ×90
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241J-6 Farmer ×97
Fleet evolution · Japan
Fleet evolution · North Korea
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Japan or North Korea?
Japan has more military aircraft with 1,301 active aircraft compared to North Korea's 1,179, a difference of 122 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Japan or North Korea?
North Korea has more combat aircraft with 571 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 344.
Which country has more military helicopters, Japan or North Korea?
Japan operates more military helicopters with 430 compared to North Korea's 253.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Japan or North Korea?
North Korea has more transport aircraft with 275 compared to Japan's 113.
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or North Korea?
Japan has 369 aircraft on order compared to North Korea's 0.