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Roundel of Peru air force
Air Forceยท ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ช Peru

Peruvian Air Force

The Peruvian Air Force operates 260 military aircraft in 2026 โ€” 19 combat aircraft (fighter and attack jets), 124 helicopters, 52 transport aircraft, 53 trainers. It ranks #55 of 160 air forces worldwide, with 22 more aircraft on order.

Active aircraft
2602026
On order
+22
Combat
19
Helicopters
124
AIRS Index (Air Inventory Rating of Strength)
7.7/ 100
Global rank: #55 / 160
The score reflects a fleet of 19 combat aircraft, 124 helicopters and 52 transports out of 260 active airframes, weighted by combat effectiveness.
Combat quality 0.32 ยท enablers ร—1.12 ยท armament ร—1.13 ยท availability ร—1.02
How this score is calculated
Fleet Composition โ€” 2026
  • Helicopter 124
  • Training 53 +7
  • Transport 52 +1
  • Combat 19 +12
  • Other 11 +2
ActiveOn order
Fleet Evolution
2020 โ€” 248 248 2020 2021 โ€” 243 243 2021 2022 โ€” 242 242 2022 2023 โ€” 268 268 2023 2024 โ€” 257 257 2024 2025 โ€” 252 252 2025 2026 โ€” 260 260 2026
Origin of Aircraft
Most Used Aircraft
Mi-17 Hip-H profile drawing Mi-17 Hip-H Helicopter ยท 57 active KT-1 Woongbi profile drawing KT-1 Woongbi Training ยท 19 active Mi-24 Hind profile drawing Mi-24 Hind Helicopter ยท 18 active Enstrom F-28 profile drawing Enstrom F-28 Training ยท 15 active DHC-6 Twin Otter profile drawing DHC-6 Twin Otter Transport ยท 15 active Mi-8 Hip profile drawing Mi-8 Hip Helicopter ยท 13 active
Recent air force events Updated daily
  1. NOV 32026 AW109 Crash Crashed in the Cordillera del Cรณndor, El Cenepa, during a humanitarian demining support flight in bad weather; one paramedic killed, three injured.
  2. MAY 42026 C-27J Ordered Fifth C-27J ordered, Peru's first in the Spartan Next Generation standard; delivery to Grupo Aรฉreo 8 in 2027.
  3. APR 232026 12ร— F-16 Block 70 Ordered Peru orders 12 F-16 Block 70 in a 1.5 billion dollar direct commercial sale, reversing its Gripen selection.
  4. FEB 222026 Mi-17/171 Destroyed Mi-17 lost radio contact during flood relief mission near Chala, Arequipa; all 15 aboard killed including 7 children.
View all 9 events โ†’

Full inventory in 2026

41 aircraft types

Peruvian Air Force

Aircraft Origin Model year Active ฮ” YoY Ordered
Combat
Mirage 2000 ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France 1984 11 โ€” โ€”
MiG-29 Fulcrum ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1983 6 -2 โ€”
Su-25 Frogfoot ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1981 2 -6 โ€”
F-16V Viper ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 2018 โ€” โ€” +12
Helicopter
Mi-24 Hind ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1972 18 +2 โ€”
Mi-17 Hip-H ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1977 9 โ€” โ€”
TH-55 Osage ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1961 4 โ€” โ€”
MBB Bo 105 ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany 1970 2 โ€” โ€”
UH-1N Twin Huey ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1970 1 -2 โ€”
Mi-8 Hip ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1967 1 +1 โ€”
Transport
DHC-6 Twin Otter ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada 1966 15 โ€” โ€”
C-27J Spartan ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy 2006 4 โ€” +1
An-32 Cline ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine 1982 3 +2 โ€”
C-130 Hercules ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1956 3 โ€” โ€”
Fairchild Metroliner ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1972 3 โ€” โ€”
Learjet 35 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1973 2 โ€” โ€”
Commander 500 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1952 1 โ€” โ€”
PA-34 Seneca ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1971 1 โ€” โ€”
PC-6 Porter ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ Switzerland 1960 1 โ€” โ€”
Boeing 737 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1967 1 +1 โ€”
Learjet 45 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada 1998 1 +1 โ€”
Training
KT-1 Woongbi ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea 2000 19 -1 โ€”
Alarus CH2000 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada 1995 10 โ€” +7
Enstrom F-28 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1965 6 +2 โ€”
Zlin Z 42 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Czechia 1970 3 โ€” โ€”
Beechcraft Baron ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1961 1 โ€” โ€”
PA-44 Seminole ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1979 1 โ€” โ€”
Other
KC-130 Hercules ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1961 2 โ€” โ€”
King Air 350 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1990 2 +2 โ€”
ActiveOn order

Peruvian Army

Aircraft Origin Model year Active ฮ” YoY Ordered
Helicopter
Mi-17 Hip-H ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1977 48 +48 โ€”
Mi-8 Hip ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1967 10 -33 โ€”
AW109 ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy 		1976 3 +2 โ€”
Transport
An-32 Cline ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine 1982 3 โ€” โ€”
Beechcraft 1900 Beechliner ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1984 1 โ€” โ€”
208 Caravan ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1984 1 โ€” โ€”
500 Citation I ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1971 1 โ€” โ€”
PA-34 Seneca ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1971 1 +1 โ€”
421 Golden Eagle ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1968 1 +1 โ€”
Training
Enstrom F-28 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1965 4 +1 โ€”
Robinson R44 Raven ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1993 1 โ€” โ€”
Other
King Air 350 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1990 1 โ€” โ€”
Other
Cessna 182 โ€” โ€” 1 +1 โ€”
ActiveOn order

Peruvian Navy

Aircraft Origin Model year Active ฮ” YoY Ordered
Helicopter
UH-1N Twin Huey ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1970 10 +5 โ€”
SH-3 Sea King ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1961 9 +2 โ€”
SH-2 Seasprite ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1962 5 โ€” โ€”
206 JetRanger ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1967 2 โ€” โ€”
Mi-8 Hip ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Ex-USSR 1967 2 +1 โ€”
Transport
Fokker 50 ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands 1987 6 +3 โ€”
An-32 Cline ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine 1982 2 โ€” โ€”
F27 Friendship ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands 1958 1 +1 โ€”
Training
Enstrom F-28 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1965 5 +1 โ€”
T-34 Mentor ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1954 3 -4 โ€”
Other
King Air 90 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 1964 6 +3 +2
ActiveOn order

Overview

The Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aรฉrea del Perรบ, FAP) is structured to project power and defend the nation's sovereignty, with its organization based on a system of numbered Air Wings (Alas Aรฉreas) geographically distributed across the country. These wings, located in key regions such as Piura, Chiclayo, Lima, and Arequipa, command various air groups responsible for combat, transport, training, and support operations. This decentralized structure allows for rapid response to threats in different environments, from coastal plains to the Andean mountains and Amazon basin.

Historically, the FAPโ€™s strategic doctrine has focused on maintaining a credible deterrent against neighboring states, a posture shaped by past border conflicts. A key mission is ensuring air superiority and providing close air support to ground forces. The FAP also plays a significant role in internal security, providing air mobility for counter-insurgency operations, and participates in disaster relief efforts. Analysis of past engagements, such as the Cenepa War of 1995, revealed deficiencies in joint doctrine, intelligence, and electronic warfare, which has influenced subsequent planning.

The FAP's operational capability has been hampered by an aging fleet, particularly its primary combat aircraft. Maintenance issues and difficulties in sourcing spare parts have degraded readiness. To address this, a major program involves the acquisition of 24 advanced multirole fighters to replace its legacy Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 fleets. The main contenders for this contract include the Dassault Rafale, Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70, and the Saab Gripen E/F. This planned procurement underscores a strategic shift towards acquiring modern platforms with advanced sensors, electronic warfare capabilities, and compatibility with Western or diverse operational doctrines. Beyond fighters, modernization extends to the transport and tanker fleets to improve logistical reach and strategic mobility, including the recent acquisition of KC-130H Hercules tankers.

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 9 November 2026. Suggest a change

Frequently Asked Questions

How many aircraft does Peru have?
Peru Air Force operates 260 active military aircraft as of the current year. Additionally, 22 aircraft are currently on order.
How does Peru's air force rank globally?
Peru Air Force ranks #55 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 combat aircraft does Peru operate?
Peru operates 19 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 Peru have?
Peru Air Force operates 124 military helicopters, including attack, transport, and utility rotorcraft used for various combat and support missions.
What is the AIRS Index score of Peru?
Peru has an AIRS Index (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) score of 7.7 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 Peru get its military aircraft from?
Peru sources its military aircraft primarily from Ex-USSR, United States, and Canada. The fleet composition reflects both domestic production capabilities and international defense partnerships.
Compare this Air Force
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ช Peru vs
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ด Bolivia ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Chile ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ด Colombia ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡จ Ecuador
Related Pages
Peruvian Military Ranks Soviet and Russian Aircraft Designations C-130 Hercules Variants Mi-8 and Mi-17 Variants: Hip, Mi-171, Mi-17V-5 and Mi-8AMTSh Soviet & Russian Fighters
Latest Data Updates
  1. NOV 92026 Updated Logged 1 Army AW109 helicopter crash
  2. OCT 62026 Updated Fleet counts revised (UH-1N Twin Huey)
  3. OCT 62026 Updated Naval and army aviation fleet counts revised for 7 types; 1 types removed; 4 added
  4. OCT 62026 Updated Fleet counts revised (An-32 Cline, Mi-24 Hind, MiG-29 Fulcrum, Su-25 Frogfoot); added: Learjet 45, Mi-8 Hip
  5. OCT 22026 Updated F-16 Block 70 order dated to its April 2026 signature
  6. SEP 232026 Updated King Air 360 and Enstrom 280 deliveries and C-27J order logged
  7. SEP 232026 Updated C-27J order revised to the signed contract; F-16 Block 70 fighters added on order; A-37 attack aircraft retired