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

Spain operates 524 active military aircraft vs 801 for Italy.

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

Italy leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of Italy ItalyWorld #10 23.5
  • 178 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 197
  • 188 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 388
  • 77 Transportweight ×10 43
  • 3 Special missionweight ×8 5
  • 23 UAVsweight ×10 32
  • 55 Trainersweight ×1 136
Spain Italy 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 Italy Ratio
Official name Spanish Air and Space Force Italian Air Force
Active aircraft 524 801 🇮🇹 1.5×
Aircraft on order 292 192 🇪🇸 1.5×
Combat aircraft 178 197 🇮🇹 1.1×
Combat share of fleet 34.0 % 24.6 % 🇪🇸 1.4×
Aircraft types in service 28 34 🇮🇹 1.2×
Main supplier United States · 39 % United States · 36 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 188 388 🇮🇹 2.1×
Transport aircraft 77 43 🇪🇸 1.8×
Special-mission aircraft 3 5 🇮🇹 1.7×
Trainers 55 136 🇮🇹 2.5×
UAVs 23 32 🇮🇹 1.4×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇸 SpainF/A-18 Hornet ×81Typhoon ×67H215M / AS532 Cougar ×43
🇮🇹 ItalyNH90 / Caiman ×114Typhoon ×93F-35 Lightning II ×57
Fleet evolution · Spain
Fleet evolution · Italy
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Spain vsMoroccoGreecePolandUkraineNetherlands
Italy vsFranceUkraineGreeceGermanyPoland

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Spain or Italy?
Italy has more military aircraft with 801 active aircraft compared to Spain's 524, a difference of 277 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Spain or Italy?
Italy has more combat aircraft with 197 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Spain's 178.
Which country has more military helicopters, Spain or Italy?
Italy operates more military helicopters with 388 compared to Spain's 188.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Spain or Italy?
Spain has more transport aircraft with 77 compared to Italy's 43.
How do the Spain and Italy air forces compare in size?
Italy's air force is 1.5 times larger than Spain's in terms of total active aircraft (801 vs 524).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Spain or Italy?
Spain has 292 aircraft on order compared to Italy's 192.