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

North Korea operates 1,179 active military aircraft vs 730 for Taiwan.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #25 14.4
AIRS Index / 100

Taiwan leads on 5 of 7 categories

Roundel of Taiwan TaiwanWorld #14 22.5
  • 80 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 571 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 321
  • 253 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 239
  • 275 Transportweight ×10 26
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 18
  • 0 UAVsweight ×10 28
  • 0 Trainersweight ×1 98
North 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
North Korea Taiwan Ratio
Official name Korean People's Army Air Force Republic of China Air Force
Active aircraft 1,179 730 🇰🇵 1.6×
Aircraft on order 0 66 🇹🇼
Combat aircraft 571 321 🇰🇵 1.8×
Combat share of fleet 48.4 % 44.0 % 🇰🇵 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 21 22 🇹🇼 ≈
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 61 % United States · 62 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 80 0 🇰🇵
Helicopters 253 239 🇰🇵 1.1×
Transport aircraft 275 26 🇰🇵 11×
Special-mission aircraft 0 18 🇹🇼
Trainers 0 98 🇹🇼
UAVs 0 28 🇹🇼
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241J-6 Farmer ×97
🇹🇼 TaiwanF-16V Viper ×140F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo ×129AH-1W Super Cobra ×61
Fleet evolution · North Korea
Fleet evolution · Taiwan
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, North Korea or Taiwan?
North Korea has more military aircraft with 1,179 active aircraft compared to Taiwan's 730, a difference of 449 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, North Korea or Taiwan?
North Korea has more combat aircraft with 571 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Taiwan's 321.
Which country has more military helicopters, North Korea or Taiwan?
North Korea operates more military helicopters with 253 compared to Taiwan's 239.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, North Korea or Taiwan?
North Korea has more transport aircraft with 275 compared to Taiwan's 26.
How do the North Korea and Taiwan air forces compare in size?
North Korea's air force is 1.6 times larger than Taiwan's in terms of total active aircraft (1,179 vs 730).
Which country has more aircraft on order, North Korea or Taiwan?
Taiwan has 66 aircraft on order compared to North Korea's 0.