Strength of World's Air Forces

[Silberpfeil 376]

Link below to interesting Business Insider article on number of aircraft by Air Force:

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/military-aircraft-strength-of-every-country-2016-5?nr_email_referer=1&utm_content=BISelect&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=BI%20Select%20%28Tuesday%20Thursday%29%202016-05-05&utm_term=Business%20Insider%20Select

[+Jimbib 804]

Nice heat map, many thanks.

 

This is a year out of date but is a reasonable resource also... Flight Global's World Air Forces directory...

 

https://d1fmezig7cekam.cloudfront.net/VPP/Global/Flight/Airline%20Business/AB%20home/Edit/WorldAirForces2015.pdf

 

2016 is available but I haven't found a direct pdf link yet, alas this was never an issue when I had access to their ACAS database.

[Silberpfeil 376]

Thanks, Jimbib.  I hope you got a chance to select some of the other links embedded in the brief article - the air show pix from Davis-Monthan are especially nice!

[+Mike Dora 172]

Sad to see in Flight Global link that combat ac strength of RAF is now less than 20% of what it was in my time ('72-'94). Yes I know they're individually far more capable now, but numbers give operational depth. Plus it only needs one unforeseen airworthiness issue (eg Valiant 1960's, Buccaneer 1980's) and suddenly you're down to a handful of ac. Gives a new meaning to The Few ("_too_ few to risk"?)

[Silberpfeil 376]

I agree, Mike Dora, that the detail in Jimbib's link supports a disturbing trend. While individual platform capability has improved dramatically, we are getting closer and closer to the point where that capability is able to be compromised by a variety of non-traditional means.  And, the specialized training for personnel and the increasing time involved with aircraft turnaround between missions due their complexity, coupled with the exorbitant expense of each, makes me a proponent of reversing the trends brought about by purse-string holding politicians whose only short-term interest is in getting elected!