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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Iraq Iraq vs Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's air force fields 916 active aircraft — 2.3:1 Iraq's 399.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Iraq IraqWorld #38 10.3
AIRS Index / 100

Saudi Arabia leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaWorld #7 27.3
  • 53 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 384
  • 213 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 264
  • 24 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 7 Special missionweight ×8 66
  • 3 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 99 Trainersweight ×1 156
Iraq Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia Ratio
Official name Iraqi Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Active aircraft 399 916 🇸🇦 2.3×
Aircraft on order 32 368 🇸🇦 12×
Combat aircraft 53 384 🇸🇦 7.2×
Combat share of fleet 13.3 % 41.9 % 🇸🇦 3.2×
Aircraft types in service 26 29 🇸🇦 1.1×
Main supplier United States · 43 % United States · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 213 264 🇸🇦 1.2×
Transport aircraft 24 46 🇸🇦 1.9×
Special-mission aircraft 7 66 🇸🇦 9.4×
Trainers 99 156 🇸🇦 1.6×
UAVs 3 0 🇮🇶
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇮🇶 IraqMi-8 Hip ×43Bell 407 ×40F-16 Fighting Falcon ×34
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaF-15EX Eagle II ×83Tornado ×81F-15 Eagle ×80
Fleet evolution · Iraq
Fleet evolution · Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia vsUnited StatesIranIsraelUnited Arab EmiratesTaiwan
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Saudi Arabia vs Egypt Air Forces

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Iraq or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more military aircraft with 916 active aircraft compared to Iraq's 399, a difference of 517 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Iraq or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more combat aircraft with 384 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Iraq's 53.
Which country has more military helicopters, Iraq or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia operates more military helicopters with 264 compared to Iraq's 213.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Iraq or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more transport aircraft with 46 compared to Iraq's 24.
How do the Iraq and Saudi Arabia air forces compare in size?
Saudi Arabia's air force is 2.3 times larger than Iraq's in terms of total active aircraft (916 vs 399).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Iraq or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has 368 aircraft on order compared to Iraq's 32.