Attack helicopters represent a key component of any country’s military capabilities. They provide ground support for troops, act as escorts for convoys, and even can take out enemy armor if necessary. For a continent as large as Asia, attack helicopters are a key factor in the ground game.
When it comes to the two military powerhouses of the continent, Russia and China, which one has a more impressive fleet of attack helicopters? Each has built up formidable forces over the last half century, with a few breakthroughs in the past decade alone.
Russia recently introduced the Ka-52 Alligator that has seen extensive use throughout Ukraine, and even other recent conflicts like the Syrian Civil War. These attack helicopters come equipped with sophisticated avionics, night operation capabilities, and advanced targeting systems, making them deadly on the battlefield.
On the other hand, China recently debuted the Z-10 dedicated attack helicopter which features modern avionics, armor, and weaponry tailored to Chinese operational demands. An interesting thing to note, is that this helicopter does bear some resemblance to the American-made AH-64 Apache helicopters. (This country’s Apache helicopter fleet is nearly 1500% larger than any other.)
Either way, each of these countries have formidable fleets of attack helicopters, many of which are some of the most advanced in the world. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a look at China and Russia’s attack helicopter fleets as well as those of other Asian nations.
To determine the Asian countries with the most attack 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 attack 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 attack 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.
35. Philippines
- Total attack helicopters: 2
- Total helicopters: 115
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, the Philippines has 7,562 military vehicles (including 10 tanks and 301 artillery units). The Philippines has 150,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 116.4 million.
34. Kyrgyzstan
- Total attack helicopters: 2
- Total helicopters: 6
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Kyrgyzstan has 2,772 military vehicles (including 215 tanks, 370 artillery units, and 36 MLRS units). Kyrgyzstan has 23,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 6.1 million.
33. Afghanistan
- Total attack helicopters: 2
- Total helicopters: 11
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Afghanistan has 6,555 military vehicles. Afghanistan has a total population of 39.2 million.
32. Tajikistan
- Total attack helicopters: 6
- Total helicopters: 20
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Tajikistan has 4,650 military vehicles (including 80 tanks, 90 artillery units, and 45 MLRS units). Tajikistan has 9,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 9.2 million.
31. Thailand
- Total attack helicopters: 7
- Total helicopters: 231
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Thailand has 14,040 military vehicles (including 648 tanks, 639 artillery units, and 26 MLRS units). Thailand has 360,850 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 69.8 million.
30. Myanmar
- Total attack helicopters: 9
- Total helicopters: 80
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Myanmar has 8,139 military vehicles (including 705 tanks, 2,083 artillery units, and 586 MLRS units). Myanmar has 150,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 57,970,293 million.
29. Sri Lanka
- Total attack helicopters: 9
- Total helicopters: 55
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Sri Lanka has 3,708 military vehicles (including 182 tanks, 175 artillery units, and 32 MLRS units). Sri Lanka has 346,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 23.6 million.
28. Turkmenistan
- Total attack helicopters: 10
- Total helicopters: 26
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Turkmenistan has 8,312 military vehicles (including 680 tanks, 530 artillery units, and 160 MLRS units). Turkmenistan has 36,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.7 million.
27. Georgia
- Total attack helicopters: 11
- Total helicopters: 42
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Georgia has 5,256 military vehicles (including 235 tanks, 267 artillery units, and 82 MLRS units). Georgia has 55,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 4.9 million.
26. Iran
- Total attack helicopters: 13
- Total helicopters: 129
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Iran has 65,765 military vehicles (including 1,996 tanks, 2,630 artillery units, and 775 MLRS units). Iran has 610,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 87.6 million.
25. Yemen
- Total attack helicopters: 14
- Total helicopters: 61
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Yemen has 4,800 military vehicles (including 55 tanks, 26 artillery units, and 13 MLRS units). Yemen has 66,700 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 31.6 million.
24. Indonesia
- Total attack helicopters: 15
- Total helicopters: 210
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Indonesia has 11,604 military vehicles (including 313 tanks, 567 artillery units, and 63 MLRS units). Indonesia has 400,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 279.5 million.
23. Azerbaijan
- Total attack helicopters: 16
- Total helicopters: 86
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Azerbaijan has 29,312 military vehicles (including 920 tanks, 594 artillery units, and 218 MLRS units). Azerbaijan has 126,400 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.4 million.
22. Kuwait
- Total attack helicopters: 16
- Total helicopters: 60
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Kuwait has 4,409 military vehicles (including 367 tanks, 74 artillery units, and 27 MLRS units). Kuwait has 72,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.1 million.
21. Singapore
- Total attack helicopters: 18
- Total helicopters: 87
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Singapore has 8,318 military vehicles (including 170 tanks, 137 artillery units, and 24 MLRS units). Singapore has 51,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 6.0 million.
20. North Korea
- Total attack helicopters: 20
- Total helicopters: 205
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, North Korea has 24,696 military vehicles (including 5,845 tanks, 9,000 artillery units, and 2,920 MLRS units). North Korea has 1,320,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 26.1 million.
19. Armenia
- Total attack helicopters: 20
- Total helicopters: 36
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Armenia has 736 military vehicles (including 221 tanks, 182 artillery units, and 100 MLRS units). Armenia has 57,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.0 million.
18. Kazakhstan
- Total attack helicopters: 22
- Total helicopters: 75
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Kazakhstan has 6,012 military vehicles (including 300 tanks, 696 artillery units, and 407 MLRS units). Kazakhstan has 110,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 19.5 million.
17. Qatar
- Total attack helicopters: 24
- Total helicopters: 67
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Qatar has 5,544 military vehicles (including 99 tanks, 58 artillery units, and 16 MLRS units). Qatar has 66,550 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.5 million.
16. Syria
- Total attack helicopters: 27
- Total helicopters: 153
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Syria has 14,550 military vehicles (including 2,720 tanks, 2,695 artillery units, and 614 MLRS units). Syria has 170,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 22.9 million.
15. Bahrain
- Total attack helicopters: 28
- Total helicopters: 74
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Bahrain has 2,598 military vehicles (including 180 tanks, 64 artillery units, and 17 MLRS units). Bahrain has 18,400 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.6 million.
14. United Arab Emirates
- Total attack helicopters: 30
- Total helicopters: 246
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, the United Arab Emirates has 12,253 military vehicles (including 354 tanks, 282 artillery units, and 162 MLRS units). The United Arab Emirates has 65,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.0 million.
13. Uzbekistan
- Total attack helicopters: 33
- Total helicopters: 100
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Uzbekistan has 5,526 military vehicles (including 270 tanks, 83 artillery units, and 143 MLRS units). Uzbekistan has 48,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 31.4 million.
12. Saudi Arabia
- Total attack helicopters: 34
- Total helicopters: 262
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Saudi Arabia has 20,694 military vehicles (including 1,485 tanks, 3,253 artillery units, and 490 MLRS units). Saudi Arabia has 257,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 36.0 million.
11. India
- Total attack helicopters: 40
- Total helicopters: 869
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, India has 151,248 military vehicles (including 4,614 tanks, 3,383 artillery units, and 702 MLRS units). India has 1.46 million active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.40 billion.
10. Iraq
- Total attack helicopters: 40
- Total helicopters: 197
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Iraq has 39,872 military vehicles (including 848 tanks, 1,727 artillery units, and 425 MLRS units). Iraq has 193,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 41.3 million.
9. Jordan
- Total attack helicopters: 43
- Total helicopters: 148
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Jordan has 24,148 military vehicles (including 1,365 tanks, 283 artillery units, and 88 MLRS units). Jordan has 100,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 11.1 million.
8. Israel
- Total attack helicopters: 48
- Total helicopters: 146
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Israel has 43,407 military vehicles (including 1,370 tanks, 950 artillery units, and 150 MLRS units). Israel has 170,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 9.0 million.
7. Pakistan
- Total attack helicopters: 57
- Total helicopters: 352
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Pakistan has 50,523 military vehicles (including 3,742 tanks, 3,990 artillery units, and 602 MLRS units). Pakistan has 654,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 247.7 million.
6. Taiwan
- Total attack helicopters: 91
- Total helicopters: 236
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Taiwan has 19,868 military vehicles (including 1,010 tanks, 1,420 artillery units, and 223 MLRS units). Taiwan has 215,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 23.6 million.
5. Turkey
- Total attack helicopters: 111
- Total helicopters: 502
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Turkey has 55,104 military vehicles (including 2,231 tanks, 2,785 artillery units, and 286 MLRS units). Turkey has 355,200 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 83.6 million.
4. South Korea
- Total attack helicopters: 112
- Total helicopters: 758
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, South Korea has 66,492 military vehicles (including 2,501 tanks, 8,052 artillery units, and 581 MLRS units). South Korea has 600,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 52.0 million.
3. Japan
- Total attack helicopters: 119
- Total helicopters: 577
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Japan has 37,662 military vehicles (including 518 tanks, 653 artillery units, and 54 MLRS units). Japan has 247,150 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 123.7 million.
2. China
- Total attack helicopters: 281
- Total helicopters: 913
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, China has 174,300 military vehicles (including 5,000 tanks, 5,284 artillery units, and 3,180 MLRS units). China has 2.04 million active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.41 billion.
1. Russia
![Egypt+helicopter | Kamov Ka-52K [unmarked – c/n 35382001001]](https://a673b.bigscoots-temp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/imageForEntry20-KXa-scaled.jpg)
- Total attack helicopters: 559
- Total helicopters: 1,547
- 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
Outside of these helicopters, Russia has 161,382 military vehicles (including 14,777 tanks, 14,564 artillery units, and 3,065 MLRS units). Russia has 1.32 million active-duty personnel out of a total population of 141.7 million.
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