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

South Korea operates 1,576 active military aircraft vs 1,321 for Turkey.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 27.9
AIRS Index / 100

South Korea leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of Turkey TurkeyWorld #11 23.4
  • 387 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 283
  • 870 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 436
  • 47 Transportweight ×10 88
  • 34 Special missionweight ×8 23
  • 9 UAVsweight ×10 290
  • 229 Trainersweight ×1 201
South Korea Turkey 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 Turkey Ratio
Official name Republic of Korea Air Force Turkish Air Force
Active aircraft 1,576 1,321 🇰🇷 1.2×
Aircraft on order 392 290 🇰🇷 1.4×
Combat aircraft 387 283 🇰🇷 1.4×
Combat share of fleet 24.6 % 21.4 % 🇰🇷 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 38 33 🇰🇷 1.2×
Main supplier United States · 61 % United States · 55 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 870 436 🇰🇷 2.0×
Transport aircraft 47 88 🇹🇷 1.9×
Special-mission aircraft 34 23 🇰🇷 1.5×
Trainers 229 201 🇰🇷 1.1×
UAVs 9 290 🇹🇷 32×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×166
🇹🇷 TurkeyF-16 Fighting Falcon ×235UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×172UH-60 Black Hawk ×76
Fleet evolution · South Korea
Fleet evolution · Turkey
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, South Korea or Turkey?
South Korea has more military aircraft with 1,576 active aircraft compared to Turkey's 1,321, a difference of 255 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, South Korea or Turkey?
South Korea has more combat aircraft with 387 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Turkey's 283.
Which country has more military helicopters, South Korea or Turkey?
South Korea operates more military helicopters with 870 compared to Turkey's 436.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, South Korea or Turkey?
Turkey has more transport aircraft with 88 compared to South Korea's 47.
Which country has more aircraft on order, South Korea or Turkey?
South Korea has 392 aircraft on order compared to Turkey's 290.