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Air Forces comparison: Flag of South Korea South Korea vs Flag of Russia Russia

Russia's air force fields 5,311 active aircraft — 3.4:1 South Korea's 1,566.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 28.2
AIRS Index / 100

Russia leads on 7 of 7 categories

Roundel of Russia RussiaWorld #3 51.7
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 116
  • 374 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 1,480
  • 869 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 1,586
  • 47 Transportweight ×10 518
  • 35 Special missionweight ×8 96
  • 9 UAVsweight ×10 1,074
  • 232 Trainersweight ×1 441
South Korea 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
South Korea Russia Ratio
Official name Republic of Korea Air Force Russian Air Force
Active aircraft 1,566 5,311 🇷🇺 3.4×
Aircraft on order 389 605 🇷🇺 1.6×
Combat aircraft 374 1,480 🇷🇺 4.0×
Combat share of fleet 23.9 % 27.9 % 🇷🇺 1.2×
Aircraft types in service 39 55 🇷🇺 1.4×
Main supplier United States · 61 % Ex-USSR · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 116 🇷🇺
Helicopters 869 1,586 🇷🇺 1.8×
Transport aircraft 47 518 🇷🇺 11×
Special-mission aircraft 35 96 🇷🇺 2.7×
Trainers 232 441 🇷🇺 1.9×
UAVs 9 1,074 🇷🇺 119×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×166
🇷🇺 RussiaMi-8 Hip ×781Mi-24 Hind ×324Su-24 Fencer ×294
Fleet evolution · South Korea
Fleet evolution · Russia
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, South Korea or Russia?
Russia has more military aircraft with 5,311 active aircraft compared to South Korea's 1,566, a difference of 3,745 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, South Korea or Russia?
Russia has more combat aircraft with 1,480 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Korea's 374.
Which country has more military helicopters, South Korea or Russia?
Russia operates more military helicopters with 1,586 compared to South Korea's 869.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, South Korea or Russia?
Russia has more transport aircraft with 518 compared to South Korea's 47.
How do the South Korea and Russia air forces compare in size?
Russia's air force is 11.0 times larger than South Korea's in terms of total active aircraft (518 vs 47).
Which country has more aircraft on order, South Korea or Russia?
Russia has 605 aircraft on order compared to South Korea's 389.