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

Nigeria's air force fields 180 active aircraft — 2.4:1 Libya's 74.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Libya LibyaWorld #81 3.7
AIRS Index / 100

Nigeria leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of Nigeria NigeriaWorld #68 5.8
  • 20 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 36
  • 17 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 76
  • 9 Transportweight ×10 17
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 8
  • 0 UAVsweight ×10 17
  • 28 Trainersweight ×1 26
Libya Nigeria 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
Libya Nigeria Ratio
Official name Libyan Air Force Nigerian Air Force
Active aircraft 74 180 🇳🇬 2.4×
Aircraft on order 26 111 🇳🇬 4.3×
Combat aircraft 20 36 🇳🇬 1.8×
Combat share of fleet 27.0 % 20.0 % 🇱🇾 1.4×
Aircraft types in service 16 30 🇳🇬 1.9×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 46 % Italy · 24 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 17 76 🇳🇬 4.5×
Transport aircraft 9 17 🇳🇬 1.9×
Special-mission aircraft 0 8 🇳🇬
Trainers 28 26 🇱🇾 1.1×
UAVs 0 17 🇳🇬
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇱🇾 LibyaMiG-21 Fishbed ×11Mi-24 Hind ×7Mi-8 Hip ×4
🇳🇬 NigeriaAW109 ×30Mi-24 Hind ×15Alpha Jet ×13
Fleet evolution · Libya
Fleet evolution · Nigeria
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Libya vsEritreaCongo Democratic RepublicKenyaUgandaSudan
Nigeria vsSouth AfricaTunisiaMoroccoEthiopiaEgypt

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more military aircraft with 180 active aircraft compared to Libya's 74, a difference of 106 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more combat aircraft with 36 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Libya's 20.
Which country has more military helicopters, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria operates more military helicopters with 76 compared to Libya's 17.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more transport aircraft with 17 compared to Libya's 9.
How do the Libya and Nigeria air forces compare in size?
Nigeria's air force is 2.4 times larger than Libya's in terms of total active aircraft (180 vs 74).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Libya or Nigeria?
Nigeria has 111 aircraft on order compared to Libya's 26.