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Air Forces comparison: Flag of France France vs Flag of Portugal Portugal

France's air force fields 991 active aircraft — 9.6:1 Portugal's 103.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of France FranceWorld #8 26.1
AIRS Index / 100

France leads on 6 of 6 categories

Roundel of Portugal PortugalWorld #58 7.3
  • 273 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 33
  • 408 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 30
  • 172 Transportweight ×10 24
  • 55 Special missionweight ×8 5
  • 31 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 52 Trainersweight ×1 11
France Portugal 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
France Portugal Ratio
Official name French Air and Space Force Portuguese Air Force
Active aircraft 991 103 🇫🇷 9.6×
Aircraft on order 321 17 🇫🇷 19×
Combat aircraft 273 33 🇫🇷 8.3×
Combat share of fleet 27.5 % 32.0 % 🇵🇹 1.2×
Aircraft types in service 41 13 🇫🇷 3.2×
Main supplier France · 79 % United States · 44 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 408 30 🇫🇷 14×
Transport aircraft 172 24 🇫🇷 7.2×
Special-mission aircraft 55 5 🇫🇷 11×
Trainers 52 11 🇫🇷 4.7×
UAVs 31 0 🇫🇷
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇫🇷 FranceRafale ×153NH90 / Caiman ×91SA340 Gazelle ×80
🇵🇹 PortugalF-16 Fighting Falcon ×28AW101 ×12C-295 Persuader ×12
Fleet evolution · France
Fleet evolution · Portugal
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France vsUnited StatesUnited KingdomGermanyItalyRussia
Portugal vsDenmarkBelgiumNorwayBulgariaFinland

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, France or Portugal?
France has more military aircraft with 991 active aircraft compared to Portugal's 103, a difference of 888 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, France or Portugal?
France has more combat aircraft with 273 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Portugal's 33.
Which country has more military helicopters, France or Portugal?
France operates more military helicopters with 408 compared to Portugal's 30.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, France or Portugal?
France has more transport aircraft with 172 compared to Portugal's 24.
How do the France and Portugal air forces compare in size?
France's air force is 9.6 times larger than Portugal's in terms of total active aircraft (991 vs 103).
Which country has more aircraft on order, France or Portugal?
France has 321 aircraft on order compared to Portugal's 17.