Air Forces comparison: United Arab Emirates vs United States
Overview
United States's air force fields 12,784 active aircraft — 23:1 United Arab Emirates's 548.
The breakdown includes 135 vs 3,101 combat aircraft, 0 vs 147 bombers, 264 vs 5,442 helicopters, 55 vs 1,483 transport aircraft, 86 vs 1,598 trainers (United Arab Emirates vs United States). United Arab Emirates has 267 aircraft on order vs 3,432 for United States.
The United Arab Emirates air force is officially the United Arab Emirates Air Force, while United States's is the United States Air Force.
United Arab Emirates Air Force 🇦🇪
| Official Name | United Arab Emirates Air Force |
| Local Name | القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي الإماراتية (Al Quwwāt al Jawwīyah wal Difāʿ al Jawwī al Imārātīyah) |
| Active aircraft | 548 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 267 |
| Roundel |
|
United States Air Force 🇺🇸
| Official Name | United States Air Force |
| Local Name | US Air Force |
| Active aircraft | 12784 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 3432 |
| Roundel |
|
Emirati aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
Combat
|
135 | |
Bomber
|
0 | |
Helicopter
|
264 | |
Training
|
86 | |
Transport
|
55 | |
Other
|
8 | |
United States aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
|
Combat
|
3101 | |
|
Bomber
|
147 | |
|
Helicopter
|
5442 | |
|
Training
|
1598 | |
|
Transport
|
1483 | |
|
Other
|
1013 | |
Evolution of Emirati Air Force fleet
Evolution of United States Air Force fleet
Aircraft Types Radar Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more military aircraft, United Arab Emirates or United States?
United States has more military aircraft with 12,784 active aircraft compared to United Arab Emirates's 548, a difference of 12,236 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or United States?
United States has more combat aircraft with 3,101 fighters and attack aircraft compared to United Arab Emirates's 135.
Which country has more military helicopters, United Arab Emirates or United States?
United States operates more military helicopters with 5,442 compared to United Arab Emirates's 264.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, United Arab Emirates or United States?
United States has more transport aircraft with 1,483 compared to United Arab Emirates's 55.
How do the United Arab Emirates and United States air forces compare in size?
United States's air force is 27.0 times larger than United Arab Emirates's in terms of total active aircraft (1,483 vs 55).
Which country has more aircraft on order, United Arab Emirates or United States?
United States has 3,432 aircraft on order compared to United Arab Emirates's 267.