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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Australia Australia vs Flag of New Zealand New Zealand

Australia's air force fields 382 active aircraft — 8.1:1 New Zealand's 47.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Australia AustraliaWorld #19 19.2
AIRS Index / 100

Australia leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of New Zealand New ZealandWorld #87 3.4
  • 96 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 0
  • 95 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 21
  • 42 Transportweight ×10 7
  • 43 Special missionweight ×8 8
  • 27 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 79 Trainersweight ×1 11
Australia New Zealand 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
Australia New Zealand Ratio
Official name Royal Australian Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force
Active aircraft 382 47 🇦🇺 8.1×
Aircraft on order 114 0 🇦🇺
Combat aircraft 96 0 🇦🇺
Combat share of fleet 25.1 % 0.0 % 🇦🇺
Aircraft types in service 22 8 🇦🇺 2.8×
Main supplier United States · 65 % United States · 72 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 95 21 🇦🇺 4.5×
Transport aircraft 42 7 🇦🇺 6.0×
Special-mission aircraft 43 8 🇦🇺 5.4×
Trainers 79 11 🇦🇺 7.2×
UAVs 27 0 🇦🇺
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇦🇺 AustraliaF-35 Lightning II ×72UH-60 Black Hawk ×40F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet ×24
🇳🇿 New ZealandNH90 / Caiman ×8SH-2 Seasprite ×8AW109 ×5
Fleet evolution · Australia
Fleet evolution · New Zealand
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Australia or New Zealand?
Australia has more military aircraft with 382 active aircraft compared to New Zealand's 47, a difference of 335 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Australia or New Zealand?
Australia has more combat aircraft with 96 fighters and attack aircraft compared to New Zealand's 0.
Which country has more military helicopters, Australia or New Zealand?
Australia operates more military helicopters with 95 compared to New Zealand's 21.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Australia or New Zealand?
Australia has more transport aircraft with 42 compared to New Zealand's 7.
How do the Australia and New Zealand air forces compare in size?
Australia's air force is 6.0 times larger than New Zealand's in terms of total active aircraft (42 vs 7).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Australia or New Zealand?
Australia has 114 aircraft on order compared to New Zealand's 0.