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

Japan operates 1,400 active military aircraft vs 1,131 for North Korea.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Japan JapanWorld #9 28.3
AIRS Index / 100

Japan leads on 5 of 7 categories

Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #19 20.1
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · price 80
  • 331 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 571
  • 533 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 205
  • 110 Transportweight ×10 275
  • 127 Special missionweight ×8 0
  • 3 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 296 Trainersweight ×1 0
Japan 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
Japan North Korea Ratio
Official name Japan Air Self-Defense Force Korean People's Army Air Force
Active aircraft 1,400 1,131 🇯🇵 1.2×
Aircraft on order 353 0 🇯🇵
Combat aircraft 331 571 🇰🇵 1.7×
Combat share of fleet 23.6 % 50.5 % 🇰🇵 2.1×
Aircraft types in service 32 20 🇯🇵 1.6×
Main supplier United States · 67 % Ex-USSR · 68 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 80 🇰🇵
Helicopters 533 205 🇯🇵 2.6×
Transport aircraft 110 275 🇰🇵 2.5×
Special-mission aircraft 127 0 🇯🇵
Trainers 296 0 🇯🇵
UAVs 3 0 🇯🇵
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanF-15 Eagle ×199UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×140UH-60 Black Hawk ×101
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241MiG-19 Farmer ×97
Fleet evolution · Japan
Fleet evolution · North Korea
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Japan or North Korea?
Japan has more military aircraft with 1,400 active aircraft compared to North Korea's 1,131, a difference of 269 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Japan or North Korea?
North Korea has more combat aircraft with 571 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Japan's 331.
Which country has more military helicopters, Japan or North Korea?
Japan operates more military helicopters with 533 compared to North Korea's 205.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Japan or North Korea?
North Korea has more transport aircraft with 275 compared to Japan's 110.
How do the Japan and North Korea air forces compare in size?
North Korea's air force is 2.5 times larger than Japan's in terms of total active aircraft (275 vs 110).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Japan or North Korea?
Japan has 353 aircraft on order compared to North Korea's 0.