China Upset as India Climbs to 3rd in Air Power List
- By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
- Oct 21, 2025
- 386
India has been ranked third in the latest global air power index, trailing only behind the United States and Russia, while China has been placed fourth — a development that has sparked sharp reactions in Beijing’s state-controlled media.
The ranking, released by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), assesses the air forces of 103 countries across 129 air service branches, using its proprietary TruVal rating system. The evaluation factors in not only the number of aircraft but also technology, training, maintenance capability, operational flexibility, and modernization.
According to the report, India outperformed China by five points, signaling what experts call a shift in Asia’s strategic air power balance.
India’s Balanced Force Outshines China’s Numerical Edge
India currently operates around 1,716 aircraft, including:
31.6% fighter jets
29% helicopters
21.8% trainer aircraft
The report highlights the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) focus on pilot training, mission flexibility, and rapid operational deployment, describing its force structure as “balanced and combat-ready.”
In contrast, China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fields around 3,733 aircraft — nearly double India’s count — but its fleet composition reveals overdependence on fighter jets:
68.7% fighters
24.4% helicopters
10.7% trainers
This imbalance, experts say, reduces its training efficiency and operational versatility, resulting in lower combat readiness despite its larger size.
China’s State Media Reacts Sharply
China’s state-run newspaper, the Global Times, reacted strongly to the ranking, quoting military analyst Zhang Junshe, who dismissed the list as “not to be taken seriously.”
Zhang argued that “only actual combat capability reflects an army’s true strength, not figures on paper,” and warned that “the hype by US and Indian media may be aimed at fuelling China-India competition and could trigger dangerous misunderstandings.”
The Global Times also noted that the IAF procures aircraft and systems from multiple countries including the US and Russia, calling it a reflection of India’s complex foreign and security policy.
What Sets India Apart
The WDMMA assessment emphasized that air power superiority is not determined solely by aircraft numbers. Key factors influencing rankings include:
Modernization and advanced technology integration
Pilot training and operational preparedness
Logistical support and maintenance infrastructure
Domestic production capacity
Mission diversity and strategic reach
India’s sustained focus on modernization — including the induction of Rafale jets, indigenous Tejas fighters, and upcoming AMCA stealth aircraft — has bolstered its standing as a global air power leader.
About the Global Times
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Beijing, the Global Times is part of the People’s Daily group, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It operates under the Propaganda Department and serves as Beijing’s primary platform for countering what it calls “anti-China narratives” in Western media.