NEW DELHI – Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal BS Dhanoa recently said thatthe Indian Air Force (IAF) is strong against China.

Both India and China are looking to modernise their respective militarymight. While India has inked deals with numerous countries like France,Russia, Israel and the United States for military hardware, China isfocusing on exponentially increasing its expeditionary capabilities.

That China is fast manufacturing quality military hardware – includingfifth-generation stealth fighter J-20, gives it an edge in many areas.

Here’s taking a look at how the two countries stack up numerically in termsof power in the air.

Fighters/Interceptors: India – 676, China – 1271

Attack Aircraft: India – 808, China – 1385

Transports: India – 857, China – 782

Trainers: India – 323, China – 352

Helicopters: India – 666, China – 912

Attack Helicopters: India – 16, China – 206

Serviceable Airports: India – 346, China – 507

In the unfortunate event of a war between India and China, a large numberof factors are likely to decide the final outcome and the purely numericalcomparison between IAF and PLAAF are only seen as indicative at best.

There is, however, no denying that China allows it to have more braggingrights vis-a-vis not just India but other major global powers like Japanand the United States.