Current ranking of the various armed air services of the world provided by WDMMA.
The WDMMA annual ranking utilizes a formula which takes into account values related to total fighting strength of the various air services of the world. The formula produces the 'TrueValueRating' (TvR) helping to definitively separate each power based on - not only overall strength - but modernization, logistical support, attack and defense capabilities an so on. In this way, a power is not simply assessed on its total quantity of aircraft but rather its quality and general mix of inventory. TvR remains, however, a work-in-progress and is constantly revaluated as needed. Greater weight is given to categories generally overlooked by some powers, namely special-mission, dedicated bomber force, CAS, training, and on-order units. Beyond this is a focus on local aero-industry capabilities, inventory balance (general mix of unit types), and force experience.The highest attainable TvR score is 242.9 held by the United States Air Force (USAF). The USAF features a broad mix of aircraft types as well as balance strengthened by overall numbers (quantity). Many of its products are locally-sourced thanks to the U.S.'s massive industrial base. It also maintains dedicated strategic-level bombers, CAS aircraft, a sizeable helo and fighter force (of which many are multirole types), and hundreds of transport aircraft to reach anywhere in the world. Beyond this is a large training, tanker, and special-mission force. The service is also set to be reinforced in the near-future with hundreds of units still on-order.
The current WDMMA inventory consists of 103 countries tracked, 103 air services covered (this includes Army, Navy, and Marine branches of service where applicable), and 48,082 total aircraft followed.
1 TvR: 242.9 United States Air Force (5,189) 2 TvR: 142.4 United States Navy (2,626) 3 TvR: 114.2 Russian Air Force (3,652) 4 TvR: 112.6 United States Army Aviation (4,397) 5 TvR: 85.3 United States Marine Corps (1,211) 6 TvR: 69.4 Indian Air Force (1,645) 7 TvR: 63.8 People's Liberation Army Air Force (2,084) 8 TvR: 58.1 Japan Air Self-Defense Force (779) 9 TvR: 58.0 Israeli Air Force (581) 10 TvR: 56.3 French Air Force (501) 11 TvR: 55.3 British Royal Air Force (466) 12 TvR: 53.4 South Korean Air Force (890) 13 TvR: 51.9 Italian Air Force (506) 14 TvR: 51.7 Royal Australian Air Force (296) 15 TvR: 49.3 People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (436) 16 TvR: 48.3 Brazilian Air Force (527) 17 TvR: 46.4 Royal Saudi Air Force (702) 18 TvR: 46.3 Pakistan Air Force (818) 19 TvR: 46.2 German Air Force (394) 20 TvR: 45.9 French Navy Aviation (196) 21 TvR: 44.6 Turkish Air Force (618) 22 TvR: 44.0 Egyptian Air Force (1,122) 23 TvR: 43.6 Russian Naval Aviation (384) 24 TvR: 43.2 Algerian Air Force (541) 25 TvR: 42.4 People's Liberation Naval Air Force (436) 26 TvR: 41.6 Spanish Air Force (393) 27 TvR: 41.3 Royal Canadian Air Force (378) 28 TvR: 41.2 Indian Naval Aviation (232) 29 TvR: 40.0 Indonesian Air Force (254) 30 TvR: 38.6 Swedish Air Force (152) 31 TvR: 36.3 Ukrainian Air Force (271) 32 TvR: 33.1 United Arab Emirates Air Force (335) 33 TvR: 33.0 Republic of China Air Force (518) 34 TvR: 32.4 Turkish Army Aviation (392) 35 TvR: 32.1 Republic of Singapore Air Force (247) 36 TvR: 31.3 People's Liberation Army Ground Force (857) 37 TvR: 30.0 Indian Army Aviation (195) 38 TvR: 27.9 Chilean Air Force (207) 39 TvR: 27.4 Argentine Air Force (150) 40 TvR: 27.3 Royal Jordanian Air Force (278) 41 TvR: 27.1 Peruvian Air Force (187) 42 TvR: 27.0 Colombian Air Force (296) 45 TvR: 24.5 German Army Aviation (264) 43 TvR: 25.8 Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (343) 44 TvR: 24.8 Korean People's Army Air Force (North Korea) (951) 46 TvR: 24.3 Royal Norwegian Air Force (110) 47 TvR: 24.3 Republic of Korea Navy (South Korea) (77) 48 TvR: 24.2 Hellenic Air Force (372) 50 TvR: 24.0 Serbian Air Force (109) 51 TvR: 23.8 South African Air Force (228) 52 TvR: 23.2 Royal Thai Air Force (230) 53 TvR: 22.8 Polish Air Force (275) 54 TvR: 21.4 Spanish Army Aviation (95) 55 TvR: 21.1 Kazakh Air Defense Forces (235) 56 TvR: 20.8 Venezuelan Air Force (183) 57 TvR: 20.5 Australia Naval Aviation (44) 58 TvR: 20.2 Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (108) 59 TvR: 19.6 Italian Army Aviation (256) 60 TvR: 19.2 Philippine Air Force (169) 61 TvR: 0.0 Portuguese Air Force (104) 62 TvR: 18.9 Italian Navy (113) 63 TvR: 18.8 Royal Malaysian Air Force (176) 64 TvR: 18.7 Royal Netherlands Air Force (171) 65 TvR: 18.6 Royal Danish Air Force (115) 66 TvR: 18.4 Romanian Air Force (140) 67 TvR: 18.1 Swiss Air Force (174) 68 TvR: 18.0 Vietnamese People's Air Force (274) 69 TvR: 17.9 Nigerian Air Force (138) 70 TvR: 17.4 Royal Thai Army Aviation (284) 71 TvR: 16.8 Kuwait Air Force (87) 72 TvR: 16.4 Qatar Emiri Air Force (125) 73 TvR: 16.3 Kenya Air Force (150) 74 TvR: 16.2 Belarus Air Force (201) 75 TvR: 16.1 Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces (185) 76 TvR: 16.0 Royal Air Force of Oman (133) 77 TvR: 15.6 Belgian Air Component (124) 78 TvR: 15.5 Bulgarian Air Force (65) 79 TvR: 15.4 German Navy Aviation (56) 80 TvR: 14.4 Australian Army Aviation (107) 81 TvR: 14.3 Slovak Air Force (47) 82 TvR: 14.1 Bangladesh Air Force (173) 83 TvR: 14.0 Armenian Air Force (51) 84 TvR: 13.8 Austrian Air Force (102) 85 TvR: 12.6 Hungarian Air Force (48) 86 TvR: 12.5 Finnish Air Force (139) 87 TvR: 12.2 Azerbaijan Air Defence Force (149) 88 TvR: 11.4 Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation (78) 89 TvR: 11.2 Hellenic Army (217) 90 TvR: 10.4 Turkmen Air Force (101) 91 TvR: 9.8 Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Aviation (31) 92 TvR: 9.2 Bangladesh Army Aviation (13) 93 TvR: 9.0 Croatian Air Force (80) 94 TvR: 8.8 Ecuadorian Air Force (60) 95 TvR: 8.1 Ethiopian Air Force (82) 96 TvR: 7.6 Spanish Naval Aviation (55) 97 TvR: 7.4 Iraqi Air Force (189) 98 TvR: 6.9 Turkish Navy Aviation (45) 99 TvR: 6.7 Republic of China Army (201) 100 TvR: 6.6 Nagorno-Karabakh Army AF (12) 101 TvR: 5.8 Air Force Brigade of Bosnia and Herzegovina (19) 102 TvR: 5.5 Syrian Air Force (453) 103 TvR: 5.2 Yemen Arab Republic Air Force (169) 104 TvR: 5.0 Afghan Air Force (17) ©2024 www.WDMMA.org • Content ©2019-2024 WDMMA.org • All Rights Reserved. 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FAQs
The U.S. Air Force is the world's largest air force, followed by the U.S. Army Aviation Branch. The U.S. Naval Air Forces is the fourth-largest air arm in the world and is the largest naval aviation service, while U.S. Marine Corps Aviation is the world's seventh-largest air arm.
Is the US Navy the 2nd largest air force? ›
With roughly 5,300 aircraft, the United States Air Force is the largest air force in the world. With 3,700 aircraft, the United States Navy is the second largest air force in the world.
Which country has the best air force in the world? ›
The United States of America maintains the strongest Air Force in the world by an impressive margin. As of late 2021, the United States Air Force (USAF) is composed of 5217 active aircraft, making it the largest, the most technologically advanced, and the most powerful air fleet in the world.
How many F-35s does the U.S. have? ›
The F-35 aircraft is DOD's most advanced and costly weapon system. DOD currently has about 630 F-35s, plans to buy about 1,800 more, and intends to use them through 2088. We reported in this Q&A that DOD's projected costs to sustain the F-35 fleet keep increasing—from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to $1.58 trillion in 2023.
Which country has the best fighter jet in the world? ›
The newest and most advanced fighter jets are equipped with complex computer technology with communications links to process data. Russia's Sukhoi Su-30, Su-35, and Su-37 as well as China's Shenyang J-16 are based on the Su-27 platform developed with 4.5 generation capabilities.
What country has the most elite air force? ›
1: US. The US has the most military aircraft of any country in the world in 2023, Global Firepower said. The country has 13,300 military aircraft overall, which includes 1,914 fighter/interceptor aircraft, 5,584 helicopters, and 983 attack helicopters.
How big is the NATO air force? ›
NATO members collectively had approximately 22,308 military aircraft units in 2024, with 7,490 of these being non-combat helicopters. A further 3,275 units were fighter jets or interceptors.
Who has the most fighter jets? ›
United States. The United States has the most number of fighter aircraft in the world with a total of 1,854 jets.
Which country has the best pilots? ›
The U.S. Air Force is considered to be one of the most technologically advanced and powerful air forces in the world, and its pilots are highly trained and experienced. Other countries with strong air forces include Russia, China, and Israel.
What is air force 2025? ›
2025 is a study designed to comply with a directive from the chief of staff of the Air Force to examine the concepts, capabilities, and technologies the United States will require to remain the dominant air and space force in the future.
In recent years, Greek pilots have been achieving the highest distinction between crews from Nato countries in the school TLP (Tactical Leadership Program) of NATO in Spain. This year, pilot Vasilis Kalogeridis has been named NATO's best pilot according to a voting amongst his peers.
