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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia vs Flag of South Sudan South Sudan

Ethiopia's air force fields 117 active aircraft — 5.8:1 South Sudan's 20.

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

Ethiopia leads on 6 of 6 categories

Flag of South Sudan South SudanWorld #126 1.8
  • 34 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 0
  • 31 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 15
  • 12 Transportweight ×10 5
  • 3 Special missionweight ×8 0
  • 6 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 31 Trainersweight ×1 0
Ethiopia South Sudan 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 South Sudan Ratio
Official name Ethiopian Air Force South Sudan Air Force
Active aircraft 117 20 🇪🇹 5.8×
Aircraft on order 4 0 🇪🇹
Combat aircraft 34 0 🇪🇹
Combat share of fleet 29.1 % 0.0 % 🇪🇹
Aircraft types in service 20 6 🇪🇹 3.3×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 46 % Ex-USSR · 75 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 31 15 🇪🇹 2.1×
Transport aircraft 12 5 🇪🇹 2.4×
Special-mission aircraft 3 0 🇪🇹
Trainers 31 0 🇪🇹
UAVs 6 0 🇪🇹
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇪🇹 EthiopiaSu-27 Flanker ×22Mi-8 Hip ×14MiG-23 Flogger ×9
🇸🇸 South SudanMi-17 Hip-H ×7Mi-24 Hind ×6An-26 Curl ×2
Fleet evolution · Ethiopia
Fleet evolution · South Sudan
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South Sudan vsChadZambiaTanzaniaMaliUganda

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
Ethiopia has more military aircraft with 117 active aircraft compared to South Sudan's 20, a difference of 97 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
Ethiopia has more combat aircraft with 34 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0.
Which country has more military helicopters, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
Ethiopia operates more military helicopters with 31 compared to South Sudan's 15.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
Ethiopia has more transport aircraft with 12 compared to South Sudan's 5.
How do the Ethiopia and South Sudan air forces compare in size?
Ethiopia's air force is 5.8 times larger than South Sudan's in terms of total active aircraft (117 vs 20).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
Ethiopia has 4 aircraft on order compared to South Sudan's 0.