10 Strongest Air Forces of the World

[W.G.Ewald]

Dont think the other factors like readiness and maintainance affect Russia's position. With over 1500 Combat Aircrafts including Aircrafts like Su-30,Su-35,Mig29,Su-27,Mig31....the number of AWACs,Transport and Air refuelling aircrafts.. there's no competion.

We would look into readiness,maint.,etc and other factors only when the above prime factors of 2 nations are almost equal.

And if you think IAF is rightfully placed, im seeing lack of common sense here mate. Apart from US,Russia and China , who are well over India, no other country is even close enough to give a competition.

So you would move IAF to 4th place from 7th on the list? I would not argue with you.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

How about the US Marine Corps?

Every Marine is a rifleman. If any of them fly planes, it's just incidental.

 

[rohit b3]

So you would move IAF to 4th place from 7th on the list? I would not argue with you.

China to 3rd, India to 4th, yep.

Followed by Israel ,Uk,France,Germany,Saudi Arabia.

People who claim they made a list taking "History" as a factor, hav no idea what was IAF's role in 1948,1961,1962,1965,1971,1984,1999 and also in UN operations in Sudan,Somalia,Congo,Liberia,etc.

They just know about Uk's few handful of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

 

[p2prada]

Such lists are bogus.

What really counts is the number of operational aircraft, types of aircraft, aircraft maintenance and serviceability, operational pilots, pilot training, hours flown, weapons and sensors, in no real order. History, not so much.

I don't care whether India is in the first position, 10th position or not on the list at all. What I would be concerned about is how well can our air force cope with the kind of hostile environment we are already in regardless or numbers.

Right now, even with our decent numbers we are still short of minimum squadron strength required. IAF is also pushing to increase squadron strength to higher numbers which means we are not in a very comfortable position yet. So, I wouldn't count myself in any list right now.

Before WW2 Germany was on nobody's list. France was ranked 2nd with Russia first. The Germans whooped them both back to Neverland.

 

[Armand2REP]

The logic of this list is completely drunk.

Agreed, strength is dictated by results. The effectiveness of air power is more than just how many fighters you have.

 

[EXPERT]

this topic is really OLD and BOLD

 

[The Messiah]

China to 3rd, India to 4th, yep.

Followed by Israel ,Uk,France,Germany,Saudi Arabia.

People who claim they made a list taking "History" as a factor, hav no idea what was IAF's role in 1948,1961,1962,1965,1971,1984,1999 and also in UN operations in Sudan,Somalia,Congo,Liberia,etc.

They just know about Uk's few handful of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

useless saudis shouldn't be in the top 100.

yanks had to practically make one of there pilots sit alongside the saudi pilot and another awacs yank plane to take on an iranian jet that was 1 generation behind technology wise.

 

[asianobserve]

Every Marine is a rifleman. If any of them fly planes, it's just incidental.

But they still have a formidable air force of their own. And they have more experience in modern air combat than most major air forces.

 

[Armand2REP]

But they still have a formidable air force of their own. And they have more experience in modern air combat than most major air forces.

RSAF is made up of royal princes and Pak mercs. All of their trainers are foreign. How is this a formidable air force?

 

[vishwaprasad]

Australia above Japan lol....

 

[Neil]

RSAF is made up of royal princes and Pak mercs. All of their trainers are foreign. How is this a formidable air force?

he is talking about USMC air power not RSAF....

 

[asianobserve]

RSAF is made up of royal princes and Pak mercs. All of their trainers are foreign. How is this a formidable air force?

I was talking about the US Marine Corps...

 

[p2prada]

Agreed, strength is dictated by results. The effectiveness of air power is more than just how many fighters you have.

Exactly. We need to be able to combat both PLAAF and PAF at the same time with half the available aircraft numbers.

We need to be at USAF level of training and support if we are to beat these two together.

 

[Armand2REP]

I was talking about the US Marine Corps...

They fly USN hand-me down legacy Hornets and Harriers even the British retired, how is that formidable?

 

[asianobserve]

Exactly. We need to be able to combat both PLAAF and PAF at the same time with half the available aircraft numbers.

We need to be at USAF level of training and support if we are to beat these two together.

If that's what you want then you need to be at the level of the Israelis...

 

[asianobserve]

They fly USN hand-me down legacy Hornets and Harriers even the British retired, how is that formidable?

They don't fly hand me down jets (they cling to those legacy F18s because they don't want to get stuck with Super Hornets) and they bought the British Harriers for parts. And besides they're the first unit set to induct F-35s, both F-35B and C models (the only service in the World to have 2 F-35 types).

 

[Armand2REP]

They don't fly hand me down jets (they cling to those legacy F18s because they don't want to get stuck with Super Hornets) and they bought the British Harriers for parts. And besides they're the first unit set to induct F-35s, both F-35B and C models (the only service in the World to have 2 F-35 types).

They cling to those last leg legacy Hornets because the F-35 is half a decade behind schedule. They bought the parts from the British for the same reason. The current state of the fleet puts them 20 years behind. They are well trained at CAS but could not carry out A2A as well as other services. As a service, USMC does not operate any support or service aircraft leaving that to the USN. To operate alone, they would be decimated by any modern air force.

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[kseeker]

@Armand2REP,

If you were to list top 10 AFs, Where do you place the AFs mentioned in this thread ? Any Additions or Deletions from the list in discussion ?

 

[asianobserve]

You're right that they're not "primarily" an A2A unit. But the US Marines still have a formidable aircraft inventory and seasoned pilots, and devastating in A2G attacks. For support aircrafts they have 4 squadrons of EA-6B Prowlers and has 72 KC-130 aircrafts that act as regular transports and refuellers (I think the US Marines have more refuelling aircrafts than the French Air Force).

 

[asianobserve]

In terms of aircraft numbers maybe the Russian Air Force is second to USAF. But in terms of experience, especially modern air-to-air combat the Russians will not hold even against the Israelis. The RAF and ALA have more experience than the Russians in this field. And in actual war a lot of the countries listed are not going to operate separately. NATO countries will always operate as a unit around USAF within NATO in cases of major wars. Their combined aerial capabilities and experience bring the issue of who has the strongest Air Force to an insignificant trivia. Russia and China do not come close.