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U.S. maintains lead in global air power with largest military aircraft fleet

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U.S. maintains lead in global air power with largest military aircraft fleet
Policy
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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.

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Globally ranked by fleet count:

1. USA - 14,486

2. Russia - 4,211

3. China - 3,304

4. India - 2,296

5. Japan - 1,459

In terms of fighter jets specifically:

"The United States has far more airworthy fighters than any other force on the planet." This includes a substantial number of fifth-generation aircraft compared to other countries.

For strategic strike capabilities involving bombers:

China leads with a bomber count of 209 while "the tiny fleet of 19 Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is one of the most precious and important strategic assets in the entire US military."

Regarding helicopter fleets:

"When it comes to helo-power," the US Army dominates with over 4,000 helicopters including Boeing AH-64 Apaches.

For cargo planes:

"This is another area where the USAF is a juggernaut," owning almost 700 fixed-wing cargo planes including Lockheed C-5 Galaxies capable of transporting heavy tanks globally.

Overall rankings highlight that despite various advancements by other countries in specific areas or technologies such as stealth or tiltrotor aircrafts—the United States maintains superiority across multiple dimensions within its air force capabilities.

Organizations Included in this History
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