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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Canada Canada vs Flag of France France

France's air force fields 1,017 active aircraft — 2.8:1 Canada's 360.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Canada CanadaWorld #24 14.3
AIRS Index / 100

France leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of France FranceWorld #8 27.5
  • 92 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 264
  • 146 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 451
  • 46 Transportweight ×10 167
  • 31 Special missionweight ×8 59
  • 5 UAVsweight ×10 31
  • 40 Trainersweight ×1 45
Canada France 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
Canada France Ratio
Official name Royal Canadian Air Force French Air and Space Force
Active aircraft 360 1,017 🇫🇷 2.8×
Aircraft on order 204 323 🇫🇷 1.6×
Combat aircraft 92 264 🇫🇷 2.9×
Combat share of fleet 25.6 % 26.0 % 🇫🇷 ≈
Aircraft types in service 20 37 🇫🇷 1.9×
Main supplier United States · 86 % France · 79 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 146 451 🇫🇷 3.1×
Transport aircraft 46 167 🇫🇷 3.6×
Special-mission aircraft 31 59 🇫🇷 1.9×
Trainers 40 45 🇫🇷 1.1×
UAVs 5 31 🇫🇷 6.2×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇦 CanadaF/A-18 Hornet ×92Bell 412 ×81S-92 Superhawk ×26
🇫🇷 FranceRafale ×146SA340 Gazelle ×104H125M / AS550 Fennec ×97
Fleet evolution · Canada
Fleet evolution · France
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Canada or France?
France has more military aircraft with 1,017 active aircraft compared to Canada's 360, a difference of 657 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Canada or France?
France has more combat aircraft with 264 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Canada's 92.
Which country has more military helicopters, Canada or France?
France operates more military helicopters with 451 compared to Canada's 146.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Canada or France?
France has more transport aircraft with 167 compared to Canada's 46.
How do the Canada and France air forces compare in size?
France's air force is 3.6 times larger than Canada's in terms of total active aircraft (167 vs 46).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Canada or France?
France has 323 aircraft on order compared to Canada's 204.