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

Ethiopia operates 110 active military aircraft vs 180 for Nigeria.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Ethiopia EthiopiaWorld #73 5.4
AIRS Index / 100

Nigeria leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of Nigeria NigeriaWorld #68 5.8
  • 34 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 36
  • 31 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 76
  • 10 Transportweight ×10 17
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 8
  • 4 UAVsweight ×10 17
  • 31 Trainersweight ×1 26
Ethiopia Nigeria 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 Nigeria Ratio
Official name Ethiopian Air Force Nigerian Air Force
Active aircraft 110 180 🇳🇬 1.6×
Aircraft on order 4 111 🇳🇬 28×
Combat aircraft 34 36 🇳🇬 1.1×
Combat share of fleet 30.9 % 20.0 % 🇪🇹 1.5×
Aircraft types in service 17 30 🇳🇬 1.8×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 49 % Italy · 24 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 31 76 🇳🇬 2.5×
Transport aircraft 10 17 🇳🇬 1.7×
Special-mission aircraft 0 8 🇳🇬
Trainers 31 26 🇪🇹 1.2×
UAVs 4 17 🇳🇬 4.2×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇹 EthiopiaSu-27 Flanker ×22Mi-8 Hip ×14MiG-23 Flogger ×9
🇳🇬 NigeriaAW109 ×30Mi-24 Hind ×15Alpha Jet ×13
Fleet evolution · Ethiopia
Fleet evolution · Nigeria
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Military strength Armies
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Ethiopia vsEritreaEgyptTunisiaSudanSouth Africa
Nigeria vsSouth AfricaTunisiaMoroccoSudanEgypt

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Ethiopia or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more military aircraft with 180 active aircraft compared to Ethiopia's 110, a difference of 70 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Ethiopia or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more combat aircraft with 36 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Ethiopia's 34.
Which country has more military helicopters, Ethiopia or Nigeria?
Nigeria operates more military helicopters with 76 compared to Ethiopia's 31.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Ethiopia or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more transport aircraft with 17 compared to Ethiopia's 10.
How do the Ethiopia and Nigeria air forces compare in size?
Nigeria's air force is 1.6 times larger than Ethiopia's in terms of total active aircraft (180 vs 110).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Ethiopia or Nigeria?
Nigeria has 111 aircraft on order compared to Ethiopia's 4.