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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Spain Spain vs Flag of France France

Spain operates 524 active military aircraft vs 991 for France.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Spain SpainWorld #20 18.4
AIRS Index / 100

France leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of France FranceWorld #8 26.4
  • 178 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 273
  • 188 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 408
  • 77 Transportweight ×10 172
  • 3 Special missionweight ×8 55
  • 23 UAVsweight ×10 31
  • 55 Trainersweight ×1 52
Spain France 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
Spain France Ratio
Official name Spanish Air and Space Force French Air and Space Force
Active aircraft 524 991 🇫🇷 1.9×
Aircraft on order 292 321 🇫🇷 1.1×
Combat aircraft 178 273 🇫🇷 1.5×
Combat share of fleet 34.0 % 27.5 % 🇪🇸 1.2×
Aircraft types in service 28 41 🇫🇷 1.5×
Main supplier United States · 39 % France · 79 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 188 408 🇫🇷 2.2×
Transport aircraft 77 172 🇫🇷 2.2×
Special-mission aircraft 3 55 🇫🇷 18×
Trainers 55 52 🇪🇸 1.1×
UAVs 23 31 🇫🇷 1.3×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇸 SpainF/A-18 Hornet ×81Typhoon ×67H215M / AS532 Cougar ×43
🇫🇷 FranceRafale ×153NH90 / Caiman ×91SA340 Gazelle ×80
Fleet evolution · Spain
Fleet evolution · France
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Spain or France?
France has more military aircraft with 991 active aircraft compared to Spain's 524, a difference of 467 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Spain or France?
France has more combat aircraft with 273 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Spain's 178.
Which country has more military helicopters, Spain or France?
France operates more military helicopters with 408 compared to Spain's 188.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Spain or France?
France has more transport aircraft with 172 compared to Spain's 77.
How do the Spain and France air forces compare in size?
France's air force is 1.9 times larger than Spain's in terms of total active aircraft (991 vs 524).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Spain or France?
France has 321 aircraft on order compared to Spain's 292.