- Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on the size of their air force fleets.
- Some countries overperformed, or underperformed, compared to their overall military strength.
- See below for the world's 25 strongest air forces in 2023.
Global Firepower's ranking of the world's militaries in 2023 also ranked 145 countries by the strength of their air forces.
The ranking looks at how many helicopters, fighter jets, interceptors, bombers, transport jets, and other types of aircraft each country's air force has in its arsenal.
Some countries found themselves in vastly different positions on the list compared to their place on Global Firepower's overall military strength ranking for the year.
Here's how the top 25 countries rank:
Mexico has 468 military aircraft, according to Global Firepower, putting it in 25th position in the air force ranking.
Its arsenal includes 158 helicopters and three fighter/interceptor jets, but no attack helicopters or aerial tanker aircraft.
Thailand's 488 military aircraft include 73 fighter/interceptor jets, 18 attack aircraft, and seven attack helicopters, according to Global Firepower, giving it the 24th largest fleet in the world.
The country also has 101 airports, though this only places it 52nd in the world in this category.
Spain has 140 fighter/interceptor aircraft and 15 special-mission aircraft among its total fleet of 517 military aircraft, Global Firepower said.
It also has 126 helicopters.
Iran has 541 military aircraft, including 196 fighter/interceptor jets and 94 trainer aircraft, Global Firepower said. Its fighter fleet is the 16th largest in the world.
Meanwhile, its seven aerial tanker aircraft place it seventh in the world in that category.
The country also has 319 airports, the 21st highest total.
Almost half of Algeria's 547 military aircraft are helicopters. The country has a total of 273 helicopters, including 50 attack helicopters, compared to its 90 fighter planes.
Meanwhile, its 60 transport aircraft place it 11th in the world in that category.
The United Arab Emirates has 565 military aircraft as of 2023, including 222 helicopters and 99 fighter/interceptor aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
Its special-mission aircraft fleet is the 12th largest in the world, with 25 planes.
Israel has 601 military aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
This includes 241 fighter/interceptor aircraft and 153 trainer aircraft, as well as 11 aerial tanker planes, the fourth highest in the world in this category.
Germany ranks seventh in the world for its number of special-mission aircraft, at 37.
Its fleet of 601 military aircraft also includes 134 fighter/interceptor aircraft and 287 helicopters, among which are 55 attack helicopters.
It also has 539 airports, the 11th highest numner in the world, Global Firepower said.
It may surprise you to find Greece above Germany on this list.
As of 2023, Greece had 635 military aircraft, according to Global Firepower, including 193 fighter/interceptor aircraft.
But it has no dedicated attack aircraft, and also no aerial tanker planes.
The UK has a fleet of 663 military aircraft, placing it 16th in the world as an air power, according to Global Firepower. This includes 233 helicopters and 119 fighter/interceptor aircraft, as well as 42 fixed-wing transport planes.
But overall the UK ranked fifth in terms of total military power, highlighting how the size of its air force pales in comparison to other areas of its military.
Brazil has 171 helicopters, but no attack helicopters, according to Global Firepower.
Its 665 military aircraft include 209 trainer aircraft. It also has 4,093 airports, the second-highest number in the world.
Taiwan has 737 military aircraft, including 285 fighter/interceptor aircraft and 207 helicopters, Global Firepower said.
But it has no dedicated attack aircraft and no aerial tanker aircraft.
Italy has 850 military aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
It has 84 dedicated attack aircraft and 404 helicopters, which means it ranks ninth in the world in both categories.
It also has two aircraft carriers, which means it has the second-highest number in the world alongside India, China, and the UK, but far behind the US.
Saudi Arabia's 22 aerial tanker aircraft place it second in the world in that category, according to Global Firepower.
Overall, its fleet of 897 military aircraft, which includes 258 helicopters and 34 attack helicopters, ranks 12th in size.
North Korea has 458 fighter/interceptor aircraft as of 2023, the fifth-highest number in the world, according to Global Firepower.
It also has 205 helicopters, of which 20 are attack helicopters, as well as one fixed-wing transport plane.
But its fleet of 947 military aircraft includes no special-mission aircraft and no aerial tankers.
France ranked in the top 10 air force powers in 2023, with 1,004 military aircraft, Global Firepower said.
It has 226 fighter/interceptor aircraft and 438 helicopters, but no dedicated attack aircraft.
The country also has 114 fixed-wing transporters, a tanker fleet of 19, and one aircraft carrier, as well as three helicopter carriers.
Turkey has 110 attack helicopters and 205 fighter/interceptor aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
But its fleet of 1,065 military aircraft includes no dedicated attack aircraft.
Egypt has 1,069 military aircraft, including 245 fighters/interceptors and 341 trainer aircraft, Global Firepower said.
The country also has two helicopter carriers, to go alongside its 92 attack helicopters, the seventh-largest fleet of this kind in the world.
But Egypt's air force includes no aerial tanker planes, and it has a relatively small fleet of 11 special-mission aircraft.
Pakistan has 1,413 military aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
Its fleet of 550 trainer aircraft is the second-largest in the world, while it also has 363 fighter/interceptor aircraft and 90 are attack aircraft, the seventh-largest fleets in both categories.
Japan ranked second in the world for the size of its special-mission aircraft fleet in 2023, according to Global Firepower, with 150 of these planes.
Overall, its 1,451 military aircraft include 556 helicopters and 217 fighter/interceptor aircraft.
The country also has four helicopter carriers, the second-highest number in the world.
South Korea has 1,602 military aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
This includes 402 fighter/interceptor aircraft, 41 transport aircraft, and 98 dedicated attack aircraft.
India has 2,210 military aircraft, including 807 helicopters and 577 fighter/interceptor aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
It also has 254 fixed-wing aircraft, 73 special-mission planes, and two aircraft carriers.
China ranks second in the world for the size of its fighter/interceptor aircraft fleet, at 1,199, according to Global Firepower. It has 371 attack aircraft.
The country ranks third for overall number of helicopters (913), attack helicopters (281), dedicated attack aircraft (371), and transport aircraft (288).
In total, China has 3,166 military aircraft as of 2023, Global Firepower said, along with two aircraft carriers, three helicopter carriers, and 507 airports.
Russia has 4,182 military aircraft, according to Global Firepower.
It ranked Russia second in the world for its number of dedicated attack aircraft (744), transport aircraft (444), helicopters (1,531), and attack helicopters (537).
While Russia's military has suffered major losses since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, its air force has not been used significantly in the war, and so has not seen notable losses.
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.
The US dominated every category when it came to air power, including transport aircraft, special-mission aircraft, helicopters, trainers, and its tanker fleet.
The country also has 13,513 airports, 11 aircraft carriers, and nine helicopter carriers, all the highest number in the world.
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/IHSJN3G
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