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

Egypt's air force fields 1,146 active aircraft — 5.9:1 South Africa's 194.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Egypt EgyptWorld #15 21.4
AIRS Index / 100

Egypt leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of South Africa South AfricaWorld #56 7.4
  • 555 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 25
  • 353 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 84
  • 65 Transportweight ×10 24
  • 7 Special missionweight ×8 4
  • 38 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 128 Trainersweight ×1 57
Egypt 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
Egypt South Africa Ratio
Official name Egyptian Air Force South African Air Force
Active aircraft 1,146 194 🇪🇬 5.9×
Aircraft on order 50 0 🇪🇬
Combat aircraft 555 25 🇪🇬 22×
Combat share of fleet 48.4 % 12.9 % 🇪🇬 3.8×
Aircraft types in service 32 17 🇪🇬 1.9×
Main supplier United States · 32 % South Africa · 25 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 353 84 🇪🇬 4.2×
Transport aircraft 65 24 🇪🇬 2.7×
Special-mission aircraft 7 4 🇪🇬 1.8×
Trainers 128 57 🇪🇬 2.2×
UAVs 38 0 🇪🇬
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇬 EgyptF-16 Fighting Falcon ×218JL-8 ×117SA340 Gazelle ×89
🇿🇦 South AfricaAtlas Oryx ×37JAS 39 Gripen ×25AW109 ×24
Fleet evolution · Egypt
Fleet evolution · South Africa
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Egypt vsTurkeyIsraelEthiopiaAlgeriaMorocco
South Africa vsMoroccoNigeriaAlgeriaTunisiaEthiopia
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has more military aircraft with 1,146 active aircraft compared to South Africa's 194, a difference of 952 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has more combat aircraft with 555 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Africa's 25.
Which country has more military helicopters, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt operates more military helicopters with 353 compared to South Africa's 84.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has more transport aircraft with 65 compared to South Africa's 24.
How do the Egypt and South Africa air forces compare in size?
Egypt's air force is 5.9 times larger than South Africa's in terms of total active aircraft (1,146 vs 194).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has 50 aircraft on order compared to South Africa's 0.