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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Canada Canada vs Flag of New Zealand New Zealand

Canada's air force fields 398 active aircraft — 9.0:1 New Zealand's 44.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Canada CanadaWorld #23 14.8
AIRS Index / 100

Canada leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of New Zealand New ZealandWorld #87 3.4
  • 97 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 0
  • 149 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 18
  • 43 Transportweight ×10 7
  • 27 Special missionweight ×8 8
  • 16 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 66 Trainersweight ×1 11
Canada New Zealand 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 New Zealand Ratio
Official name Royal Canadian Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force
Active aircraft 398 44 🇨🇦 9.0×
Aircraft on order 204 7 🇨🇦 29×
Combat aircraft 97 0 🇨🇦
Combat share of fleet 24.4 % 0.0 % 🇨🇦
Aircraft types in service 25 8 🇨🇦 3.1×
Main supplier United States · 78 % United States · 70 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 149 18 🇨🇦 8.3×
Transport aircraft 43 7 🇨🇦 6.1×
Special-mission aircraft 27 8 🇨🇦 3.4×
Trainers 66 11 🇨🇦 6.0×
UAVs 16 0 🇨🇦
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇨🇦 CanadaF/A-18 Hornet ×95Bell 412 ×81S-92 Superhawk ×27
🇳🇿 New ZealandNH90 / Caiman ×8AW109 ×5C-130 Hercules ×5
Fleet evolution · Canada
Fleet evolution · New Zealand
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Canada or New Zealand?
Canada has more military aircraft with 398 active aircraft compared to New Zealand's 44, a difference of 354 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Canada or New Zealand?
Canada has more combat aircraft with 97 fighters and attack aircraft compared to New Zealand's 0.
Which country has more military helicopters, Canada or New Zealand?
Canada operates more military helicopters with 149 compared to New Zealand's 18.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Canada or New Zealand?
Canada has more transport aircraft with 43 compared to New Zealand's 7.
How do the Canada and New Zealand air forces compare in size?
Canada's air force is 9.0 times larger than New Zealand's in terms of total active aircraft (398 vs 44).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Canada or New Zealand?
Canada has 204 aircraft on order compared to New Zealand's 7.