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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Spain Spain vs Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia

Spain operates 524 active military aircraft vs 915 for Saudi Arabia.

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

Saudi Arabia leads on 3 of 6 categories

Roundel of Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaWorld #7 27.3
  • 178 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 384
  • 188 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 263
  • 77 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 3 Special missionweight ×8 66
  • 23 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 55 Trainersweight ×1 156
Spain Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia Ratio
Official name Spanish Air and Space Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Active aircraft 524 915 🇸🇦 1.7×
Aircraft on order 292 368 🇸🇦 1.3×
Combat aircraft 178 384 🇸🇦 2.2×
Combat share of fleet 34.0 % 42.0 % 🇸🇦 1.2×
Aircraft types in service 28 29 🇸🇦 ≈
Main supplier United States · 39 % United States · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 188 263 🇸🇦 1.4×
Transport aircraft 77 46 🇪🇸 1.7×
Special-mission aircraft 3 66 🇸🇦 22×
Trainers 55 156 🇸🇦 2.8×
UAVs 23 0 🇪🇸
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇸 SpainF/A-18 Hornet ×81Typhoon ×67H215M / AS532 Cougar ×43
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaF-15EX Eagle II ×83Tornado ×81F-15 Eagle ×80
Fleet evolution · Spain
Fleet evolution · Saudi Arabia
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Spain vsItalyMoroccoGreecePolandNetherlands
Saudi Arabia vsUnited StatesIranIsraelUnited Arab EmiratesTaiwan
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Saudi Arabia vs Egypt Air Forces

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Spain or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more military aircraft with 915 active aircraft compared to Spain's 524, a difference of 391 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Spain or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more combat aircraft with 384 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Spain's 178.
Which country has more military helicopters, Spain or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia operates more military helicopters with 263 compared to Spain's 188.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Spain or Saudi Arabia?
Spain has more transport aircraft with 77 compared to Saudi Arabia's 46.
How do the Spain and Saudi Arabia air forces compare in size?
Saudi Arabia's air force is 1.7 times larger than Spain's in terms of total active aircraft (915 vs 524).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Spain or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has 368 aircraft on order compared to Spain's 292.