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

Air Forces comparison: Flag of Tunisia Tunisia vs Flag of South Africa South Africa

Tunisia operates 176 active military aircraft vs 194 for South Africa.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Tunisia TunisiaWorld #78 4.5
AIRS Index / 100

South Africa leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of South Africa South AfricaWorld #56 7.4
  • 13 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 25
  • 116 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 84
  • 17 Transportweight ×10 24
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 4
  • 5 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 25 Trainersweight ×1 57
Tunisia South Africa 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
Tunisia South Africa Ratio
Official name Tunisian Air Force South African Air Force
Active aircraft 176 194 🇿🇦 1.1×
Aircraft on order 13 0 🇹🇳
Combat aircraft 13 25 🇿🇦 1.9×
Combat share of fleet 7.4 % 12.9 % 🇿🇦 1.7×
Aircraft types in service 16 17 🇿🇦 1.1×
Main supplier United States · 64 % South Africa · 25 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 116 84 🇹🇳 1.4×
Transport aircraft 17 24 🇿🇦 1.4×
Special-mission aircraft 0 4 🇿🇦
Trainers 25 57 🇿🇦 2.3×
UAVs 5 0 🇹🇳
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇹🇳 TunisiaUH-1 Iroquois "Huey" ×37OH-58 Kiowa ×18SA340 Gazelle ×15
🇿🇦 South AfricaAtlas Oryx ×37JAS 39 Gripen ×25AW109 ×24
Fleet evolution · Tunisia
Fleet evolution · South Africa
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Military strength Navies Armies
Change opponent
Tunisia vsNigeriaEthiopiaMoroccoSudanEgypt
South Africa vsMoroccoNigeriaEgyptEthiopiaAlgeria

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Tunisia or South Africa?
South Africa has more military aircraft with 194 active aircraft compared to Tunisia's 176, a difference of 18 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Tunisia or South Africa?
South Africa has more combat aircraft with 25 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Tunisia's 13.
Which country has more military helicopters, Tunisia or South Africa?
Tunisia operates more military helicopters with 116 compared to South Africa's 84.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Tunisia or South Africa?
South Africa has more transport aircraft with 24 compared to Tunisia's 17.
Which country has more aircraft on order, Tunisia or South Africa?
Tunisia has 13 aircraft on order compared to South Africa's 0.