The world has seen many battles and many are being fought at this present moment; every country has enemies and no one is totally safe. Thus, no country can let their guard down for a moment and only way to survive this harsh reality is to strengthen the armed forces. The military strength of a country is determined by the strength of its three main wings, Army, Navy and Air Force. So, it is wise to make all these three sects of the defence forces strong to have a respectable military might in this big bad world.
But amidst all the wings of the military, the air force is the most vital one. If any country becomes able to establish their supremacy in the air then the chances of winning against the enemy automatically get higher. Almost every country in this world has a defence aviation wing and all the countries try their best to make their air force powerful enough to stand tall among the others.
Although there are several air forces in this world but their power varies greatly. Some air forces are equipped with all the latest gears and technology whereas the others fail to reach that level. That is why we are counting down the top 12 most interesting air forces in the world.
1. United States Air Force
The United States Air Force which is also popularly abbreviated as USAF was established on September 18, 1947, is the strongest of all air forces in the world. What makes USAF the strongest? The technology that US Air Force uses is truly worthy of being called the technology of the future. Moreover, they have a large number of air crafts that are used for transport missions, attacks, reconnaissance and various other purposes. US air force has large numbers of personnel, which add up to their strength. USAF has almost 5484 registered aircraft out of which 1872 are jet fighters.
From Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor to Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, the United States Air Force has the most advanced aircraft in their arsenal which increases their strength by manifolds. With 450 ICBMs and 63 satellites, the United States Air Force collectively is the most interesting Air Force in world.
2. Russian Air Force
The true extent of the power of Russian Air force is still untested but one thing can be said about them that they are one of the most revered air forces in the world. Having the most advanced technology and personnel at their disposal, the Russian Air Force is totally adept at operating at kind of terrain.
The Russian air force is widely feared by every country in the world because it has a sheer number of aircraft at their disposal. From MIG-29 to Su-PAKFA, there are over 3547 aircraft in the Russian Air Force which they have used in several wars to gain a major advantage over their enemy.
3. People’s Liberation Army Air Force, China
The Chinese air force which is also called the People’s Liberation Army Air Force which was established back in 1949 has become one of the most powerful and widely revered air force in the world. The PLAAF has more than 3000 aircraft in their arsenal which uses the latest technologies to rule the sky.
The PLAAF has over 39800 active military personnel working for them. Chinese Air Force is a rapidly modernising air defence force in the world. With Chengdu J-20, Shenyang J-31 and Xian Y-20 China is building up a strong Air Force.
4. Israeli Air Force
Although Israel is a very small country but the military strength of Israel is quite formidable. They also have one of the most powerful air force in the world. Israel has over 736 active aircraft out of which 320 are the fighter jets. With F-16s, F-15 to F-35, Israel has several modern aircraft in their store which can be a challenge to any country in the world that would cross it.
Israeli Air Force was established in 1948 and is known across the world for knocking down their enemies by exercising their excessive strength. They have 34000 active personnel and 55000 reserved force. The Israeli Air Force has showcased its strength over the years in different wars or operations like Six-Day War, War of Attrition against Egypt, Lebanon war, Operation Grapes of Wrath and much more.
5. Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force which was established in 1947 after the independence of the country is one of the fastest growing air force in the world. Indian Air Force has always been dedicated to strengthening their power and they are getting stronger with every passing moment. They have over 1700 aircraft and 127200 active personnel. IAF has several advanced fighter jets which add greatly to their strength.
What makes Indian air force most unique is that other than developing their own aircraft (LCA Tejas) they also import most advanced aircraft from Russian Air Force, Royal Air Force, French Air Force and other strong air forces across the globe. Thus, they equip themselves with the best equipment from countries around the world which increase their strength exponentially.
6. Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force of United Kingdom is the oldest air force in the world. It was established back in 1918 and it is still one of the most revered air forces across the globe. It is the 2nd largest air force in NATO after USAF having more than 832 aircraft. From Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to Eurofighter Typhoon, the RAF has several most advanced jet fighters which make them one of the deadliest air forces in the world.
7. Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force or EAF is the aviation wing of the Egyptian military. The Egyptian Air Force was established in 1932 but it became an independent wing in 1937. Although EAF had a little involvement in the World War II but it played a major role for the Egyptian armed forces in the wars with Israel, the civil war in North Yemen and Egyptian-Libyan War.
The EAF is one of the most powerful air forces in the world, having over 30000 personnel working for them. The Egyptian Air force is well equipped with modern aircraft and machinery. From Lockheed Martin F-16s to Dassault Rafale to MiG-35, Egypt has all kinds of modern jet fighters in their arsenal which have helped them in many missions and is continuing to do so.
8. French Air Force
French Air Force is helmed as the first of the professional air forces in the world. They are hailed so because of their extraordinary defence tactics, rules during the flight and achievements in the technical arena. French air force was established in 1909 but it became an independent wing of the French defence forces in 1933.
The air force of France is widely known for their broad inventory and is helmed across the globe for their self-invented jet fighter series. Their jet fighters and other aircraft have performed exceptionally well in the Gulf war and are capable of engaging in a battle in any terrain.
The French Air is well equipped with 658 aircraft and each one of them uses the latest technology. Out of the 658 aircraft, 215 are jet fighters whereas they have 14 airborne refueling planes, 88 helicopters, 158 trainer crafts, 6 drones and 6 AWACS. From Dassault Mirage 2000 to Airbus A400M Atlas, French Air Force has all kinds of aircraft in their inventory which makes them powerful enough to challenge anyone in the battle
9. Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF)
Japanese Air Force is often called as the Aviation Branch of Japan Self-Defence Force. The Japanese Air Force is the strongest point of Japanese Military, which was established in 1954 after the World War II. The JASDF was formed by merging the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.
Aside from the fact that they have some of the most advanced aircraft in their name, JASDF is also equipped with the most advanced ground and air radar system which helps them to detect any approaching airborne threat very quickly.
50324 personnel work for the Japanese Air Force and they also have a total number of 805 active aircraft that use the most advanced technology for operating. JASDF has 380 fighter jets, 17 AEW&C, 26 rescue and reconnaissance planes, 52 helicopters and 52 transport aircraft. From Mitsubishi F-15J to Mitsubishi F-2, the Japanese Air Force has it all that they need to prove their strength across the globe.
10. Turkish Air Force
Although the Turkish Air force was actually established in 1911 under the Ottoman Empire but the air force as it is known today only came into existence after the formation of Republic of Turkey. Turkish air force is no doubt one of the strongest air forces in the world having 60,000 active personnel and 668 aircraft.
Turkish Air Force has jet fighters like F-16 fighting Falcon and aircraft used for special missions like CASA CN-235 in their inventory. The Turkish Government issued $160 billion for modernizing the defence forces out of which $45 billion was allotted to the air force to acquire latest combat aircraft like Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, TAI TFX and helicopters.
11. Republic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force which is often abbreviated as ROKAF is the air defence wing of the defence force of South Korea. The ROKAF is one of the strongest air force in the world due to its enormous artilleries and combat as well as non-combat aircraft.
The Republic of Korea Air Force has all kinds of most advanced air crafts like F-15K Slam Eagle, F-35A Lightning II, F-4 Phantom II and F-5 in its arsenal.
12. Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force or RSAF as it is colloquially abbreviated is the air defence arm of the Singapore military. It was originally established in 1968 as Singapore Air Defence Command but later in 1975 it was renamed to Republic of Singapore Air Force. Singapore being city state suffer lack of airspace for training.
The main aircraft that form the strength of the RSAF are Block 52/52 +F-16 Fighting Falcons. These aircraft are equipped with the AIM-120C AMRAAM missiles which are supplied to them by the US. The Republic of Singapore Air Force operates extensively in overseas to provide their pilots with great exposure. With F-16s, KC-135R Stratotankers, TA-4SU Super Sky Hawks in their inventory it is no doubt one of the most powerful air force in the world.
