Air Forces comparison: 
Cambodia vs 
Laos
Cambodia operates 25 active military aircraft vs 32 for Laos.
AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Cambodia
Laos
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
| Cambodia | Laos | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Royal Cambodian Air Force | Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force | |
| Active aircraft | 25 | 32 | 🇱🇦 1.3× |
| Aircraft on order | 0 | 6 | 🇱🇦 |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 4 | 🇱🇦 |
| Combat share of fleet | 0.0 % | 12.5 % | 🇱🇦 |
| Aircraft types in service | 7 | 6 | 🇰🇭 1.2× |
| Main supplier | Ex-USSR · 48 % | Ex-USSR · 66 % |
Show full breakdown · 3 more rowsHide the 3 extra rows
| Helicopters | 21 | 23 | 🇱🇦 1.1× |
| Transport aircraft | 4 | 2 | 🇰🇭 2.0× |
| Trainers | 0 | 3 | 🇱🇦 |
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
Fleet evolution · Cambodia
Fleet evolution · Laos
Analyst Assessment
Run the wargame simulation →Verdict
Edge: Laos
Laos holds a narrow overall edge: it is the only one of the two with combat-capable aircraft (4 JL-8) plus 3 Yak-130 in service and 6 more on order, giving it a rudimentary strike and lead-in fighter capability Cambodia entirely lacks. Cambodia's slightly better composite score (3.3 vs 3.0) reflects a marginally more varied support fleet, but both remain rotary-centric constabulary air arms of roughly 25-32 aircraft with no true fighter, ISR or air-defence suppression capacity.
Domain by domain
Fighter & multirole fleet
Edge: Laos
🇰🇭 CambodiaNo combat aircraft at all: 0 of 25 airframes are armed types. The Royal Cambodian Air Force is a transport and utility service with no air-to-air or air-to-ground capability of any kind.
🇱🇦 LaosFour JL-8 (K-8) light attack/advanced trainers, 12 percent of a 32-aircraft fleet. Subsonic, light ordnance only, no radar-guided missiles, but a genuine if minimal armed capability.
Helicopters & rotary lift
Edge: Laos
🇰🇭 Cambodia21 helicopters, roughly 84 percent of the fleet: 10 Mi-8 Hip, 9 Z-9 Haitun, plus single AW109 and H125M/AS550 Fennec. Broader type mix, but the Mi-8 line is elderly and ex-Soviet supported.
🇱🇦 Laos23 helicopters led by 17 Mi-17 Hip-H, a newer and more capable Mi-8 derivative, with 4 Z-9 and 2 Ka-27 Helix. Larger and more homogeneous medium-lift core, simpler to sustain.
Transport & airlift
Edge: Cambodia
🇰🇭 CambodiaFour fixed-wing transports: 2 An-26 Curl, 1 BN-2B Defender, 1 Y-12. Modest tactical lift plus light utility and coastal patrol capacity across a compact national area.
🇱🇦 LaosTwo An-26 Curl only. Minimal fixed-wing lift for a landlocked, mountainous country where road access is limited and rotary assets carry most of the internal movement burden.
Training & readiness
Edge: Laos
🇰🇭 CambodiaNo dedicated trainers in inventory; aircrew conversion depends on operational types and foreign courses. Seven types across 25 airframes complicates currency in a small pilot cadre.
🇱🇦 Laos3 Yak-130 Mitten in service form a proper lead-in fighter training path feeding the JL-8s, a structured pipeline Cambodia does not maintain.
Procurement pipeline & industry
Edge: Laos
🇰🇭 CambodiaNothing on order. Fleet renewal is opportunistic, mixing Chinese (Z-9, Y-12), Russian and Western light types; ex-USSR sources still account for 48 percent.
🇱🇦 LaosSix additional Yak-130 on order would triple the trainer/light-strike force and nearly double armed airframes. 66 percent ex-USSR dependence concentrates sustainment risk.
Wildcards
- Sustainment and spares access Both fleets lean on ex-Soviet airframes, Laos more heavily at 66 percent. Continued Mi-8/Mi-17 and An-26 availability depends on third-party overhaul channels; Cambodia's larger Chinese content offers an alternative but fragments its logistics.
- Geography shapes utility Landlocked, mountainous Laos derives outsized value from its 17 Mi-17s for internal mobility. Cambodia's compact terrain and coastline favor light fixed-wing patrol, reflected in its BN-2B Defender and Y-12.
- Supplier relationships Chinese-supplied JL-8 and Z-9 types in both fleets, and Russian Yak-130 deliveries to Laos, tie future capability to external training and support packages rather than domestic industry, which neither country possesses.
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Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more military aircraft, Cambodia or Laos?
Laos has more military aircraft with 32 active aircraft compared to Cambodia's 25, a difference of 7 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Cambodia or Laos?
Laos has more combat aircraft with 4 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Cambodia's 0.
Which country has more military helicopters, Cambodia or Laos?
Laos operates more military helicopters with 23 compared to Cambodia's 21.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Cambodia or Laos?
Cambodia has more transport aircraft with 4 compared to Laos's 2.
How do the Cambodia and Laos air forces compare in size?
Cambodia's air force is 2.0 times larger than Laos's in terms of total active aircraft (4 vs 2).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Cambodia or Laos?
Laos has 6 aircraft on order compared to Cambodia's 0.