GlobalMilitary.net Open-source military intelligence Updated daily
Head-to-head

Air Forces comparison: Flag of Eritrea Eritrea vs Flag of Nigeria Nigeria

Nigeria's air force fields 180 active aircraft — 9.0:1 Eritrea's 20.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Eritrea EritreaWorld #116 2.1
AIRS Index / 100

Nigeria leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of Nigeria NigeriaWorld #68 5.8
  • 2 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 36
  • 13 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 76
  • 4 Transportweight ×10 17
  • 1 Special missionweight ×8 8
  • 0 UAVsweight ×10 17
  • 0 Trainersweight ×1 26
Eritrea Nigeria 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
Eritrea Nigeria Ratio
Official name Eritrean Air Force Nigerian Air Force
Active aircraft 20 180 🇳🇬 9.0×
Aircraft on order 0 111 🇳🇬
Combat aircraft 2 36 🇳🇬 18×
Combat share of fleet 10.0 % 20.0 % 🇳🇬 2.0×
Aircraft types in service 6 30 🇳🇬 5.0×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 70 % Italy · 24 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 13 76 🇳🇬 5.8×
Transport aircraft 4 17 🇳🇬 4.2×
Special-mission aircraft 1 8 🇳🇬 8.0×
Trainers 0 26 🇳🇬
UAVs 0 17 🇳🇬
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇷 EritreaMi-17 Hip-H ×6Mi-24 Hind ×6Y-12 ×4
🇳🇬 NigeriaAW109 ×30Mi-24 Hind ×15Alpha Jet ×13
Fleet evolution · Eritrea
Fleet evolution · Nigeria
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Military strength Navies Armies
Change opponent
Eritrea vsEthiopiaKenyaLibyaSudanCongo Democratic Republic
Nigeria vsSouth AfricaTunisiaMoroccoEthiopiaEgypt

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Eritrea or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more military aircraft with 180 active aircraft compared to Eritrea's 20, a difference of 160 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Eritrea or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more combat aircraft with 36 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Eritrea's 2.
Which country has more military helicopters, Eritrea or Nigeria?
Nigeria operates more military helicopters with 76 compared to Eritrea's 13.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Eritrea or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more transport aircraft with 17 compared to Eritrea's 4.
How do the Eritrea and Nigeria air forces compare in size?
Nigeria's air force is 9.0 times larger than Eritrea's in terms of total active aircraft (180 vs 20).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Eritrea or Nigeria?
Nigeria has 111 aircraft on order compared to Eritrea's 0.