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

Egypt's air force fields 1,101 active aircraft — 5.7:1 South Africa's 192.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Egypt EgyptWorld #8 28.8
AIRS Index / 100

Egypt leads on 5 of 5 categories

Roundel of South Africa South AfricaWorld #42 10.8
  • 557 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 25
  • 348 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 84
  • 61 Transportweight ×10 22
  • 7 Special missionweight ×8 4
  • 128 Trainersweight ×1 57
Egypt South Africa Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by unit price, helicopters by era) · 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 1,101 192 🇪🇬 5.7×
Aircraft on order 33 0 🇪🇬
Combat aircraft 557 25 🇪🇬 22×
Combat share of fleet 50.6 % 13.0 % 🇪🇬 3.9×
Aircraft types in service 30 15 🇪🇬 2.0×
Main supplier United States · 32 % South Africa · 25 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 348 84 🇪🇬 4.1×
Transport aircraft 61 22 🇪🇬 2.8×
Special-mission aircraft 7 4 🇪🇬 1.8×
Trainers 128 57 🇪🇬 2.2×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇬 EgyptF-16 Fighting Falcon ×218JL-8 ×118SA340 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 vsMoroccoNigeriaAlgeriaTunisiaKenya
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has more military aircraft with 1,101 active aircraft compared to South Africa's 192, a difference of 909 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has more combat aircraft with 557 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 348 compared to South Africa's 84.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has more transport aircraft with 61 compared to South Africa's 22.
How do the Egypt and South Africa air forces compare in size?
Egypt's air force is 2.8 times larger than South Africa's in terms of total active aircraft (61 vs 22).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Egypt or South Africa?
Egypt has 33 aircraft on order compared to South Africa's 0.