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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Germany Germany vs Flag of Italy Italy

Germany operates 657 active military aircraft vs 778 for Italy.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Germany GermanyWorld #10 23.5
AIRS Index / 100

Germany leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 categories

Roundel of Italy ItalyWorld #12 23.2
  • 224 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 190
  • 290 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 387
  • 72 Transportweight ×10 37
  • 4 Special missionweight ×8 5
  • 65 UAVsweight ×10 32
  • 2 Trainersweight ×1 127
Germany Italy 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
Germany Italy Ratio
Official name German Air Force Italian Air Force
Active aircraft 657 778 🇮🇹 1.2×
Aircraft on order 334 112 🇩🇪 3.0×
Combat aircraft 224 190 🇩🇪 1.2×
Combat share of fleet 34.1 % 24.4 % 🇩🇪 1.4×
Aircraft types in service 21 32 🇮🇹 1.5×
Main supplier France · 31 % United States · 36 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 290 387 🇮🇹 1.3×
Transport aircraft 72 37 🇩🇪 1.9×
Special-mission aircraft 4 5 🇮🇹 1.2×
Trainers 2 127 🇮🇹 64×
UAVs 65 32 🇩🇪 2.0×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇩🇪 GermanyTyphoon ×138NH90 / Caiman ×101Tornado ×86
🇮🇹 ItalyNH90 / Caiman ×114Typhoon ×93F-35 Lightning II ×50
Fleet evolution · Germany
Fleet evolution · Italy
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Germany or Italy?
Italy has more military aircraft with 778 active aircraft compared to Germany's 657, a difference of 121 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Germany or Italy?
Germany has more combat aircraft with 224 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Italy's 190.
Which country has more military helicopters, Germany or Italy?
Italy operates more military helicopters with 387 compared to Germany's 290.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Germany or Italy?
Germany has more transport aircraft with 72 compared to Italy's 37.
How do the Germany and Italy air forces compare in size?
Germany's air force is 1.9 times larger than Italy's in terms of total active aircraft (72 vs 37).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Germany or Italy?
Germany has 334 aircraft on order compared to Italy's 112.