A recent report published on a GlobalfirePower.com site has ranked the world’s most powerful air forces based on their aircraft portfolio, including fighter jets, helicopters and support aircraft.
The United States were identified as the strongest Air Force globally, followed by Russia and China respectively in second and third place. India ranked like fourth, South Korea fifth and Japan sixth, with Pakistan securing the seventh place.
The report noted that the US Air Force is unmatched with a fleet that exceeds the combined air capacities in Russia, China, India, South Korea and Japan.
It drives 5,737 helicopters, 1,854 fighter jets and 3,722 supports aircraft with an annual budget of $ 800 billion, accounting for nearly 40% of global military spending.
Russia, with one -third of US air power, operates 1,554 helicopters, 809 fighter jets and 610 supports aircraft. However, it has suffered losses, with 220 aircraft destroyed since the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022.
China, ranked as third, has invested heavily in modernizing its air force and recently adding its sixth generation of fighter jets to its fleet. The country also works on supersonic aircraft. India, South Korea and Japan follow 2,296, 1,576 and 1,459 aircraft respectively.
Pakistan, ranked as seventh, operates 1,434 fighter jets, helicopters and support aircraft. Egypt, Turkey and France end the top ten with respective inventories of 1,080, 1,069 and 972 aircraft.
The report highlights the evolving landscape of air power, where countries such as China quickly promote their technological abilities, while others, such as Russia, face challenges in maintaining their fleets due to continuous conflicts.
