GlobalMilitary.net Open-source military intelligence Updated daily
Head-to-head

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

Russia's air force fields 5,378 active aircraft — 3.8:1 Japan's 1,410.

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

Russia leads on 6 of 7 categories

Roundel of Russia RussiaWorld #3 53.2
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 120
  • 341 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 1,524
  • 533 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 1,604
  • 110 Transportweight ×10 514
  • 127 Special missionweight ×8 96
  • 3 UAVsweight ×10 1,078
  • 296 Trainersweight ×1 442
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 1,410 5,378 🇷🇺 3.8×
Aircraft on order 343 677 🇷🇺 2.0×
Combat aircraft 341 1,524 🇷🇺 4.5×
Combat share of fleet 24.2 % 28.3 % 🇷🇺 1.2×
Aircraft types in service 34 52 🇷🇺 1.5×
Main supplier United States · 67 % Ex-USSR · 62 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 120 🇷🇺
Helicopters 533 1,604 🇷🇺 3.0×
Transport aircraft 110 514 🇷🇺 4.7×
Special-mission aircraft 127 96 🇯🇵 1.3×
Trainers 296 442 🇷🇺 1.5×
UAVs 3 1,078 🇷🇺 359×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×199UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×114UH-60 Black Hawk ×101
🇷🇺 RussiaMi-8 Hip ×789Su-27 Flanker ×468Mi-24 Hind ×325
Fleet evolution · Japan
Fleet evolution · Russia
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Military strength Navies Armies Ranks & insignia
Change opponent
Japan vsUnited StatesChinaSouth KoreaPakistanIndia
Russia vsUkraineUnited StatesChinaPolandFinland
Related comparisons
Russia vs India Air Forces

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Japan or Russia?
Russia has more military aircraft with 5,378 active aircraft compared to Japan's 1,410, a difference of 3,968 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 341.
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 514 compared to Japan's 110.
How do the Japan and Russia air forces compare in size?
Russia's air force is 4.7 times larger than Japan's in terms of total active aircraft (514 vs 110).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or Russia?
Russia has 677 aircraft on order compared to Japan's 343.