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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Iran Iran vs Flag of Kuwait Kuwait

Iran's air force fields 666 active aircraft — 4.1:1 Kuwait's 164.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Iran IranWorld #30 12.8
AIRS Index / 100

Iran leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of Kuwait KuwaitWorld #34 11.8
  • 255 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 82
  • 168 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 68
  • 94 Transportweight ×10 2
  • 6 Special missionweight ×8 3
  • 23 UAVsweight ×10 3
  • 120 Trainersweight ×1 6
Iran Kuwait 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
Iran Kuwait Ratio
Official name Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Kuwait Air Force
Active aircraft 666 164 🇮🇷 4.1×
Aircraft on order 0 35 🇰🇼
Combat aircraft 255 82 🇮🇷 3.1×
Combat share of fleet 38.3 % 50.0 % 🇰🇼 1.3×
Aircraft types in service 39 13 🇮🇷 3.0×
Main supplier United States · 53 % United States · 53 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 168 68 🇮🇷 2.5×
Transport aircraft 94 2 🇮🇷 47×
Special-mission aircraft 6 3 🇮🇷 2.0×
Trainers 120 6 🇮🇷 20×
UAVs 23 3 🇮🇷 7.7×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇷 IranF-4 Phantom II ×61F-5E Tiger II ×48CH-47 Chinook ×43
🇰🇼 KuwaitF/A-18 Hornet ×34F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet ×28H225M / EC725 Caracal ×24
Fleet evolution · Iran
Fleet evolution · Kuwait
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Iran or Kuwait?
Iran has more military aircraft with 666 active aircraft compared to Kuwait's 164, a difference of 502 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Iran or Kuwait?
Iran has more combat aircraft with 255 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Kuwait's 82.
Which country has more military helicopters, Iran or Kuwait?
Iran operates more military helicopters with 168 compared to Kuwait's 68.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Iran or Kuwait?
Iran has more transport aircraft with 94 compared to Kuwait's 2.
How do the Iran and Kuwait air forces compare in size?
Iran's air force is 4.1 times larger than Kuwait's in terms of total active aircraft (666 vs 164).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Iran or Kuwait?
Kuwait has 35 aircraft on order compared to Iran's 0.