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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Japan Japan vs Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia

Japan operates 1,301 active military aircraft vs 916 for Saudi Arabia.

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 6 categories

Roundel of Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaWorld #7 27.3
  • 344 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 384
  • 430 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 264
  • 113 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 113 Special missionweight ×8 66
  • 2 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 299 Trainersweight ×1 156
Japan Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia Ratio
Official name Japan Air Self-Defense Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Active aircraft 1,301 916 🇯🇵 1.4×
Aircraft on order 369 368 🇯🇵 ≈
Combat aircraft 344 384 🇸🇦 1.1×
Combat share of fleet 26.4 % 41.9 % 🇸🇦 1.6×
Aircraft types in service 36 29 🇯🇵 1.2×
Main supplier United States · 64 % United States · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 430 264 🇯🇵 1.6×
Transport aircraft 113 46 🇯🇵 2.5×
Special-mission aircraft 113 66 🇯🇵 1.7×
Trainers 299 156 🇯🇵 1.9×
UAVs 2 0 🇯🇵
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×200UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×93Mitsubishi F-2 ×90
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaF-15EX Eagle II ×83Tornado ×81F-15 Eagle ×80
Fleet evolution · Japan
Fleet evolution · Saudi Arabia
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Japan vsUnited StatesChinaSouth KoreaPakistanIndia
Saudi Arabia vsUnited StatesIranIsraelUnited Arab EmiratesTaiwan
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Saudi Arabia vs Egypt Air Forces

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
Japan has more military aircraft with 1,301 active aircraft compared to Saudi Arabia's 916, a difference of 385 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more combat aircraft with 384 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 344.
Which country has more military helicopters, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
Japan operates more military helicopters with 430 compared to Saudi Arabia's 264.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
Japan has more transport aircraft with 113 compared to Saudi Arabia's 46.
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
Japan has 369 aircraft on order compared to Saudi Arabia's 368.