Air Forces comparison: Japan vs Russia
Russia's air force fields 4,300 active aircraft — 3.1x Japan's 1,397. The breakdown includes 331 vs 1,524 combat aircraft, 0 vs 152 bombers, 533 vs 1,604 helicopters, 112 vs 515 transport aircraft, 296 vs 442 trainers (Japan vs Russia). Japan has 310 aircraft on order vs 677 for Russia. The Japan air force is officially the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, while Russia's is the Russian Air Force.
Japan Air Self-Defense Force 🇯🇵
| Official Name | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| Local Name | 空自 (Kūji) |
| Active aircraft | 1397 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 310 |
| Roundel |
|
Russian Air Force 🇷🇺
| Official Name | Russian Air Force |
| Local Name | Военно-воздушные cилы (Voenno-vozdushnye sily) |
| Active aircraft | 4300 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 677 |
| Roundel |
|
Japanese aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
Combat
|
331 | |
Bomber
|
0 | |
Helicopter
|
533 | |
Training
|
296 | |
Transport
|
112 | |
Other
|
125 | |
Russian aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
|
Combat
|
1524 | |
|
Bomber
|
152 | |
|
Helicopter
|
1604 | |
|
Training
|
442 | |
|
Transport
|
515 | |
|
Other
|
63 | |
Evolution of Japanese Air Force fleet
Evolution of Russian Air Force fleet
Aircraft Types Radar Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more military aircraft, Japan or Russia?
Russia has more military aircraft with 4,300 active aircraft compared to Japan's 1,397, a difference of 2,903 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Japan or Russia?
Russia has more combat aircraft with 1,524 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 331.
Which country has more military helicopters, Japan or Russia?
Russia operates more military helicopters with 1,604 compared to Japan's 533.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Japan or Russia?
Russia has more transport aircraft with 515 compared to Japan's 112.
How do the Japan and Russia air forces compare in size?
Russia's air force is 4.6 times larger than Japan's in terms of total active aircraft (515 vs 112).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or Russia?
Russia has 677 aircraft on order compared to Japan's 310.