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Air Forces comparison: Flag of South Korea South Korea vs Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia

South Korea operates 1,552 active military aircraft vs 914 for Saudi Arabia.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of South Korea South KoreaWorld #6 28.5
AIRS Index / 100

South Korea leads on 3 of 6 categories

Roundel of Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaWorld #7 27.9
  • 374 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 384
  • 856 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 262
  • 46 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 34 Special missionweight ×8 66
  • 9 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 233 Trainersweight ×1 156
South Korea 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
South Korea Saudi Arabia Ratio
Official name Republic of Korea Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Active aircraft 1,552 914 🇰🇷 1.7×
Aircraft on order 410 379 🇰🇷 1.1×
Combat aircraft 374 384 🇸🇦 ≈
Combat share of fleet 24.1 % 42.0 % 🇸🇦 1.7×
Aircraft types in service 36 27 🇰🇷 1.3×
Main supplier United States · 60 % United States · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 856 262 🇰🇷 3.3×
Transport aircraft 46 46 —
Special-mission aircraft 34 66 🇸🇦 1.9×
Trainers 233 156 🇰🇷 1.5×
UAVs 9 0 🇰🇷
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇰🇷 South KoreaMD-500 ×251KUH-1 Surion ×240F-16 Fighting Falcon ×167
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaF-15E Strike Eagle ×127F-15EX Eagle II ×84Tornado ×81
Fleet evolution · South Korea
Fleet evolution · Saudi Arabia
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South Korea vsNorth KoreaUnited StatesIndiaJapanChina
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, South Korea or Saudi Arabia?
South Korea has more military aircraft with 1,552 active aircraft compared to Saudi Arabia's 914, a difference of 638 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, South Korea or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more combat aircraft with 384 fighters and attack aircraft compared to South Korea's 374.
Which country has more military helicopters, South Korea or Saudi Arabia?
South Korea operates more military helicopters with 856 compared to Saudi Arabia's 262.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, South Korea or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more transport aircraft with 46 compared to South Korea's 46.
Which country has more aircraft on order, South Korea or Saudi Arabia?
South Korea has 410 aircraft on order compared to Saudi Arabia's 379.