The World’s Biggest Air Forces Based on Bomber Count

The World’s Biggest Air Forces Based on Bomber Count

There are just three nations in the world with air forces that operate strategic strike bombers: the United States, China, and Russia. Today the Chinese Air Force has the world's largest bomber fleet by total number of planes, estimated at roughly 200 to 230 aircraft. The US Air Force (USAF) has the second largest with 142 active airframes, while Russia comes in third with approximately 120 to 150 bombers.

The most important differentiator, however, is not the actual number of planes but rather the readiness level and modernization of the airframes themselves. The Chinese Air Force has the largest fleet, but the performance, payload, and technological capability of those aircraft are far eclipsed by the American fleet. The Russian Air Force has a better mix of modern bombers than China, but its numbers have dwindled significantly in recent years, and the true readiness level is speculative at best.

In this comparison, the US does not lead overall, but per type, its inventory is unique in that it has a significant number of combat-ready units in addition to cutting-edge aircraft. As it moves from the 5th-generation B-2 to the 6th-generation B-21 Raider, the US continues to be the only country with a proven, operating fleet of stealth bombers. The air force never even created a jet-powered platform like the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, even during the height of the Soviet Union.

The main platforms of the Russian and Chinese bomber fleets are the turboprop Tupolev Tu-95 Bear and the jet-engine Xi'an H-6. The Russian strategic air forces also have the Tu-22M Backfire and Tu-160 Blackjack, which are identical to the Rockwell B-1B Lancer. These supersonic bombers are becoming increasingly scarce as they are damaged during the invasion of Ukraine, and Tupolev is struggling to produce more or sustain the ones that are already in service.

The competition for advanced platforms displays a distinct divide: the United States is extending its lead in the fifth and sixth generations. China has mastered regional air power with its J-20 stealth fighters and is now attempting to skip 40 years of development to field a 5th-generation strategic bomber. US officials currently categorize China as a regional force, but acknowledge that mass production of the H-20 could eventually bridge their global strike deficit. Russia is still limited to 'paper planes' on the drawing board.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force may have the largest bomber force, but it has the lowest performance and the most obsolete airframes of the three. The fleet is entirely made up of Xi'an H-6 variants, which are heavily modified versions of the Soviet Tu-16 Badger from the 1950s. Newer models, such as the H-6K and H-6N, have modern turbofan engines, aerial refueling probes, and the capacity to carry long-range cruise missiles or air-launched ballistic missiles, but they are still outperformed by numerous Russian and American bombers in all categories except cost.

As the primary long-range workhorse, the H-6 has been updated to feature glass cockpits, standoff weapons, and new avionics to adapt the 70-year-old jets to modern air warfare. It can carry up to six YJ-12 supersonic or CJ-10 cruise missiles, allegedly allowing it to target US and allied assets as far as Guam, in the Second Island Chain, from the Chinese mainland.

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