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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh vs Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Bangladesh's air force fields 226 active aircraft — 2.6:1 Sri Lanka's 87.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Bangladesh BangladeshWorld #64 6.2
AIRS Index / 100

Bangladesh leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of Sri Lanka Sri LankaWorld #81 4.0
  • 69 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 16
  • 69 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 49
  • 21 Transportweight ×10 18
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 4
  • 6 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 61 Trainersweight ×1 0
Bangladesh Sri Lanka 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
Bangladesh Sri Lanka Ratio
Official name Bangladesh Air Force Sri Lanka Air Force
Active aircraft 226 87 🇧🇩 2.6×
Aircraft on order 6 0 🇧🇩
Combat aircraft 69 16 🇧🇩 4.3×
Combat share of fleet 30.5 % 18.4 % 🇧🇩 1.7×
Aircraft types in service 22 14 🇧🇩 1.6×
Main supplier China · 38 % United States · 36 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 69 49 🇧🇩 1.4×
Transport aircraft 21 18 🇧🇩 1.2×
Special-mission aircraft 0 4 🇱🇰
Trainers 61 0 🇧🇩
UAVs 6 0 🇧🇩
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇧🇩 BangladeshJ-7 Fishcan ×46Mi-17 Hip-H ×36JL-8 ×15
🇱🇰 Sri LankaMi-17 Hip-H ×20206 JetRanger ×12UH-1N Twin Huey ×12
Fleet evolution · Bangladesh
Fleet evolution · Sri Lanka
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
Bangladesh has more military aircraft with 226 active aircraft compared to Sri Lanka's 87, a difference of 139 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
Bangladesh has more combat aircraft with 69 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Sri Lanka's 16.
Which country has more military helicopters, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
Bangladesh operates more military helicopters with 69 compared to Sri Lanka's 49.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
Bangladesh has more transport aircraft with 21 compared to Sri Lanka's 18.
How do the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka air forces compare in size?
Bangladesh's air force is 2.6 times larger than Sri Lanka's in terms of total active aircraft (226 vs 87).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
Bangladesh has 6 aircraft on order compared to Sri Lanka's 0.