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Roundel of Ivory Coast air force
Air Forceยท ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Ivory Coast

Ivorian Air Force

The Ivorian Air Force operates 21 military aircraft in 2026 โ€” 12 helicopters, 4 transport aircraft, 2 drones. It ranks #118 of 160 air forces worldwide, with 3 more aircraft on order.

Active aircraft
212026
On order
+3
Helicopters
12
AIRS Index (Air Inventory Rating of Strength)
2.1/ 100
Global rank: #118 / 160
The score reflects a fleet of 0 combat aircraft, 12 helicopters and 4 transports out of 21 active airframes, weighted by combat effectiveness.
How this score is calculated
Fleet Composition โ€” 2026
  • Helicopter 12
  • Transport 4
  • Other 3
  • UAV 2
  • Combat 0 +3
ActiveOn order
Fleet Evolution
2020 โ€” 8 8 2020 2021 โ€” 5 5 2021 2022 โ€” 5 5 2022 2023 โ€” 7 7 2023 2024 โ€” 9 9 2024 2025 โ€” 19 19 2025 2026 โ€” 21 21 2026
Origin of Aircraft
Most Used Aircraft
Mi-8 Hip profile drawing Mi-8 Hip Helicopter ยท 5 active Mi-24 Hind profile drawing Mi-24 Hind Helicopter ยท 4 active H125M / AS550 Fennec profile drawing H125M / AS550 Fennec Helicopter ยท 3 active King Air 350 profile drawing King Air 350 Special ยท 2 active An-26 Curl profile drawing An-26 Curl Transport ยท 2 active Wing Loong II profile drawing Wing Loong II UAV ยท 2 active
Recent air force events Updated daily
  1. AUG 102026 2ร— Wing Loong II Delivered Two Wing Loong II drones shown at Bouake AB in an armed forces video, confirming delivery of the 2024 order.
View all 2 events โ†’

Full inventory in 2026

9 aircraft types

Ivory Coast Air Force

Aircraft Origin Model year Active ฮ” YoY Ordered
Combat
JL-8 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฐ Pakistan 		1994 โ€” โ€” +3
Helicopter
Mi-8 Hip ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1967 5 +3 โ€”
Mi-24 Hind ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1972 4 +1 โ€”
H125M / AS550 Fennec ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France 1990 3 -2 โ€”
Transport
An-26 Curl ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1969 2 โ€” โ€”
Beechcraft 1900 Beechliner ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1984 1 โ€” โ€”
C-295 Persuader ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia 		2001 1 โ€” โ€”
UAV
Wing Loong II ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China 2018 2 +2 โ€”
Other
King Air 350 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1990 2 +2 โ€”
King Air 90 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1964 1 -2 โ€”
ActiveOn order

Overview

The Ivory Coast Air Force, also known as the Force Aรฉrienne de la Cรดte d'Ivoire, is the air arm of the Ivorian military. Established in 1961, it has had a relatively stable history since its inception. The Air Force primarily operates from its main base at Port Bouet Airport in Abidjan. Its fleet consists of various aircraft, including fighter jets, transport planes, helicopters, and trainer aircraft. The Air Force has participated in several peacekeeping missions, both within the continent of Africa and internationally. It has also been engaged in anti-insurgency operations within the country. In recent years, the Ivory Coast Air Force has undergone limited modernization efforts, acquiring new aircraft and upgrading existing ones. This has resulted in improved capabilities and enhanced readiness. The force continues to play a crucial role in safeguarding national security and supporting the ground forces in various military operations.

Compiled from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), official air force and government publications and dated press reports; the update journal below lists the sources of each pass. Last updated on 6 October 2026. Suggest a change

Frequently Asked Questions

How many aircraft does Ivory Coast have?
Ivory Coast Air Force operates 21 active military aircraft as of the current year. Additionally, 3 aircraft are currently on order.
How does Ivory Coast's air force rank globally?
Ivory Coast Air Force ranks #118 out of 160 air forces worldwide based on the AIRS Index (Air Inventory Rating of Strength), which measures overall air power capability considering fleet size and combat effectiveness.
How many military helicopters does Ivory Coast have?
Ivory Coast Air Force operates 12 military helicopters, including attack, transport, and utility rotorcraft used for various combat and support missions.
What is the AIRS Index score of Ivory Coast?
Ivory Coast has an AIRS Index (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) score of 2.1 out of 100. This composite score weights every active airframe by category and by generation tier (strategic bombers highest, then combat aircraft, helicopters and transports), scales the combat fleet by its enablers โ€” tankers and airborne early warning โ€” and its stand-off armament, and applies a budget-based availability proxy to the whole force.
Where does Ivory Coast get its military aircraft from?
Ivory Coast sources its military aircraft primarily from Ex-USSR, United States, and France. The fleet composition reflects both domestic production capabilities and international defense partnerships.
Compare this Air Force
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Ivory Coast vs
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ซ Burkina Faso ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ญ Ghana ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ณ Guinea ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Mali
Related Pages
Soviet and Russian Aircraft Designations Mi-8 and Mi-17 Variants: Hip, Mi-171, Mi-17V-5 and Mi-8AMTSh Chinese Aircraft Designations
Latest Data Updates
  1. OCT 62026 Updated Fleet counts revised (H125M / AS550 Fennec)
  2. OCT 62026 Updated Fleet counts revised (Mi-8 Hip)
  3. SEP 262026 Updated Logged 1 fleet event from 2025: 1 loss
  4. SEP 262026 Updated Logged the entry into service of two Wing Loong II drones
  5. SEP 232026 Updated C295 option removed as unconfirmed; three K-8 jet trainers and two Wing Loong II drones ordered.
  6. SEP 232026 Updated King Air fleet split by variant: reconnaissance King Air 90 distinguished from two King Air 360 transports delivered in 2024.
  7. AUG 292026 Updated King Air 350 fleet entry linked to its aircraft page