How Russia's Air Force Inventory Compares

How Russia’s Air Force Inventory Compares

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, March 01, 2022 at 12:24 PM ET

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The Russian Air Force has 3,829 current active inventory. [File Photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Despite having one of the world's largest aircraft inventories, Russia's air force fixed-wing combat aircraft have been noticeably absent from the Ukrainian battlefield, failing to achieve air superiority.
U.S. defense officials caution against sweeping conclusions, noting Russia still has significant combat power not yet deployed and is expected to learn from initial setbacks.
Comparatively, the U.S. Air Force is considered the "gold standard" in combat air power, significantly outperforming Russia's Air Force in modernization, logistical support, and overall capabilities, as reflected by its much higher "TrueValueRating."
The World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft ranks the U.S. Air Force as the top global air service, with Russia's Air Force ranking third, but well behind top U.S. forces in overall effectiveness.

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Despite having one of the largest aircraft inventories in the world, Russian air force fixed-wing combat aircraft have been noticeably absent from the Ukrainian battlefield, prompting some observers to question the invading force’s fleet readiness.

Five days into its launch of the bloody invasion of Ukraine and Russia troops had yet to take control, according to U.S. defense officials.