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Air Forces comparison: Flag of China China vs Flag of North Korea North Korea

China's air force fields 3,921 active aircraft — 3.5:1 North Korea's 1,131.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of China ChinaWorld #2 53.0
AIRS Index / 100

China leads on 7 of 7 categories

Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #19 20.1
  • 234 Bombersweight ×100 · price 80
  • 2,043 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 571
  • 1,019 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 205
  • 380 Transportweight ×10 275
  • 39 Special missionweight ×8 0
  • 190 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 16 Trainersweight ×1 0
China North Korea Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by unit price, helicopters by era) · figures: active airframes at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
China North Korea Ratio
Official name People's Liberation Army Air Force Korean People's Army Air Force
Active aircraft 3,921 1,131 🇨🇳 3.5×
Aircraft on order 130 0 🇨🇳
Combat aircraft 2,043 571 🇨🇳 3.6×
Combat share of fleet 52.1 % 50.5 % 🇨🇳 ≈
Aircraft types in service 48 20 🇨🇳 2.4×
Main supplier China · 86 % Ex-USSR · 68 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 234 80 🇨🇳 2.9×
Helicopters 1,019 205 🇨🇳 5.0×
Transport aircraft 380 275 🇨🇳 1.4×
Special-mission aircraft 39 0 🇨🇳
Trainers 16 0 🇨🇳
UAVs 190 0 🇨🇳
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-7 Fishcan ×417J-11 Responsive Dragon ×365J-20 Mighty Dragon ×300
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241MiG-19 Farmer ×97
Fleet evolution · China
Fleet evolution · North Korea
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, China or North Korea?
China has more military aircraft with 3,921 active aircraft compared to North Korea's 1,131, a difference of 2,790 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, China or North Korea?
China has more combat aircraft with 2,043 fighters and attack aircraft compared to North Korea's 571.
Which country has more military helicopters, China or North Korea?
China operates more military helicopters with 1,019 compared to North Korea's 205.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, China or North Korea?
China has more transport aircraft with 380 compared to North Korea's 275.
Which country has more aircraft on order, China or North Korea?
China has 130 aircraft on order compared to North Korea's 0.