India Overtakes China to Become World's 6th Most Powerful Air Force, US Tops Global Rankings

New Delhi: In the latest global ranking of the world's major air forces, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has achieved a big feat by leaving China behind. In the 2026 ranking released by the 'World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft' (WDMMA), the Indian Air Force has been described as the sixth most powerful air force in the world, while China is at the seventh position. The special thing is that this ranking has been prepared keeping in mind not only the number of fighter aircraft but also many parameters like combat capability, technical efficiency, training, logistics and operational preparedness.

Is strength determined only by the number of aircraft?

WDMMA has made it clear in its report that the real capability of any Air Force cannot be assessed only by the number of aircraft it has. The organisation studied 129 air military units and more than 48 thousand military aircraft from 103 countries. After this, 'True Value Rating' (TVR) was prepared, which included many aspects like modern technology, maintenance, mission capability, training, weapon systems and logistics support.

Which countries' air forces are included in the top 10?

• America's Air Force
• US Navy
• Russian Air Force
• Aviation Branch of the US Army
• United States Marine Corps
• Indian Air Force
• China Air Force
• Japan Air Force
• Israel Air Force
• French Air Force

Pakistan could not make it to the top 10 countries in this list.

How did the Indian Air Force get ahead of China?

Although China has far more fighter aircraft and fifth generation stealth fighter jets than India, the WDMMA has put India ahead on the basis of operational capability, experience of pilots, mission readiness, fleet balance and modernisation. The Indian Air Force fleet includes Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, Tejas and other modern aircraft, which are used for a variety of missions.

Is geographical position also India's strength?

According to experts, India's geographical position also gives an edge to its air power. Many of China's airbases are located in the high plateau areas of Tibet, where due to low air pressure, fighter planes are unable to fly with full fuel and weapon capacity. In contrast, most of the airbases of the Indian Air Force are in the plains, from where aircraft can conduct rapid operations with full capacity. This strategic advantage can play an important role in any possible conflict situation.

Did India's modernisation campaign become a major reason?

In the last few years, the Indian Air Force has rapidly adopted indigenous and modern technology. Tejas fighter aircraft, state-of-the-art missile systems, network-based warfare capabilities and new air defense systems have increased its strength. Apart from this, regular manoeuvres and joint exercises with air forces of different countries have also strengthened the experience of Indian pilots. This is the reason why WDMMA has ranked Indian Air Force ahead of China on the basis of overall combat capability.