In a Global Air War, These Countries Would Lead the Way

24/7 Wall St. Insights

The U.S. has 1,854 fighter and interceptor jets — over 600 more than China, which has 1,207 of these aircraft.
Some nations place a lesser importance on fighter and interceptor aircraft, such as Sweden, which has 71, showing that the country’s military strategy may lie elsewhere.
Fighter and interceptor aircraft are crucial in military strategy and promoting air superiority.
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The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) launched a competition on behalf of the U.S. Navy to develop an interceptor aircraft. The aircraft, which would be sent to warships or commercial naval vessels, could shoot down unmanned aerial systems – what we usually refer to as drones. This would significantly improve U.S. defensive capabilities against possible enemy attacks, especially as drones are being used more frequently for combat and surveillance. Interceptor and fighter aircraft are the first line of protection against these aerial threats. (Check out the most widely used fighter jets on Earth.)

The most advanced air forces in the world, like the U.S. Air Force, are known for their offensive capabilities. Fighter and interceptor aircraft are a particularly important component of these air forces in establishing air superiority. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the air forces that employ these fighter jets. To determine the countries with the most fighter and interceptor aircraft, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries.

We included supplemental information regarding total military aircraft, and helicopters. We included the overall military strength score as well which is a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value, the more powerful a nation’s theoretical conventional fighting capability is. So if the number is closer to 0.000, it signifies more power.

The United States tops the list with the largest number of fighter and interceptor aircraft. The U.S. military operates hundreds of these jets like the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, and F-15 Eagle. The sheer number of these jets, each featuring cutting-edge technology, demonstrates the global military strength that the United States holds.

Russia and China rank fairly high on this list as well. Both of these nations have significant strides in modernizing their fleets of fighter jets. Most of this push has been with the fifth generation of fighter jets which now feature advanced avionics and vastly improved stealth capabilities. (Nearly 900 of this stealth fighter jet take to skies worldwide.)

Here are the countries with the most fighter and interceptor aircraft:

Why Are We Covering This?

Understanding which countries have the most fighter and interceptor aircraft gives some context to international relations and geopolitics at large. Countries with these aircraft can better defend their airspace and project power. Being aware of how these countries operate their air fleets provides a stronger understanding of the current power balance in the world and how, potentially, it might shift.