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

Spain operates 509 active military aircraft vs 778 for Italy.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Spain SpainWorld #20 18.5
AIRS Index / 100

Italy leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of Italy ItalyWorld #12 23.2
  • 178 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 190
  • 178 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 387
  • 77 Transportweight ×10 33
  • 3 Special missionweight ×8 5
  • 18 UAVsweight ×10 32
  • 55 Trainersweight ×1 131
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 509 778 🇮🇹 1.5×
Aircraft on order 207 112 🇪🇸 1.8×
Combat aircraft 178 190 🇮🇹 1.1×
Combat share of fleet 35.0 % 24.4 % 🇪🇸 1.4×
Aircraft types in service 28 32 🇮🇹 1.1×
Main supplier United States · 39 % United States · 36 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 178 387 🇮🇹 2.2×
Transport aircraft 77 33 🇪🇸 2.3×
Special-mission aircraft 3 5 🇮🇹 1.7×
Trainers 55 131 🇮🇹 2.4×
UAVs 18 32 🇮🇹 1.8×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇸 SpainF/A-18 Hornet ×81Typhoon ×68H215M / AS532 Cougar ×39
🇮🇹 ItalyNH90 / Caiman ×114Typhoon ×93F-35 Lightning II ×50
Fleet evolution · Spain
Fleet evolution · Italy
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Military strength Navies Armies
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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 778 active aircraft compared to Spain's 509, a difference of 269 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Spain or Italy?
Italy has more combat aircraft with 190 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Spain's 178.
Which country has more military helicopters, Spain or Italy?
Italy operates more military helicopters with 387 compared to Spain's 178.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Spain or Italy?
Spain has more transport aircraft with 77 compared to Italy's 33.
How do the Spain and Italy air forces compare in size?
Spain's air force is 2.3 times larger than Italy's in terms of total active aircraft (77 vs 33).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Spain or Italy?
Spain has 207 aircraft on order compared to Italy's 112.