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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Libya Libya vs Flag of Nigeria Nigeria

Nigeria's air force fields 164 active aircraft — 2.0:1 Libya's 80.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Libya LibyaWorld #96 3.8
AIRS Index / 100

Nigeria leads on 5 of 5 categories

Roundel of Nigeria NigeriaWorld #65 7.2
  • 20 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · price 24
  • 17 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 73
  • 5 Transportweight ×10 20
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 8
  • 38 Trainersweight ×1 39
Libya Nigeria Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by unit price, helicopters by era) · figures: active airframes at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
Libya Nigeria Ratio
Official name Libyan Air Force Nigerian Air Force
Active aircraft 80 164 🇳🇬 2.0×
Aircraft on order 16 75 🇳🇬 4.7×
Combat aircraft 20 24 🇳🇬 1.2×
Combat share of fleet 25.0 % 14.6 % 🇱🇾 1.7×
Aircraft types in service 15 26 🇳🇬 1.7×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 40 % Italy · 24 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 17 73 🇳🇬 4.3×
Transport aircraft 5 20 🇳🇬 4.0×
Special-mission aircraft 0 8 🇳🇬
Trainers 38 39 🇳🇬 ≈
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇱🇾 LibyaMiG-21 Fishbed ×11Mi-24 Hind ×7Mi-8 Hip ×4
🇳🇬 NigeriaAW109 ×27Mi-24 Hind ×15Alpha Jet ×13
Fleet evolution · Libya
Fleet evolution · Nigeria
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more military aircraft with 164 active aircraft compared to Libya's 80, a difference of 84 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more combat aircraft with 24 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Libya's 20.
Which country has more military helicopters, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria operates more military helicopters with 73 compared to Libya's 17.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more transport aircraft with 20 compared to Libya's 5.
How do the Libya and Nigeria air forces compare in size?
Nigeria's air force is 4.0 times larger than Libya's in terms of total active aircraft (20 vs 5).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has 75 aircraft on order compared to Libya's 16.