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

North Korea's air force fields 1,179 active aircraft — 5.7:1 Vietnam's 207.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #23 14.4
AIRS Index / 100

North Korea leads on 4 of 5 categories

Roundel of Vietnam VietnamWorld #43 9.0
  • 80 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 571 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 70
  • 253 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 42
  • 275 Transportweight ×10 20
  • 0 Trainersweight ×1 75
North Korea Vietnam 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 Vietnam Ratio
Official name Korean People's Army Air Force Vietnam People's Air Force
Active aircraft 1,179 207 🇰🇵 5.7×
Combat aircraft 571 70 🇰🇵 8.2×
Combat share of fleet 48.4 % 33.8 % 🇰🇵 1.4×
Aircraft types in service 21 15 🇰🇵 1.4×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 70 % Ex-USSR · 57 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Bombers 80 0 🇰🇵
Helicopters 253 42 🇰🇵 6.0×
Transport aircraft 275 20 🇰🇵 14×
Trainers 0 75 🇻🇳
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241MiG-19 Farmer ×97
🇻🇳 VietnamSu-30 Flanker-C ×35Mi-8 Hip ×30Su-17 Fitter ×25
Fleet evolution · North Korea
Fleet evolution · Vietnam
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, North Korea or Vietnam?
North Korea has more military aircraft with 1,179 active aircraft compared to Vietnam's 207, a difference of 972 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, North Korea or Vietnam?
North Korea has more combat aircraft with 571 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Vietnam's 70.
Which country has more military helicopters, North Korea or Vietnam?
North Korea operates more military helicopters with 253 compared to Vietnam's 42.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, North Korea or Vietnam?
North Korea has more transport aircraft with 275 compared to Vietnam's 20.
How do the North Korea and Vietnam air forces compare in size?
North Korea's air force is 5.7 times larger than Vietnam's in terms of total active aircraft (1,179 vs 207).