Ahead of DSEI 2025: The 5 nations with the world’s largest combat aircraft fleets
August 26, 2025
Ahead of DSEI 2025, the world’s largest defence and security exhibition, AGN takes a closer look at the combat aircraft fleets that define today’s balance of power.
FlightGlobal’s latest World Air Forces Directory shows more than 52,000 military aircraft in service worldwide, including 14,447 frontline combat jets, the sharp end of global air power. These are the five nations with the largest combat aircraft fleets, revealing not just raw numbers but the strategies and ambitions behind them.
The big five countries with the most combat aircraft
Five countries dominate the skies by virtue of fleet size and capability: the United States, China, Russia, India and North Korea. Together, they hold well over half of the world’s combat jets, ranging from ageing legacy fighters to advanced 5th-generation stealth platforms.
The United States: 1,000 more combat aircraft than any other nation
Total combat aircraft: 2,679
- F-16 Fighting Falcon: 742 (including 34 with the US Navy)
- F-15 (C/D and E): 351 active, 100 on order
- F-35A (USAF): 246 active, 351 on order
- F-35B/C (USMC): 122 active, 164 on order
- F-35C (US Navy): 41 active, 193 on order
- A-10C Thunderbolt II: 234 active
- B-52H bomber: 72 active
- B-21 Raider: 100 on order
The US fleet dwarfs others not only in size but in mission breadth, covering air superiority, strike, strategic bombing, electronic warfare and global reach. Orders for the B-21 and hundreds more F-35s ensure its dominance continues.
China: 40% fewer combat aircraft than the US, but catching up fast
Total combat aircraft: 1,583
- H-6 bomber: 150 (120 PLAAF, 30 PLANAF)
- J-7: 417 (387 PLAAF, 30 PLANAF)
- J-8 interceptor: 143 (96 PLAAF, 47 PLANAF)
- J-11/16/Su-27/30/35: 319 active
- J-10 multirole: 268 (243 PLAAF, 25 PLANAF)
- Q-5 ground-attack: 118 active
China fields a mix of older but numerous aircraft, such as the J-7 and J-8, alongside newer indigenous types. Its fleet reflects a force in transition, closing the technological gap with Western powers.
Russia: Legacy power with a modern punch
Total combat aircraft: 1,522
- MiG-29/35: 236 active
- Su-27/30/35: 364 (plus 43 in naval aviation, 15 on order)
- Su-24: 260 (36 naval)
- Su-25: 132 active
- Su-34: 142 (including 36 naval)
- MiG-31: 128 active
Russia retains a diverse fleet suited to varied conditions, with modernised Su-35s and Su-34s complementing rugged legacy platforms. Naval aviation provides a limited but strategic capability.
India: Regional power in rapid growth
Total combat aircraft: 643
- Su-30MKI: 265 active
- Jaguar M/S strike: 130 active
- HAL Tejas: 31 active, 180 on order
- MiG-29: 65 (Air Force), 36 MiG-29K (Navy)
- Mirage 2000H: 44 active
- Rafale: 36 (Air Force), 25 on order (Navy)
India’s mix of imported and indigenous aircraft reflects both regional security needs and an ambition for greater self-reliance. The Rafale and Tejas programmes are reshaping its future force.
North Korea: A defensive shield of combat aircraft
Total combat aircraft: 482
North Korean MiG-23ML 'Flogger-G'
— Eastern Order of Battle (@EasternOrbat) July 28, 2024
The USSR delivered of about 60 second hand MiG-23 'Flogger's to North Korea during 1985-1986. The silver color that the customer originally used for the MiG-23s was unusual. In the 10s, the Korean MiG-23s received a modern camouflage pattern. pic.twitter.com/hfA7LXoOJe
- F-5 (Shenyang variant): 106 active
- F-6: 97 active
- H-5 bomber: 80 active
- MiG-23: 56 active
- MiG-29: 35 active
- MiG-21: 26 active
- Su-7: 18 active
- Su-25: 34 active
Though dated, North Korea’s fleet provides a sizeable deterrent in a volatile region. Its emphasis remains on numerical strength and defensive posture.
The regional share of combat aircraft
Looking at the regional picture, around a third of the world’s combat aircraft are based in the Asia Pacific region. Despite the huge might of the US Air Force and Navy aircraft fleets, as a region, North America flies just over half as many combat aircraft.
- Asia-Pacific: 4,750 combat jets, led by China, India, North Korea, South Korea and Japan
- North America: 2,745, overwhelmingly dominated by the US
- Europe: 1,916, mostly with the German Luftwaffe and UK RAF, although France, Italy and Poland have significant fleets too
- Russia/CIS: 1,816, with Russia holding the bulk
- Middle East: 1,611, driven by expanding fleets at regional powerhouses such as the UAE and Qatar
- Africa: 948, led by Egypt but with growing multirole fleets elsewhere too, particularly in Algeria
- Latin America: 361, mostly in Brazil, although other countries are growing and modernising fleets
The most popular combat aircraft in the world
Despite first flying in the 1970s, the F-16 Fighting Falcon remains the world’s most widely operated combat aircraft, a testament to its versatility and enduring design. Alongside the Falcon, families such as Russia’s Su-27/30 series and the US Navy’s F/A-18 continue to dominate global inventories, even as newer stealth fighters gain ground.
- F-16 Fighting Falcon: 2,084 active, the most numerous globally
- Su-27/30 family: 1,284 active, Russia’s core air combat force
- F/A-18 Hornet: 827 active, mainly US Navy and allies
- Mirage 2000 and MiG-29: still prominent worldwide
- F-35 Lightning II: more than 700 active and rising fast
Behind the statistics are pilots, engineers and strategists shaping air power as a tool of pride, deterrence and diplomacy. Each order or upgrade reflects how a nation sees its role in the world.
FlightGlobal’s 2025 directory shows skies contested by giants old and new. The US leads in scale and technology, China is rapidly innovating, Russia blends legacy with upgrades, India pursues mixed growth, and North Korea maintains a defensive wall.
As stealth fighters like the F-35 and new designs such as South Korea’s KF-21 enter service, the contest for air dominance will remain a defining element of global security for decades ahead.
