New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has achieved a major milestone in the latest global rankings of the world’s leading air forces by surpassing China. According to the 2026 rankings released by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), the IAF has been ranked as the sixth most powerful air force in the world, while China has been placed seventh. The rankings are based on a comprehensive assessment that goes beyond the number of fighter jets, taking into account factors such as combat capability, technological efficiency, pilot training, logistics, and overall operational readiness.
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 the Indian Air Force ahead of China on the basis of overall combat capability.
