According to a recent report published by globalfirepower.com, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has been included in the list of the world’s 10 most powerful airforces globally.
Pakistan secured the seventh spot on the list. The first three spots are taken by the United States, Russia, and China. India secured fourth spot in the list, South Korea fifth, and Japan sixth.
The United States was identified as the strongest air force globally. The fleet of the USA’s air force exceeds the combined air capabilities of Russia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea. It operates 5,737 helicopters, 1,854 fighter jets, and 3,722 support aircraft, with an annual budget of $800 billion, accounting for nearly 40% of global military spending.
Russia has the one-third capacity of the USA’s air force with a capacity of 1,554 helicopters, 809 fighter jets, and 610 support aircraft.
China is investing heavily in modernizing its air force and recently added sixth-generation fighter jets to its fleet. It is also working on supersonic aircraft.
Read more: Pakistan Army ranked 9th most powerful in the world
India, South Korea, and Japan follow with 2,296, 1,576, and 1,459 aircraft, respectively. Pakistan, ranked seventh, operates 1,434 fighter jets, helicopters, and support aircraft. Egypt, Turkey, and France round out the top ten, with respective inventories of 1,080, 1,069, and 972 aircraft.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Army was declared the ninth most powerful army in the world in 2024. However, for 2025 Pakistan Army has dropped to the 12th spot.
Pakistan has jumped swiftly in the rankings in the past few years. Pakistan was ranked at the 15th spot and moved 7th spot. Global Firepower has been publishing Military Strength Rankings since 2006. Every year it ranks the militaries of all the countries based on potential war-making capabilities.
In 2022, Pakistan Army was the 9th most powerful Army in the world according to the latest rankings. It was ranked 9th spot out of 140 countries in the annual Global Firepower Index. The gradual increase in the rankings of the Pakistan Army indicates an improvement in its professional and military might.