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The Economic Times
The Economic Times

IAF more powerful than China's air force, retains world's No. 3 rank for fifth consecutive year: WDMMA

IAF Air Force China Indian Air Force Rafale the Indian Air Force India United States HAL Russian Air Force

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has retained its position as the world's third most powerful air force for the fifth consecutive year in the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) 2026 Global Air Power Rankings. The rankings place the IAF behind only the United States and Russia, while keeping it ahead of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in seventh place and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in 18th.

The WDMMA evaluates 129 air services across 103 countries and analyses more than 48,000 military aircraft worldwide. Its proprietary True Value Rating (TVR) system assesses fleet size along with aircraft mix, technological sophistication, logistics, modernisation and overall operational capability.

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