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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Algeria Algeria vs Flag of South Africa South Africa

Algeria's air force fields 682 active aircraft — 3.5:1 South Africa's 194.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Algeria AlgeriaWorld #21 17.8
AIRS Index / 100

Algeria leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of South Africa South AfricaWorld #56 7.4
  • 171 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 25
  • 313 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 84
  • 50 Transportweight ×10 24
  • 28 Special missionweight ×8 4
  • 48 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 72 Trainersweight ×1 57
Algeria South Africa 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
Algeria South Africa Ratio
Official name Algerian Air Force South African Air Force
Active aircraft 682 194 🇩🇿 3.5×
Aircraft on order 46 0 🇩🇿
Combat aircraft 171 25 🇩🇿 6.8×
Combat share of fleet 25.1 % 12.9 % 🇩🇿 1.9×
Aircraft types in service 33 17 🇩🇿 1.9×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 62 % South Africa · 25 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 313 84 🇩🇿 3.7×
Transport aircraft 50 24 🇩🇿 2.1×
Special-mission aircraft 28 4 🇩🇿 7.0×
Trainers 72 57 🇩🇿 1.3×
UAVs 48 0 🇩🇿
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇩🇿 AlgeriaMi-8 Hip ×138Su-30 Flanker-C ×72MiG-29 Fulcrum ×46
🇿🇦 South AfricaAtlas Oryx ×37JAS 39 Gripen ×25AW109 ×24
Fleet evolution · Algeria
Fleet evolution · South Africa
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria has more military aircraft with 682 active aircraft compared to South Africa's 194, a difference of 488 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria has more combat aircraft with 171 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Africa's 25.
Which country has more military helicopters, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria operates more military helicopters with 313 compared to South Africa's 84.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria has more transport aircraft with 50 compared to South Africa's 24.
How do the Algeria and South Africa air forces compare in size?
Algeria's air force is 3.5 times larger than South Africa's in terms of total active aircraft (682 vs 194).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria has 46 aircraft on order compared to South Africa's 0.