Air Forces comparison: Russia vs China
Russian Air Force 🇷🇺
| Official Name | Russian Air Force |
| Local Name | Военно-воздушные cилы (Voenno-vozdushnye sily) |
| Active aircraft | 4290 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 651 |
| Roundel |
|
People's Liberation Army Air Force 🇨🇳
| Official Name | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
| Local Name | 空军 (Kōngjūn) |
| Active aircraft | 3375 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 130 |
| Roundel |
|
Russian aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
Combat
|
1519 | |
Bomber
|
151 | |
Helicopter
|
1604 | |
Training
|
442 | |
Transport
|
512 | |
UAV
|
0 | |
Other
|
62 | |
Chinese aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
|
Combat
|
1936 | |
|
Bomber
|
0 | |
|
Helicopter
|
1019 | |
|
Training
|
16 | |
|
Transport
|
398 | |
|
UAV
|
0 | |
|
Other
|
6 | |
Evolution of Russian Air Force fleet
Evolution of Chinese Air Force fleet
Aircraft Types Radar Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more military aircraft, Russia or China?
Russia has more military aircraft with 4,290 active aircraft compared to China's 3,375, a difference of 915 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Russia or China?
China has more combat aircraft with 1,936 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Russia's 1,519.
Which country has more military helicopters, Russia or China?
Russia operates more military helicopters with 1,604 compared to China's 1,019.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Russia or China?
Russia has more transport aircraft with 512 compared to China's 398.
Which country has more aircraft on order, Russia or China?
Russia has 651 aircraft on order compared to China's 130.