India, July 11 -- The Indian Air Force (IAF) has once again been ranked as the world's third-most powerful air arm, maintaining its position ahead of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) for the fifth consecutive annual assessment since 2022, according to the latest global rankings released by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA).

The WDMMA 2026 Global Air Power Rankings place only the United States Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Forces ahead of the IAF, reinforcing India's position among the world's leading military aviation powers.

The annual assessment evaluates 129 air services across 103 countries and examines more than 48,000 military aircraft worldwide.

Rather than relying solely on fleet si...