Countries with the Most Military Aircraft

By Joyce Chepkemoi on December 14 2017 in World Facts

F-14 jet fighter.
F-14 jet fighter.

Military aircraft typically serve one of two purposes: combat or non-combat. Combat aircrafts are used for launching military attacks on enemies, while non-combat aircraft offer support services such as carrying arms, search and rescue, surveillance, and aerial refueling. The countries with the most aircraft are discussed below.

Countries with the Most Military Aircraft


The People’s Republic of China has 3,720 military aircraft, the most of any county in the world. The aircraft in China are categorized as bombers, fighters, airborne early warning and control (AEW), trainers, helicopters, reconnaissance, tankers, transport and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Each category has several active aircraft.

United States

The United States is a military powerhouse and has a total of 3,680 military aircraft, including fighter/attack aircraft, bomber aircraft, transport aircraft, special purpose, trainers, or helicopters. These aircraft are operated by the US Navy, Air Force, and Army.


The Indian Air Force has 2,086 active military aircraft. The country's aircraft include transport, training, helicopters, and fighters. More specifically, fighters include Sukhoi Su 30, MIG 29, LCA-Tejas, and Jaguar, among others. For transport, India has ten C17 Globemaster aircrafts that handle all the transportation. The C-130J Super Hercules aircraft are used for transport, as well as humanitarian and civilians rescue missions.


The Republic of Bangladesh has 166 military aircraft, including fighters, training, transport, and helicopters. Bangladesh's combat aircraft include the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Cgendo F-7, while its training fleet includes the Nachang PT-6 type, Hongdu K-8, Let L-140 Turbolet, among others. Transport aircraft include the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Antonov An-32.

Military Aircraft in Different Countries

Military aircraft are built mainly for military use, and are operated by a country's navy, army, or air force. The primary purpose of these aircrafts include attacking, training, surveillance, and supporting troops on the ground. The manufacturing of military aircraft is limited to either the military or a small number of private companies capable of their design and build. Advances in technology has enabled the aircraft to be made with high level technology. For example, unmanned aerial vehicles are operated from the ground and conduct surveillance of a target while instantly sending information back to data centers. The design of military aircraft have also improved since they were first used in World War I. The production of military aircraft is also on the rise since more countries have the need to secure their airspace and demonstrate military capabilities. Governments direct billions of dollars to the manufacturing of the aircrafts. Some of the countries which manufacture military aircraft are the United States, Russia, and France, among others.

Countries with the Most Military Aircraft

Rank﻿CountryMilitary Aircraft
1 People's Republic of China3,720
2 United States3,680
3 Russia3,547
4 India2,086
5 Pakistan923
6 Japan777
7 Republic of Korea587
8 Egypt569
9 Democratic People's Republic of Korea563
10 Republic of China485
11 Israel440
12 France395
13 Iran337
14 Turkey335
15 Saudi Arabia313
16 Brazil292
17 United Kingdom278
18 Syria277
19 Italy258
20 Germany245
21 Greece244
22 Ukraine203
23 United Arab Emirates175
24 Spain166
25 Bangladesh166

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