 "Caption: Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-I. Image Credit: PIB")
The strength of the air force of a nation is a major testament to overall military preparedness, defence mechanism and attacking capabilities of a country. A powerful air force has a profound effect on national security and international relations fostered by a nation, and directly affects their position on global politics.
Thus, to expand their global dominance and maintain deterrence, countries globally are persistently advancing their aerial capabilities to retain a strategic advantage and cement their position as dominant air forces globally. To evaluate countries’ air force capabilities, GlobalFirepower 2025 has ranked countries based on their total number of aircraft fleets.
Here is the list of countries owning the maximum military aircraft fleets in 2025.
United States of America - 13,043 aircrafts
Russia - 4,292 aircrafts
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China - 3,309 aircrafts
India - 2,229 aircrafts
South Korea - 1,592 aircrafts
Japan - 1,443 aircrafts
Pakistan -1,399 aircrafts
Egypt -1,093 aircrafts
Turkey -1,083 aircrafts
France -976 aircrafts
US has most powerful air force
Leading with the most powerful air force globally is the United States Air Force, owing to its variety of cutting-edge aircraft like stealth fighters and strategic bombers, which are combined with advanced technology and extensive training programs. The United States massive and impressive air prowess overpowers combined aerial abilities of Russia, China, India, South Korea, and Japan, due to its possession of about 40 percent of global military expenditure.
It is followed by Russia with 4,292 military aircrafts, which are majorly owned by the Air Force, thus, advancing its air capabilities.
Third on the list is China with a total of 3,304 military aircrafts which include a great balance between the Air Force, Army, and Navy.
India has fourth largest air force
Meanwhile, India owns 2,296 military aircrafts, making it the fourth most powerful air force in the world. The Air Force, Army, and Navy all possess these aircraft.
This is followed by Japan with 1,459 military aircrafts, thus, being the fifth-largest air force. They are regarded as quite technologically-advanced.
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