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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Japan Japan vs Flag of Russia Russia

Russia's air force fields 5,303 active aircraft — 4.1:1 Japan's 1,301.

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

Russia leads on 6 of 7 categories

Roundel of Russia RussiaWorld #3 51.5
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 116
  • 344 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 1,474
  • 430 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 1,584
  • 113 Transportweight ×10 506
  • 113 Special missionweight ×8 108
  • 2 UAVsweight ×10 1,074
  • 299 Trainersweight ×1 441
Japan Russia 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 Russia Ratio
Official name Japan Air Self-Defense Force Russian Air Force
Active aircraft 1,301 5,303 🇷🇺 4.1×
Aircraft on order 369 405 🇷🇺 1.1×
Combat aircraft 344 1,474 🇷🇺 4.3×
Combat share of fleet 26.4 % 27.8 % 🇷🇺 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 36 56 🇷🇺 1.6×
Main supplier United States · 64 % Ex-USSR · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 116 🇷🇺
Helicopters 430 1,584 🇷🇺 3.7×
Transport aircraft 113 506 🇷🇺 4.5×
Special-mission aircraft 113 108 🇯🇵 ≈
Trainers 299 441 🇷🇺 1.5×
UAVs 2 1,074 🇷🇺 537×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×200UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×93Mitsubishi F-2 ×90
🇷🇺 RussiaMi-8 Hip ×779Mi-24 Hind ×324Su-24 Fencer ×294
Fleet evolution · Japan
Fleet evolution · Russia
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Japan or Russia?
Russia has more military aircraft with 5,303 active aircraft compared to Japan's 1,301, a difference of 4,002 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Japan or Russia?
Russia has more combat aircraft with 1,474 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 344.
Which country has more military helicopters, Japan or Russia?
Russia operates more military helicopters with 1,584 compared to Japan's 430.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Japan or Russia?
Russia has more transport aircraft with 506 compared to Japan's 113.
How do the Japan and Russia air forces compare in size?
Russia's air force is 4.1 times larger than Japan's in terms of total active aircraft (5,303 vs 1,301).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or Russia?
Russia has 405 aircraft on order compared to Japan's 369.