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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Belgium Belgium vs Flag of Ireland Ireland

Belgium's air force fields 114 active aircraft — 4.4:1 Ireland's 26.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Belgium BelgiumWorld #37 10.9
AIRS Index / 100

Belgium leads on 4 of 5 categories

Roundel of Ireland IrelandWorld #97 2.9
  • 67 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 0
  • 16 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 10
  • 9 Transportweight ×10 8
  • 3 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 19 Trainersweight ×1 8
Belgium Ireland 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
Belgium Ireland Ratio
Official name Belgian Air Force Irish Air Corps
Active aircraft 114 26 🇧🇪 4.4×
Aircraft on order 62 6 🇧🇪 10×
Combat aircraft 67 0 🇧🇪
Combat share of fleet 58.8 % 0.0 % 🇧🇪
Aircraft types in service 9 6 🇧🇪 1.5×
Main supplier United States · 61 % Switzerland · 46 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 16 10 🇧🇪 1.6×
Transport aircraft 9 8 🇧🇪 1.1×
Trainers 19 8 🇧🇪 2.4×
UAVs 3 0 🇧🇪
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇧🇪 BelgiumF-16 Fighting Falcon ×52F-35 Lightning II ×15AW109 ×10
🇮🇪 IrelandAW139 ×6H135M / EC365 ×4PC-12 Eagle ×4
Fleet evolution · Belgium
Fleet evolution · Ireland
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium has more military aircraft with 114 active aircraft compared to Ireland's 26, a difference of 88 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium has more combat aircraft with 67 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Ireland's 0.
Which country has more military helicopters, Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium operates more military helicopters with 16 compared to Ireland's 10.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium has more transport aircraft with 9 compared to Ireland's 8.
How do the Belgium and Ireland air forces compare in size?
Belgium's air force is 4.4 times larger than Ireland's in terms of total active aircraft (114 vs 26).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium has 62 aircraft on order compared to Ireland's 6.