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

North Korea operates 1,179 active military aircraft vs 916 for Saudi Arabia.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of North Korea North KoreaWorld #23 14.4
AIRS Index / 100

Saudi Arabia leads on 4 of 6 categories

Roundel of Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaWorld #7 27.3
  • 80 Bombersweight ×100 · generation 0
  • 571 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 384
  • 253 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 264
  • 275 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 66
  • 0 Trainersweight ×1 156
North 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
North Korea Saudi Arabia Ratio
Official name Korean People's Army Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Active aircraft 1,179 916 🇰🇵 1.3×
Aircraft on order 0 368 🇸🇦
Combat aircraft 571 384 🇰🇵 1.5×
Combat share of fleet 48.4 % 41.9 % 🇰🇵 1.2×
Aircraft types in service 21 29 🇸🇦 1.4×
Main supplier Ex-USSR · 70 % United States · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Bombers 80 0 🇰🇵
Helicopters 253 264 🇸🇦 ≈
Transport aircraft 275 46 🇰🇵 6.0×
Special-mission aircraft 0 66 🇸🇦
Trainers 0 156 🇸🇦
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇰🇵 North KoreaAn-2 Colt ×270J-5 Fresco ×241MiG-19 Farmer ×97
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaF-15EX Eagle II ×83Tornado ×81F-15 Eagle ×80
Fleet evolution · North Korea
Fleet evolution · Saudi Arabia
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North Korea vsSouth KoreaUnited StatesTaiwanVietnamIsrael
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, North Korea or Saudi Arabia?
North Korea has more military aircraft with 1,179 active aircraft compared to Saudi Arabia's 916, a difference of 263 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, North Korea or Saudi Arabia?
North Korea has more combat aircraft with 571 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Saudi Arabia's 384.
Which country has more military helicopters, North Korea or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia operates more military helicopters with 264 compared to North Korea's 253.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, North Korea or Saudi Arabia?
North Korea has more transport aircraft with 275 compared to Saudi Arabia's 46.
Which country has more aircraft on order, North Korea or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has 368 aircraft on order compared to North Korea's 0.