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

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

South Korea's air force fields 1,576 active aircraft — 2.2:1 Taiwan's 730.

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 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of Taiwan TaiwanWorld #14 22.5
  • 387 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 321
  • 870 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 239
  • 47 Transportweight ×10 26
  • 34 Special missionweight ×8 18
  • 9 UAVsweight ×10 28
  • 229 Trainersweight ×1 98
South Korea Taiwan 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 Taiwan Ratio
Official name Republic of Korea Air Force Republic of China Air Force
Active aircraft 1,576 730 🇰🇷 2.2×
Aircraft on order 392 66 🇰🇷 5.9×
Combat aircraft 387 321 🇰🇷 1.2×
Combat share of fleet 24.6 % 44.0 % 🇹🇼 1.8×
Aircraft types in service 38 22 🇰🇷 1.7×
Main supplier United States · 61 % United States · 62 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 870 239 🇰🇷 3.6×
Transport aircraft 47 26 🇰🇷 1.8×
Special-mission aircraft 34 18 🇰🇷 1.9×
Trainers 229 98 🇰🇷 2.3×
UAVs 9 28 🇹🇼 3.1×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×166
🇹🇼 TaiwanF-16V Viper ×140F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo ×129AH-1W Super Cobra ×61
Fleet evolution · South Korea
Fleet evolution · Taiwan
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Military strength Navies Armies Ranks & insignia
Change opponent
South Korea vsNorth KoreaUnited StatesIndiaJapanChina
Taiwan vsChinaUnited StatesSaudi ArabiaNorth KoreaIsrael

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, South Korea or Taiwan?
South Korea has more military aircraft with 1,576 active aircraft compared to Taiwan's 730, a difference of 846 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, South Korea or Taiwan?
South Korea has more combat aircraft with 387 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Taiwan's 321.
Which country has more military helicopters, South Korea or Taiwan?
South Korea operates more military helicopters with 870 compared to Taiwan's 239.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, South Korea or Taiwan?
South Korea has more transport aircraft with 47 compared to Taiwan's 26.
How do the South Korea and Taiwan air forces compare in size?
South Korea's air force is 2.2 times larger than Taiwan's in terms of total active aircraft (1,576 vs 730).
Which country has more aircraft on order, South Korea or Taiwan?
South Korea has 392 aircraft on order compared to Taiwan's 66.