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Air Forces comparison: Flag of United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates vs Flag of Iraq Iraq

United Arab Emirates operates 625 active military aircraft vs 393 for Iraq.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of United Arab Emirates United Arab EmiratesWorld #19 18.5
AIRS Index / 100

United Arab Emirates leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of Iraq IraqWorld #39 10.2
  • 175 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 53
  • 250 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 205
  • 58 Transportweight ×10 25
  • 8 Special missionweight ×8 7
  • 44 UAVsweight ×10 4
  • 90 Trainersweight ×1 99
United Arab Emirates Iraq Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by generation tier, helicopters by era; the enabler, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active airframes at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
United Arab Emirates Iraq Ratio
Official name United Arab Emirates Air Force Iraqi Air Force
Active aircraft 625 393 🇦🇪 1.6×
Aircraft on order 170 37 🇦🇪 4.6×
Combat aircraft 175 53 🇦🇪 3.3×
Combat share of fleet 28.0 % 13.5 % 🇦🇪 2.1×
Aircraft types in service 38 27 🇦🇪 1.4×
Main supplier United States · 57 % United States · 40 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 250 205 🇦🇪 1.2×
Transport aircraft 58 25 🇦🇪 2.3×
Special-mission aircraft 8 7 🇦🇪 1.1×
Trainers 90 99 🇮🇶 1.1×
UAVs 44 4 🇦🇪 11×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesUH-60 Black Hawk ×80F-16 Fighting Falcon ×76Mirage 2000 ×59
🇮🇶 IraqMi-8 Hip ×47Bell 407 ×37F-16 Fighting Falcon ×34
Fleet evolution · United Arab Emirates
Fleet evolution · Iraq
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates has more military aircraft with 625 active aircraft compared to Iraq's 393, a difference of 232 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates has more combat aircraft with 175 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Iraq's 53.
Which country has more military helicopters, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates operates more military helicopters with 250 compared to Iraq's 205.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates has more transport aircraft with 58 compared to Iraq's 25.
How do the United Arab Emirates and Iraq air forces compare in size?
United Arab Emirates's air force is 1.6 times larger than Iraq's in terms of total active aircraft (625 vs 393).
Which country has more aircraft on order, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates has 170 aircraft on order compared to Iraq's 37.