24/7 Wall St. Insights:
- The Soviet Union built up a sizable force of helicopters during the Cold War, investing heavily in the technological development and production of these assets
- In the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviets launched iconic models like the Mi-8 and Mi-24, which remain in use today
- The key to Russia’s dominance lies in its massive production capacity, and then this combined with the country’s strategic emphasis on helicopters has made for the largest helicopter fleet in Asia
- Also: Dividend legends to hold forever
It’s no secret that Russia is one of the preeminent military powers of Asia. The Red Army built to this position over the years with its tanks, artillery, and aircraft. One major factor in its dominance is Russia’s understanding of the strategic importance of helicopters and the investment put into these aircraft.
The Soviet Union built up a sizable force of helicopters during the Cold War, investing heavily in the technological development and production of these assets. This early commitment laid the groundwork for Russia’s current leadership in helicopter numbers across Asia. (If there was a helicopter-only war, this superpower would win by a long shot.)
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviets launched iconic models like the Mi-8 and Mi-24, which remain in use today. These helicopters became the backbone of Soviet air power. Even later, the Russian’s would continue to develop the Kamov series like the new Ka-52 or the Ka-31.
Ultimately, the key to Russia’s dominance lies in its massive production capacity, and then this combined with the country’s strategic emphasis on helicopters has made for a massive helicopter fleet. Withstanding significant helicopter losses in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russia has bounced back by producing even newer helicopters to replace those shot down. (Russia orders even more combat helicopters to keep up war demand.)
Currently, Russia operates the largest military helicopter fleet in Asia, outpacing other regional powers like China and India. However, that is not to say these other forces are lacking. Countries like China, India, and South Korea each have formidable helicopter forces. 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the helicopter fleets across the Asian continent.
To determine the Asian countries with the most military helicopters, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 military strength report from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. We ranked these countries according to which countries have the most helicopters. We included supplemental information regarding each country’s current air force and overall military strength ranking. We excluded any nations that did not have any helicopters.
Here is a look at the largest helicopter armies in Asia:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding the military dynamics of Asia is important considering the region’s complex geopolitical landscape and its growing strategic significance. Historically, Asia has been shaped by internal conflicts, border disputes, and great power competition. Today, its military forces play an important role in determining regional stability. As tensions rise over territorial claims and political influence, military power is the law of the land, from disputes in the South China Sea to the contested borders in South Asia.
45. Bhutan
- Total helicopters: 2
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 2
- Military strength score and world rank: 6.3704 – #145 out of 145
Bhutan has a total population of 876,000, and of these only 7,500 are in active service.
44. Kyrgyzstan
- Total helicopters: 6
- Total attack helicopters: 2
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 6
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0057 – #100 out of 145
Kyrgyzstan has a total population of 6.1 million, and of these only 23,000 are in active service.
43. Mongolia
- Total helicopters: 6
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 11
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1079 – #105 out of 145
Mongolia has a total population of 3.3 million, and of these only 35,000 are in active service.
42. Nepal
- Total helicopters: 10
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 15
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.8962 – #128 out of 145
Nepal has a total population of 30.9 million, and of these only 95,000 are in active service.
41. Afghanistan
- Total helicopters: 11
- Total attack helicopters: 2
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 17
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2715 – #115 out of 145
Afghanistan has a total population of 39.2 million, and of these only 0 are in active service.
40. Tajikistan
- Total helicopters: 20
- Total attack helicopters: 6
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 25
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1265 – #107 out of 145
Tajikistan has a total population of 9.2 million, and of these only 9,500 are in active service.
39. Cambodia
- Total helicopters: 20
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 24
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1725 – #111 out of 145
Cambodia has a total population of 16.9 million, and of these only 221,000 are in active service.
38. Turkmenistan
- Total helicopters: 26
- Total attack helicopters: 10
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 24
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 28
- Total military aircraft: 90
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4906 – #83 out of 145
Turkmenistan has a total population of 5.7 million, and of these only 36,500 are in active service.
37. Laos
- Total helicopters: 27
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 34
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2071 – #112 out of 145
Laos has a total population of 7.9 million, and of these only 100,000 are in active service.
36. Oman
- Total helicopters: 31
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 29
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 10
- Total military aircraft: 128
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4448 – #78 out of 145
Oman has a total population of 3.8 million, and of these only 42,600 are in active service.
35. Armenia
- Total helicopters: 36
- Total attack helicopters: 20
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 4
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 10
- Total military aircraft: 64
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0583 – #102 out of 145
Armenia has a total population of 3.0 million, and of these only 57,500 are in active service.
34. Georgia
- Total helicopters: 42
- Total attack helicopters: 11
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 52
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6969 – #84 out of 145
Georgia has a total population of 4.9 million, and of these only 55,000 are in active service.
33. Malaysia
- Total helicopters: 52
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 26
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 12
- Total military aircraft: 143
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5992 – #42 out of 145
Malaysia has a total population of 34.2 million, and of these only 113,000 are in active service.
32. Sri Lanka
- Total helicopters: 55
- Total attack helicopters: 9
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 5
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 86
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.3459 – #75 out of 145
Sri Lanka has a total population of 23.6 million, and of these only 346,000 are in active service.
31. Kuwait
- Total helicopters: 60
- Total attack helicopters: 16
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 36
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 144
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4261 – #77 out of 145
Kuwait has a total population of 3.1 million, and of these only 72,000 are in active service.
30. Yemen
- Total helicopters: 61
- Total attack helicopters: 14
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 53
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 23
- Total military aircraft: 177
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4692 – #81 out of 145
Yemen has a total population of 31.6 million, and of these only 66,700 are in active service.
29. Qatar
- Total helicopters: 67
- Total attack helicopters: 24
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 92
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 6
- Total military aircraft: 228
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0789 – #63 out of 145
Qatar has a total population of 2.5 million, and of these only 66,550 are in active service.
28. Lebanon
- Total helicopters: 69
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 9
- Total military aircraft: 81
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.4283 – #118 out of 145
Lebanon has a total population of 5.3 million, and of these only 60,000 are in active service.
27. Bangladesh
- Total helicopters: 73
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 44
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 216
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5419 – #37 out of 145
Bangladesh has a total population of 167.2 million, and of these only 163,000 are in active service.
26. Bahrain
- Total helicopters: 74
- Total attack helicopters: 28
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 18
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 120
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.7163 – #86 out of 145
Bahrain has a total population of 1.6 million, and of these only 18,400 are in active service.
25. Kazakhstan
- Total helicopters: 75
- Total attack helicopters: 22
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 81
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 38
- Total military aircraft: 243
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.9495 – #58 out of 145
Kazakhstan has a total population of 19.5 million, and of these only 110,000 are in active service.
24. Myanmar
- Total helicopters: 80
- Total attack helicopters: 9
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 58
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 26
- Total military aircraft: 293
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5251 – #35 out of 145
Myanmar has a total population of 58.0 million, and of these only 150,000 are in active service.
23. Azerbaijan
- Total helicopters: 86
- Total attack helicopters: 16
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 12
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 11
- Total military aircraft: 144
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.9934 – #59 out of 145
Azerbaijan has a total population of 10.4 million, and of these only 126,400 are in active service.
22. Singapore
- Total helicopters: 87
- Total attack helicopters: 18
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 100
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 247
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4087 – #30 out of 145
Singapore has a total population of 6.0 million, and of these only 51,000 are in active service.
21. Vietnam
- Total helicopters: 99
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 41
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 33
- Total military aircraft: 226
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3158 – #22 out of 145
Vietnam has a total population of 104.8 million, and of these only 600,000 are in active service.
20. Uzbekistan
- Total helicopters: 100
- Total attack helicopters: 33
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 58
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 13
- Total military aircraft: 191
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.1069 – #65 out of 145
Uzbekistan has a total population of 31.4 million, and of these only 48,000 are in active service.
19. Philippines
- Total helicopters: 115
- Total attack helicopters: 2
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 25
- Total military aircraft: 195
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4691 – #34 out of 145
Philippines has a total population of 116.4 million, and of these only 150,000 are in active service.
18. Iran
- Total helicopters: 129
- Total attack helicopters: 13
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 186
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 23
- Total military aircraft: 551
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2269 – #14 out of 145
Iran has a total population of 87.6 million, and of these only 610,000 are in active service.
17. Israel
- Total helicopters: 146
- Total attack helicopters: 48
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 241
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 39
- Total military aircraft: 612
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2596 – #17 out of 145
Israel has a total population of 9.0 million, and of these only 170,000 are in active service.
16. Jordan
- Total helicopters: 148
- Total attack helicopters: 43
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 44
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 6
- Total military aircraft: 265
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4651 – #80 out of 145
Jordan has a total population of 11.1 million, and of these only 100,500 are in active service.
15. Syria
- Total helicopters: 153
- Total attack helicopters: 27
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 168
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 57
- Total military aircraft: 452
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0026 – #60 out of 145
Syria has a total population of 22.9 million, and of these only 170,000 are in active service.
14. Iraq
- Total helicopters: 197
- Total attack helicopters: 40
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 26
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 35
- Total military aircraft: 371
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7441 – #45 out of 145
Iraq has a total population of 41.3 million, and of these only 193,000 are in active service.
13. North Korea
- Total helicopters: 205
- Total attack helicopters: 20
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 440
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 132
- Total military aircraft: 951
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5313 – #36 out of 145
North Korea has a total population of 26.1 million, and of these only 1.3 million are in active service.
12. Indonesia
- Total helicopters: 210
- Total attack helicopters: 15
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 41
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 37
- Total military aircraft: 474
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2251 – #13 out of 145
Indonesia has a total population of 279.5 million, and of these only 400,000 are in active service.
11. Thailand
- Total helicopters: 231
- Total attack helicopters: 7
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 73
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 18
- Total military aircraft: 501
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3389 – #25 out of 145
Thailand has a total population of 69.8 million, and of these only 360,850 are in active service.
10. Taiwan
- Total helicopters: 236
- Total attack helicopters: 91
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 286
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 750
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3302 – #24 out of 145
Taiwan has a total population of 23.6 million, and of these only 215,000 are in active service.
9. United Arab Emirates
- Total helicopters: 246
- Total attack helicopters: 30
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 99
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 18
- Total military aircraft: 560
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8083 – #51 out of 145
United Arab Emirates has a total population of 10.0 million, and of these only 65,000 are in active service.
8. Saudi Arabia
- Total helicopters: 262
- Total attack helicopters: 34
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 283
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 81
- Total military aircraft: 914
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3235 – #23 out of 145
Saudi Arabia has a total population of 36.0 million, and of these only 257,000 are in active service.
7. Pakistan
- Total helicopters: 352
- Total attack helicopters: 57
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 387
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 90
- Total military aircraft: 1,434
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1711 – #9 out of 145
Pakistan has a total population of 247.7 million, and of these only 654,000 are in active service.
6. Turkey
- Total helicopters: 502
- Total attack helicopters: 111
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 205
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 1,069
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1697 – #8 out of 145
Turkey has a total population of 83.6 million, and of these only 355,200 are in active service.
5. Japan
- Total helicopters: 577
- Total attack helicopters: 119
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 217
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 36
- Total military aircraft: 1,459
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1601 – #7 out of 145
Japan has a total population of 123.7 million, and of these only 247,150 are in active service.
4. South Korea
- Total helicopters: 758
- Total attack helicopters: 112
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 354
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 98
- Total military aircraft: 1,576
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1416 – #5 out of 145
South Korea has a total population of 52.0 million, and of these only 600,000 are in active service.
3. India
- Total helicopters: 869
- Total attack helicopters: 40
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 606
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 130
- Total military aircraft: 2,296
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145
India has a total population of 1.4 million, and of these only 1.5 million are in active service.
2. China
- Total helicopters: 913
- Total attack helicopters: 281
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 1,207
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 371
- Total military aircraft: 3,304
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0706 – #3 out of 145
China has a total population of 1.4 million, and of these only 2.0 million are in active service.
1. Russia
- Total helicopters: 1,547
- Total attack helicopters: 559
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 809
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 730
- Total military aircraft: 4,255
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145
Russia has a total population of 141.7 million, and of these only 1.3 million are in active service.
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