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

United States's air force fields 12,891 active aircraft — 13:1 France's 991.

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

United States leads on 7 of 7 categories

Roundel of United States United StatesWorld #1 100.0
  • 0 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 147
  • 273 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 3,002
  • 408 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 5,504
  • 172 Transportweight ×10 1,369
  • 55 Special missionweight ×8 1,222
  • 31 UAVsweight ×10 193
  • 52 Trainersweight ×1 1,454
France United States 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 United States Ratio
Official name French Air and Space Force United States Air Force
Active aircraft 991 12,891 🇺🇸 13×
Aircraft on order 321 3,090 🇺🇸 9.6×
Combat aircraft 273 3,002 🇺🇸 11×
Combat share of fleet 27.5 % 23.3 % 🇫🇷 1.2×
Aircraft types in service 41 87 🇺🇸 2.1×
Main supplier France · 79 % United States · 94 %
Show full breakdown · 6 more rowsHide the 6 extra rows
Bombers 0 147 🇺🇸
Helicopters 408 5,504 🇺🇸 13×
Transport aircraft 172 1,369 🇺🇸 8.0×
Special-mission aircraft 55 1,222 🇺🇸 22×
Trainers 52 1,454 🇺🇸 28×
UAVs 31 193 🇺🇸 6.2×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇫🇷 FranceRafale ×153NH90 / Caiman ×91SA340 Gazelle ×80
🇺🇸 United StatesUH-60 Black Hawk ×2,205F-16 Fighting Falcon ×846AH-64 Apache ×822
Fleet evolution · France
Fleet evolution · United States
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, France or United States?
United States has more military aircraft with 12,891 active aircraft compared to France's 991, a difference of 11,900 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, France or United States?
United States has more combat aircraft with 3,002 fighters and attack aircraft compared to France's 273.
Which country has more military helicopters, France or United States?
United States operates more military helicopters with 5,504 compared to France's 408.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, France or United States?
United States has more transport aircraft with 1,369 compared to France's 172.
How do the France and United States air forces compare in size?
United States's air force is 13.0 times larger than France's in terms of total active aircraft (12,891 vs 991).
Which country has more aircraft on order, France or United States?
United States has 3,090 aircraft on order compared to France's 321.