Air Forces comparison: Afghanistan vs Iran

Overview

Iran's air force fields 627 active aircraft — 18:1 Afghanistan's 34.

The breakdown includes 0 vs 286 combat aircraft, 23 vs 160 helicopters, 9 vs 81 transport aircraft, 2 vs 88 trainers (Afghanistan vs Iran).

The Iran air force is officially the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

Official Name	Afghan Air Force
Local Name	قوای هوایی ارتش ملی افغانستان
Active aircraft	34 as of 2026
Aircraft on order	0
Roundel

Official Name	Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Local Name	نیروی هوایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران (Nīrvī-ye Havāyī-ye Arteš-e Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān)
Active aircraft	627 as of 2026
Aircraft on order	0
Roundel

Which country has more military aircraft, Afghanistan or Iran?

Iran has more military aircraft with 627 active aircraft compared to Afghanistan's 34, a difference of 593 aircraft.

Which air force has more combat aircraft, Afghanistan or Iran?

Iran has more combat aircraft with 286 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Afghanistan's 0.

Which country has more military helicopters, Afghanistan or Iran?

Iran operates more military helicopters with 160 compared to Afghanistan's 23.

Which air force has more transport aircraft, Afghanistan or Iran?

Iran has more transport aircraft with 81 compared to Afghanistan's 9.

How do the Afghanistan and Iran air forces compare in size?

Iran's air force is 9.0 times larger than Afghanistan's in terms of total active aircraft (81 vs 9).