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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia vs Flag of Niger Niger

Ethiopia's air force fields 117 active aircraft — 3.1:1 Niger's 38.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Ethiopia EthiopiaWorld #73 5.5
AIRS Index / 100

Ethiopia leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of Niger NigerWorld #100 2.7
  • 34 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 2
  • 31 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 16
  • 12 Transportweight ×10 9
  • 3 Special missionweight ×8 1
  • 6 UAVsweight ×10 7
  • 31 Trainersweight ×1 3
Ethiopia Niger 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
Ethiopia Niger Ratio
Official name Ethiopian Air Force Nigerien Air Force
Active aircraft 117 38 🇪🇹 3.1×
Aircraft on order 4 2 🇪🇹 2.0×
Combat aircraft 34 2 🇪🇹 17×
Combat share of fleet 29.1 % 5.3 % 🇪🇹 5.5×
Aircraft types in service 20 14 🇪🇹 1.4×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 46 % United States · 32 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 31 16 🇪🇹 1.9×
Transport aircraft 12 9 🇪🇹 1.3×
Special-mission aircraft 3 1 🇪🇹 3.0×
Trainers 31 3 🇪🇹 10×
UAVs 6 7 🇳🇪 1.2×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇹 EthiopiaSu-27 Flanker ×22Mi-8 Hip ×14MiG-23 Flogger ×9
🇳🇪 NigerSA340 Gazelle ×5Bell 412 ×4208 Caravan ×4
Fleet evolution · Ethiopia
Fleet evolution · Niger
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Niger vsBotswanaCentral African RepublicCameroonGhanaSenegal

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Ethiopia or Niger?
Ethiopia has more military aircraft with 117 active aircraft compared to Niger's 38, a difference of 79 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Ethiopia or Niger?
Ethiopia has more combat aircraft with 34 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Niger's 2.
Which country has more military helicopters, Ethiopia or Niger?
Ethiopia operates more military helicopters with 31 compared to Niger's 16.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Ethiopia or Niger?
Ethiopia has more transport aircraft with 12 compared to Niger's 9.
How do the Ethiopia and Niger air forces compare in size?
Ethiopia's air force is 3.1 times larger than Niger's in terms of total active aircraft (117 vs 38).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Ethiopia or Niger?
Ethiopia has 4 aircraft on order compared to Niger's 2.