GlobalMilitary.net Open-source military intelligence Updated daily
Head-to-head

Air Forces comparison: Flag of Guatemala Guatemala vs Flag of El Salvador El Salvador

Guatemala operates 36 active military aircraft vs 49 for El Salvador.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Guatemala GuatemalaWorld #98 2.8
AIRS Index / 100

Guatemala leads overall, ahead on 1 of 5 categories

Roundel of El Salvador El SalvadorWorld #107 2.4
  • 3 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 6
  • 20 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 33
  • 10 Transportweight ×10 5
  • 2 Special missionweight ×8 2
  • 1 Trainersweight ×1 3
Guatemala El Salvador 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
Guatemala El Salvador Ratio
Official name Guatemalan Air Force Air Force of El Salvador
Active aircraft 36 49 🇸🇻 1.4×
Aircraft on order 2 1 🇬🇹 2.0×
Combat aircraft 3 6 🇸🇻 2.0×
Combat share of fleet 8.3 % 12.2 % 🇸🇻 1.5×
Aircraft types in service 14 13 🇬🇹 1.1×
Main supplier United States · 86 % United States · 88 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 20 33 🇸🇻 1.6×
Transport aircraft 10 5 🇬🇹 2.0×
Special-mission aircraft 2 2 —
Trainers 1 3 🇸🇻 3.0×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇬🇹 GuatemalaUH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×8208 Caravan ×5UH-1N Twin Huey ×5
🇸🇻 El SalvadorUH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×11MD-500 ×7A-37 Dragonfly ×6
Fleet evolution · Guatemala
Fleet evolution · El Salvador
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Military strength
Change opponent
Guatemala vsUruguayDominican RepublicBoliviaNicaraguaCuba
El Salvador vsUruguayDominican RepublicBoliviaNicaraguaCuba

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Guatemala or El Salvador?
El Salvador has more military aircraft with 49 active aircraft compared to Guatemala's 36, a difference of 13 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Guatemala or El Salvador?
El Salvador has more combat aircraft with 6 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Guatemala's 3.
Which country has more military helicopters, Guatemala or El Salvador?
El Salvador operates more military helicopters with 33 compared to Guatemala's 20.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Guatemala or El Salvador?
Guatemala has more transport aircraft with 10 compared to El Salvador's 5.
Which country has more aircraft on order, Guatemala or El Salvador?
Guatemala has 2 aircraft on order compared to El Salvador's 1.