Air Forces comparison: Bahrain vs Iran
Iran's air force fields 627 active aircraft — 4.6x Bahrain's 136. The breakdown includes 44 vs 286 combat aircraft, 80 vs 160 helicopters, 3 vs 81 transport aircraft, 9 vs 88 trainers (Bahrain vs Iran). Bahrain has 3 aircraft on order vs 0 for Iran. The Bahrain air force is officially the Royal Bahraini Air Force, while Iran's is the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.
Royal Bahraini Air Force 🇧🇭
| Official Name | Royal Bahraini Air Force |
| Local Name | سلاح الجو الملكي البحريني (Silah al Jaw al Malaki al Bahraini) |
| Active aircraft | 136 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 3 |
| Roundel |
|
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force 🇮🇷
| Official Name | Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force |
| Local Name | نیروی هوایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران (Nīrvī-ye Havāyī-ye Arteš-e Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān) |
| Active aircraft | 627 as of 2026 |
| Aircraft on order | 0 |
| Roundel |
|
Bahraini aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
Combat
|
44 | |
Bomber
|
0 | |
Helicopter
|
80 | |
Training
|
9 | |
Transport
|
3 | |
Other
|
0 | |
Iranian aircraft by type
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
|
Combat
|
286 | |
|
Bomber
|
0 | |
|
Helicopter
|
160 | |
|
Training
|
88 | |
|
Transport
|
81 | |
|
Other
|
12 | |
Evolution of Bahraini Air Force fleet
Evolution of Iranian Air Force fleet
Aircraft Types Radar Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more military aircraft, Bahrain or Iran?
Iran has more military aircraft with 627 active aircraft compared to Bahrain's 136, a difference of 491 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Bahrain or Iran?
Iran has more combat aircraft with 286 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Bahrain's 44.
Which country has more military helicopters, Bahrain or Iran?
Iran operates more military helicopters with 160 compared to Bahrain's 80.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Bahrain or Iran?
Iran has more transport aircraft with 81 compared to Bahrain's 3.
How do the Bahrain and Iran air forces compare in size?
Iran's air force is 27.0 times larger than Bahrain's in terms of total active aircraft (81 vs 3).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Bahrain or Iran?
Bahrain has 3 aircraft on order compared to Iran's 0.