The United States Armed Forces boast the most powerful air fleet in the world, with more than 13,000 aircraft – far outpacing Russia and China. This advantage is clearly visible during the U.S.-led operation “Epic Fury” against Iran.
America’s Global Dominance in the Skies
Since the end of World War II, the United States has maintained the world’s most formidable military aviation capability.
U.S. hegemony is reflected in rankings of the world’s strongest air forces compiled on the basis of data from the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) and Global Firepower. Unsurprisingly, the United States Air Force (USAF) ranks first, operating more than 5,000 aircraft, including cutting-edge fighters such as the F-22 and F-35, as well as strategic bombers like the B-2 and B-52.
Second place goes to U.S. naval aviation, including the United States Navy (US Navy) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC), which operate 2,504 and 983 aircraft respectively. Their fleets include F/A-18 and F-35C fighters, as well as tiltrotor aircraft and helicopters.
The third most powerful aviation component belongs to the United States Army, which fields, among others, AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
Only in fourth place comes the Russian Aerospace Forces, with an estimated 3,677-4,237 aircraft, including Su-35 and Su-57 fighters, Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, and various helicopters.
Fifth place is held by the People’s Republic of China, which reportedly operates between 3,259 and 3,529 aircraft, including J-16 and J-20 fighters as well as H-20 bombers.
Eighth place goes to Israel, which operates around 580 aircraft, including F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighters.
In recent months, the technological and numerical superiority of U.S. aviation has been felt by the Islamic Republic of Iran. As part of operation “Epic Fury,” the United States has been effectively striking at the ayatollah regime.