The number of military aircraft in air forces worldwide is constantly changing. While some nations, like China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), have been expanding, others such as the United States and Russia are seeing reductions. Despite these shifts, the United States remains the leader in air power according to data from World Population Review.
"America has more military aircraft between the US Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Army than the next nine members of the top ten combined," highlighting its overwhelming advantage over other nations. The US Armed Forces' closest competitor is Russia, but the qualitative and quantitative gap remains significant.
The United States Air Force alone operates 5,004 military aircraft of all types. The US Army Aviation follows with 4,333 helicopters, making it the second-largest air force globally. The US Navy ranks fourth with a total of 2,504 aircraft, while the US Marines rank seventh internationally with 1,211 tactical helicopters and jets.