GlobalMilitary.net Open-source military intelligence Updated daily
Head-to-head

Air Forces comparison: Flag of Belgium Belgium vs Flag of Netherlands Netherlands

Belgium operates 107 active military aircraft vs 146 for Netherlands.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Belgium BelgiumWorld #41 9.6
AIRS Index / 100

Netherlands leads on 3 of 5 categories

Roundel of Netherlands NetherlandsWorld #33 11.5
  • 64 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 40
  • 14 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 67
  • 7 Transportweight ×10 4
  • 3 UAVsweight ×10 22
  • 19 Trainersweight ×1 13
Belgium Netherlands 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
Belgium Netherlands Ratio
Official name Belgian Air Component Royal Netherlands Air Force
Active aircraft 107 146 🇳🇱 1.4×
Aircraft on order 38 48 🇳🇱 1.3×
Combat aircraft 64 40 🇧🇪 1.6×
Combat share of fleet 59.8 % 27.4 % 🇧🇪 2.2×
Aircraft types in service 7 10 🇳🇱 1.4×
Main supplier United States · 63 % United States · 70 %
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
Helicopters 14 67 🇳🇱 4.8×
Transport aircraft 7 4 🇧🇪 1.8×
Trainers 19 13 🇧🇪 1.5×
UAVs 3 22 🇳🇱 7.3×
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇧🇪 BelgiumF-16 Fighting Falcon ×52F-35 Lightning II ×12AW109 ×10
🇳🇱 NetherlandsF-35 Lightning II ×40CH-47 Chinook ×20NH90 / Caiman ×19
Fleet evolution · Belgium
Fleet evolution · Netherlands
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Military strength Navies Armies
Change opponent
Belgium vsPortugalBulgariaDenmarkBelarusFinland
Netherlands vsPolandRomaniaGreeceNorwaySpain

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Belgium or Netherlands?
Netherlands has more military aircraft with 146 active aircraft compared to Belgium's 107, a difference of 39 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Belgium or Netherlands?
Belgium has more combat aircraft with 64 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Netherlands's 40.
Which country has more military helicopters, Belgium or Netherlands?
Netherlands operates more military helicopters with 67 compared to Belgium's 14.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Belgium or Netherlands?
Belgium has more transport aircraft with 7 compared to Netherlands's 4.
How do the Belgium and Netherlands air forces compare in size?
Belgium's air force is 1.8 times larger than Netherlands's in terms of total active aircraft (7 vs 4).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Belgium or Netherlands?
Netherlands has 48 aircraft on order compared to Belgium's 38.