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

Iraq's air force fields 393 active aircraft — 2.4:1 Kuwait's 164.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Iraq IraqWorld #39 10.2
AIRS Index / 100

Kuwait leads overall, ahead on 1 of 6 categories

Roundel of Kuwait KuwaitWorld #34 11.8
  • 53 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 82
  • 205 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 68
  • 25 Transportweight ×10 2
  • 7 Special missionweight ×8 3
  • 4 UAVsweight ×10 3
  • 99 Trainersweight ×1 6
Iraq 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
Iraq Kuwait Ratio
Official name Iraqi Air Force Kuwait Air Force
Active aircraft 393 164 🇮🇶 2.4×
Aircraft on order 37 35 🇮🇶 1.1×
Combat aircraft 53 82 🇰🇼 1.5×
Combat share of fleet 13.5 % 50.0 % 🇰🇼 3.7×
Aircraft types in service 27 13 🇮🇶 2.1×
Main supplier United States · 40 % United States · 53 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 205 68 🇮🇶 3.0×
Transport aircraft 25 2 🇮🇶 12×
Special-mission aircraft 7 3 🇮🇶 2.3×
Trainers 99 6 🇮🇶 16×
UAVs 4 3 🇮🇶 1.3×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇶 IraqMi-8 Hip ×47Bell 407 ×37F-16 Fighting Falcon ×34
🇰🇼 KuwaitF/A-18 Hornet ×34F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet ×28H225M / EC725 Caracal ×24
Fleet evolution · Iraq
Fleet evolution · Kuwait
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Iraq or Kuwait?
Iraq has more military aircraft with 393 active aircraft compared to Kuwait's 164, a difference of 229 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Iraq or Kuwait?
Kuwait has more combat aircraft with 82 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Iraq's 53.
Which country has more military helicopters, Iraq or Kuwait?
Iraq operates more military helicopters with 205 compared to Kuwait's 68.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Iraq or Kuwait?
Iraq has more transport aircraft with 25 compared to Kuwait's 2.
How do the Iraq and Kuwait air forces compare in size?
Iraq's air force is 2.4 times larger than Kuwait's in terms of total active aircraft (393 vs 164).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Iraq or Kuwait?
Iraq has 37 aircraft on order compared to Kuwait's 35.