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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Australia Australia vs Flag of United States United States

United States's air force fields 12,891 active aircraft — 35:1 Australia's 367.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Australia AustraliaWorld #19 18.5
AIRS Index / 100

United States leads on 7 of 7 categories

Roundel of United States United StatesWorld #1 100.0
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 147
  • 96 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 3,002
  • 73 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 5,504
  • 45 Transportweight ×10 1,368
  • 44 Special missionweight ×8 1,222
  • 27 UAVsweight ×10 193
  • 82 Trainersweight ×1 1,455
Australia United States 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 United States Ratio
Official name Royal Australian Air Force United States Air Force
Active aircraft 367 12,891 🇺🇸 35×
Aircraft on order 88 3,090 🇺🇸 35×
Combat aircraft 96 3,002 🇺🇸 31×
Combat share of fleet 26.2 % 23.3 % 🇦🇺 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 22 87 🇺🇸 4.0×
Main supplier United States · 67 % United States · 94 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 147 🇺🇸
Helicopters 73 5,504 🇺🇸 75×
Transport aircraft 45 1,368 🇺🇸 30×
Special-mission aircraft 44 1,222 🇺🇸 28×
Trainers 82 1,455 🇺🇸 18×
UAVs 27 193 🇺🇸 7.1×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇦🇺 AustraliaF-35 Lightning II ×72F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet ×24SH-60 Seahawk ×23
🇺🇸 United StatesUH-60 Black Hawk ×2,205F-16 Fighting Falcon ×846AH-64 Apache ×822
Fleet evolution · Australia
Fleet evolution · United States
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Australia or United States?
United States has more military aircraft with 12,891 active aircraft compared to Australia's 367, a difference of 12,524 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Australia or United States?
United States has more combat aircraft with 3,002 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Australia's 96.
Which country has more military helicopters, Australia or United States?
United States operates more military helicopters with 5,504 compared to Australia's 73.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Australia or United States?
United States has more transport aircraft with 1,368 compared to Australia's 45.
How do the Australia and United States air forces compare in size?
United States's air force is 35.1 times larger than Australia's in terms of total active aircraft (12,891 vs 367).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Australia or United States?
United States has 3,090 aircraft on order compared to Australia's 88.