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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Australia Australia vs Flag of Spain Spain

Australia operates 355 active military aircraft vs 471 for Spain.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Australia AustraliaWorld #22 17.8
AIRS Index / 100

Spain leads on 3 of 5 categories

Roundel of Spain SpainWorld #20 19.7
  • 96 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 178
  • 95 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 178
  • 42 Transportweight ×10 72
  • 43 Special missionweight ×8 3
  • 79 Trainersweight ×1 40
Australia Spain Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by unit price, helicopters by era) · figures: active airframes at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
Australia Spain Ratio
Official name Royal Australian Air Force Spanish Air and Space Force
Active aircraft 355 471 🇪🇸 1.3×
Aircraft on order 113 164 🇪🇸 1.5×
Combat aircraft 96 178 🇪🇸 1.9×
Combat share of fleet 27.0 % 37.8 % 🇪🇸 1.4×
Aircraft types in service 20 23 🇪🇸 1.1×
Main supplier United States · 62 % United States · 36 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 95 178 🇪🇸 1.9×
Transport aircraft 42 72 🇪🇸 1.7×
Special-mission aircraft 43 3 🇦🇺 14×
Trainers 79 40 🇦🇺 2.0×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇦🇺 AustraliaF-35 Lightning II ×72UH-60 Black Hawk ×40F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet ×24
🇪🇸 SpainF/A-18 Hornet ×81Typhoon ×68H215M / AS532 Cougar ×39
Fleet evolution · Australia
Fleet evolution · Spain
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Australia or Spain?
Spain has more military aircraft with 471 active aircraft compared to Australia's 355, a difference of 116 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Australia or Spain?
Spain has more combat aircraft with 178 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Australia's 96.
Which country has more military helicopters, Australia or Spain?
Spain operates more military helicopters with 178 compared to Australia's 95.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Australia or Spain?
Spain has more transport aircraft with 72 compared to Australia's 42.
How do the Australia and Spain air forces compare in size?
Spain's air force is 1.7 times larger than Australia's in terms of total active aircraft (72 vs 42).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Australia or Spain?
Spain has 164 aircraft on order compared to Australia's 113.