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Roundel of Mozambique air force
Air Forceยท ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Mozambique

Mozambique Air Force

The Mozambique Air Force operates 21 military aircraft in 2026 โ€” 8 combat aircraft (fighter and attack jets), 8 helicopters, 3 transport aircraft, 2 trainers. It ranks #127 of 162 air forces worldwide, with 1 more aircraft on order.

Active aircraft
212026
On order
+1
Combat
8
Helicopters
8
AIRS Index (Air Inventory Rating of Strength)
1.8/ 100
Global rank: #127 / 162
The score reflects a fleet of 8 combat aircraft, 8 helicopters and 3 transports out of 21 active airframes, weighted by combat effectiveness.
Combat quality 0.06 ยท enablers ร—1.00 ยท armament ร—1.00 ยท availability ร—1.03
How this score is calculated
Fleet Composition โ€” 2026
  • Combat 8
  • Helicopter 8
  • Transport 3 +1
  • Training 2
ActiveOn order
Fleet Evolution
2020 โ€” 14 14 2020 2021 โ€” 16 16 2021 2022 โ€” 18 18 2022 2023 โ€” 19 19 2023 2024 โ€” 20 20 2024 2025 โ€” 21 21 2025 2026 โ€” 21 21 2026
Origin of Aircraft
Most Used Aircraft
MiG-21 Fishbed profile drawing MiG-21 Fishbed Combat ยท 8 active Mi-8 Hip profile drawing Mi-8 Hip Helicopter ยท 4 active Mi-24 Hind profile drawing Mi-24 Hind Helicopter ยท 2 active SA340 Gazelle profile drawing SA340 Gazelle Helicopter ยท 2 active Hawker 400 profile drawing Hawker 400 Training ยท 1 active L-39 Albatros profile drawing L-39 Albatros Training ยท 1 active

Full inventory in 2026

9 aircraft types

Mozambique Air Force

Aircraft Origin Model year Active ฮ” YoY Ordered
Combat
MiG-21 ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1958 8 โ€” โ€”
Helicopter
Mi-8/17 ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1967 4 โ€” โ€”
Mi-25 ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1972 2 โ€” โ€”
SA341 ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France 1971 2 โ€” โ€”
Transport
C295/CN235 ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia 		2001 1 โ€” +1
An-26 ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1969 1 โ€” โ€”
L-410 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Czechia 1970 1 โ€” โ€”
Training
Beechjet 400 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1978 1 โ€” โ€”
L-39 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Czechia 1972 1 โ€” โ€”
ActiveOn order

Overview

The Mozambique Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Mozambique Defense Armed Forces. It was established in 1985, following the country's independence from Portugal. Initially, the air force relied on Soviet-made aircraft, but it later diversified its fleet with aircraft from other countries as well. The air force mainly focuses on supporting ground forces and conducting border patrols, aerial reconnaissance, and close air support operations. Its inventory includes various types of aircraft, such as transport planes, helicopters, and light attack aircraft. The Mozambique Air Force has been involved in regional peacekeeping operations, most notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. Furthermore, it has participated in joint military exercises with neighboring countries to enhance regional security cooperation. The air force continues to train its personnel, acquire new equipment, and develop its capabilities to meet the challenges it faces in safeguarding the national airspace and contributing to regional stability.

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 14 March 2026. Suggest a change

Frequently Asked Questions

How many aircraft does Mozambique have?
Mozambique Air Force operates 21 active military aircraft as of the current year. Additionally, 1 aircraft are currently on order.
How does Mozambique's air force rank globally?
Mozambique Air Force ranks #127 out of 162 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 combat aircraft does Mozambique operate?
Mozambique operates 8 combat aircraft, including fighters, multirole jets, and attack aircraft. These form the core of its offensive and defensive air capabilities.
How many military helicopters does Mozambique have?
Mozambique Air Force operates 8 military helicopters, including attack, transport, and utility rotorcraft used for various combat and support missions.
What is the AIRS Index score of Mozambique?
Mozambique has an AIRS Index (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) score of 1.8 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 Mozambique get its military aircraft from?
Mozambique sources its military aircraft primarily from Ex-USSR, France, and Czechia. The fleet composition reflects both domestic production capabilities and international defense partnerships.
Compare this Air Force
๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Mozambique vs
๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ผ Malawi ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ผ Rwanda ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฟ Tanzania ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ South Africa ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ผ Zimbabwe
Latest Data Updates
  1. MAR 142026 Updated 9 aircraft types added