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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Spain Spain vs Flag of United States United States

United States's air force fields 12,784 active aircraft — 27:1 Spain's 471.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Spain SpainWorld #20 19.7
AIRS Index / 100

United States leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of United States United StatesWorld #1 100.0
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · price 147
  • 178 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 2,948
  • 178 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 5,442
  • 72 Transportweight ×10 1,365
  • 3 Special missionweight ×8 1,284
  • 40 Trainersweight ×1 1,598
Spain United States Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by unit price, helicopters by era) · figures: active airframes at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
Spain United States Ratio
Official name Spanish Air and Space Force United States Air Force
Active aircraft 471 12,784 🇺🇸 27×
Aircraft on order 164 3,419 🇺🇸 21×
Combat aircraft 178 2,948 🇺🇸 17×
Combat share of fleet 37.8 % 23.1 % 🇪🇸 1.6×
Aircraft types in service 23 89 🇺🇸 3.9×
Main supplier United States · 36 % United States · 95 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Bombers 0 147 🇺🇸
Helicopters 178 5,442 🇺🇸 31×
Transport aircraft 72 1,365 🇺🇸 19×
Special-mission aircraft 3 1,284 🇺🇸 428×
Trainers 40 1,598 🇺🇸 40×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇸 SpainF/A-18 Hornet ×81Typhoon ×68H215M / AS532 Cougar ×39
🇺🇸 United StatesUH-60 Black Hawk ×2,734AH-64 Apache ×824F-16 Fighting Falcon ×784
Fleet evolution · Spain
Fleet evolution · United States
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Spain or United States?
United States has more military aircraft with 12,784 active aircraft compared to Spain's 471, a difference of 12,313 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Spain or United States?
United States has more combat aircraft with 2,948 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Spain's 178.
Which country has more military helicopters, Spain or United States?
United States operates more military helicopters with 5,442 compared to Spain's 178.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Spain or United States?
United States has more transport aircraft with 1,365 compared to Spain's 72.
How do the Spain and United States air forces compare in size?
United States's air force is 19.0 times larger than Spain's in terms of total active aircraft (1,365 vs 72).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Spain or United States?
United States has 3,419 aircraft on order compared to Spain's 164.