Military
The US Air Force Fields More Than 15x Personnel Than Any Other NATO Nation
Published:
Key Points
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The United States fields more air force personnel than any other NATO nation, and it’s not even close
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These personnel go to service, maintain, and fly the US Air Force’s massive fleet of aircraft
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For the most part, these aircraft are more advanced than other contemporary air forces around the world
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Out of all NATO nations, the United States stands at the top of the heap with the largest and most powerful air force. Not only are its fighter jets outfitted with the world’s most cutting-edge technology on the planet, but the US Air Force also has more of these fifth-generation aircraft than any other nation. To man all these aircraft as well as support and maintain them, the US Air Force has to field a substantial number of servicemen to meet this operational need. Comparatively, no NATO nation comes close to fielding an air force this size or this advanced in aircraft or personnel. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the NATO Alliance and which of these nations have the most air force personnel. (Imagine a World Without NATO — What Would Change?)
To determine the NATO countries with the most air force personnel, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation’s theoretical conventional fighting capability is. We ranked these countries based on total air force personnel. We also included supplemental information regarding personnel counts from other military branches, active personnel, total personnel, as well as the overall military strength score and defense budget. Countries with no air force personnel were excluded.
Here is a look at the countries with the most air force personnel in NATO:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding NATO’s military dynamics is important when looking at the state of global security. Since its inception, NATO has played a pivotal role in shaping international relations through its collective defense and security framework. As geopolitical tensions continue to rise and new threats emerge, knowing and understanding NATO’s military capabilities is important for getting a clearer picture of the world stage. Not to mention, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, among others, contribute significantly to NATO’s military strength, influencing global power balances and regional stability.
30. Latvia
- Total air force personnel: 250
- Total army personnel: 6,700
- Total navy personnel: 1,000
- Active military personnel: 17,250
- Reserve military personnel: 36,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 12,500
- Total military personnel: 65,750
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1246 – #99 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,138,000,000 – #84 out of 145
Latvia’s air force personnel operate 7 total military aircraft, all of which are helicopters.
29. Montenegro
- Total air force personnel: 350
- Total army personnel: 1,500
- Total navy personnel: 550
- Active military personnel: 2,350
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,500
- Total military personnel: 7,850
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.9216 – #127 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $148,100,000 – #136 out of 145
Montenegro’s air force personnel operate 11 total military aircraft, all of which are helicopters.
28. North Macedonia
- Total air force personnel: 350
- Total army personnel: 7,500
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 9,000
- Reserve military personnel: 60,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 3,500
- Total military personnel: 7,250
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.4042 – #112 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $388,421,700 – #114 out of 145
North Macedonia’s air force personnel operate 20 total military aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, North Macedonia also has 10 military helicopters and 4 attack helicopters.
27. Slovenia
- Total air force personnel: 610
- Total army personnel: 6,500
- Total navy personnel: 350
- Active military personnel: 7,300
- Reserve military personnel: 26,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,000
- Total military personnel: 38,300
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1016 – #96 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $886,860,000 – #91 out of 145
Slovenia’s air force personnel operate 39 total military aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Slovenia also has 16 military helicopters.
26. Albania
- Total air force personnel: 660
- Total army personnel: 2,335
- Total navy personnel: 1,000
- Active military personnel: 6,600
- Reserve military personnel: 2,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 500
- Total military personnel: 9,100
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6815 – #78 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $558,862,420 – #101 out of 145
Albania’s air force personnel operate 19 total military aircraft, all of which are helicopters.
25. Croatia
- Total air force personnel: 1,260
- Total army personnel: 7,075
- Total navy personnel: 1,365
- Active military personnel: 14,325
- Reserve military personnel: 20,100
- Paramilitary personnel: 2,000
- Total military personnel: 36,425
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.5074 – #75 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,176,000,000 – #83 out of 145
Croatia’s air force personnel operate 67 total military aircraft, including 10 fighter aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Croatia also has 37 military helicopters.
24. Lithuania
- Total air force personnel: 1,500
- Total army personnel: 14,500
- Total navy personnel: 700
- Active military personnel: 23,000
- Reserve military personnel: 104,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 14,150
- Total military personnel: 141,150
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.9075 – #88 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,388,900,000 – #66 out of 145
Lithuania’s air force personnel operate 9 total military aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Lithuania also has 4 military helicopters.
23. Estonia
- Total air force personnel: 1,570
- Total army personnel: 4,000
- Total navy personnel: 500
- Active military personnel: 7,700
- Reserve military personnel: 78,800
- Paramilitary personnel: 10,000
- Total military personnel: 96,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2917 – #107 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,463,360,000 – #77 out of 145
Estonia’s air force personnel operate 5 total military aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Estonia also has 3 military helicopters.
22. Sweden
- Total air force personnel: 2,700
- Total army personnel: 6,850
- Total navy personnel: 2,100
- Active military personnel: 24,400
- Reserve military personnel: 32,900
- Paramilitary personnel: 25,000
- Total military personnel: 82,300
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4835 – #27 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $13,000,000,000 – #28 out of 145
Sweden’s air force personnel operate 169 total military aircraft, including 71 fighter aircraft and 5 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Sweden also has 53 military helicopters.
21. Slovakia
- Total air force personnel: 3,200
- Total army personnel: 10,200
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 19,500
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 19,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.3978 – #71 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,656,000,000 – #64 out of 145
Slovakia’s air force personnel operate 41 total military aircraft, including 2 fighter aircraft and 1 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Slovakia also has 22 military helicopters.
20. Denmark
- Total air force personnel: 3,500
- Total army personnel: 88,400
- Total navy personnel: 3,600
- Active military personnel: 20,000
- Reserve military personnel: 12,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 51,000
- Total military personnel: 83,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8109 – #45 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $7,225,466,250 – #40 out of 145
Denmark’s air force personnel operate 117 total military aircraft, including 31 fighter aircraft, 4 strike aircraft, and 3 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Denmark also has 34 military helicopters.
19. Norway
- Total air force personnel: 3,650
- Total army personnel: 8,815
- Total navy personnel: 4,000
- Active military personnel: 23,250
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 40,000
- Total military personnel: 63,250
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6811 – #38 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $9,710,000,000 – #32 out of 145
Norway’s air force personnel operate 97 total military aircraft, including 32 strike aircraft and 5 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Norway also has 33 military helicopters.
18. Czechia
- Total air force personnel: 5,000
- Total army personnel: 13,000
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 28,000
- Reserve military personnel: 4,200
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 32,200
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.9994 – #53 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $6,750,000,000 – #43 out of 145
Czechia’s air force personnel operate 99 total military aircraft, including 12 fighter aircraft, 16 strike aircraft, and 2 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Czechia also has 42 military helicopters and 4 attack helicopters.
17. Hungary
- Total air force personnel: 5,750
- Total army personnel: 32,000
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 41,600
- Reserve military personnel: 20,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 15,000
- Total military personnel: 76,600
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0259 – #55 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,576,000,000 – #53 out of 145
Hungary’s air force personnel operate 69 total military aircraft, including 12 fighter aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Hungary also has 44 military helicopters and 8 attack helicopters.
16. Portugal
- Total air force personnel: 6,000
- Total army personnel: 11,000
- Total navy personnel: 7,000
- Active military personnel: 24,000
- Reserve military personnel: 211,700
- Paramilitary personnel: 24,700
- Total military personnel: 260,400
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6856 – #39 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,627,000,000 – #52 out of 145
Portugal’s air force personnel operate 115 total military aircraft, including 28 fighter aircraft and 14 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Portugal also has 31 military helicopters.
15. Belgium
- Total air force personnel: 6,500
- Total army personnel: 12,120
- Total navy personnel: 1,300
- Active military personnel: 25,000
- Reserve military personnel: 6,400
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 31,400
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2564 – #62 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $10,200,000,000 – #31 out of 145
Belgium’s air force personnel operate 108 total military aircraft, including 43 fighter aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Belgium also has 20 military helicopters.
14. Netherlands
- Total air force personnel: 6,540
- Total army personnel: 2,370
- Total navy personnel: 7,510
- Active military personnel: 41,380
- Reserve military personnel: 6,765
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,000
- Total military personnel: 53,145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6412 – #36 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $27,000,000,000 – #18 out of 145
The Netherlands’ air force personnel operate 120 total military aircraft, including 32 fighter aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, the Netherlands also has 63 military helicopters and 12 attack helicopters.
13. Bulgaria
- Total air force personnel: 8,500
- Total army personnel: 17,000
- Total navy personnel: 4,450
- Active military personnel: 37,000
- Reserve military personnel: 3,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 40,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2563 – #61 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,373,232,000 – #80 out of 145
Bulgaria’s air force personnel operate 65 total military aircraft, including 10 fighter aircraft and 5 strike aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Bulgaria also has 27 military helicopters and 4 attack helicopters.
12. Romania
- Total air force personnel: 11,700
- Total army personnel: 35,500
- Total navy personnel: 6,800
- Active military personnel: 81,300
- Reserve military personnel: 55,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 15,000
- Total military personnel: 151,300
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8984 – #51 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $9,700,000,000 – #33 out of 145
Romania’s air force personnel operate 140 total military aircraft, including 21 fighter aircraft and 2 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Romania also has 65 military helicopters.
11. Canada
- Total air force personnel: 15,560
- Total army personnel: 44,000
- Total navy personnel: 16,300
- Active military personnel: 68,000
- Reserve military personnel: 27,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,500
- Total military personnel: 100,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5179 – #28 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $41,000,000,000 – #15 out of 145
Canada’s air force personnel operate 351 total military aircraft, including 66 fighter aircraft and 33 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Canada also has 145 military helicopters.
10. Poland
- Total air force personnel: 16,500
- Total army personnel: 100,000
- Total navy personnel: 12,350
- Active military personnel: 202,100
- Reserve military personnel: 350,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 50,000
- Total military personnel: 602,100
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3776 – #22 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $48,700,000,000 – #12 out of 145
Poland’s air force personnel operate 479 total military aircraft, including 59 fighter aircraft, 44 strike aircraft, and 11 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Poland also has 216 military helicopters and 29 attack helicopters.
9. Spain
- Total air force personnel: 23,000
- Total army personnel: 75,825
- Total navy personnel: 20,840
- Active military personnel: 133,282
- Reserve military personnel: 15,150
- Paramilitary personnel: 78,470
- Total military personnel: 226,902
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3242 – #17 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $23,397,000,000 – #22 out of 145
Spain’s air force personnel operate 461 total military aircraft, including 137 fighter aircraft, 12 strike aircraft, and 8 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Spain also has 153 military helicopters and 17 attack helicopters.
8. Germany
- Total air force personnel: 27,725
- Total army personnel: 62,800
- Total navy personnel: 16,500
- Active military personnel: 181,600
- Reserve military personnel: 34,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 215,600
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2601 – #14 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $50,000,000,000 – #11 out of 145
Germany’s air force personnel operate 584 total military aircraft, including 129 fighter aircraft, 63 strike aircraft, and 26 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Germany also has 309 military helicopters and 54 attack helicopters.
7. United Kingdom
- Total air force personnel: 34,790
- Total army personnel: 106,626
- Total navy personnel: 35,730
- Active military personnel: 184,860
- Reserve military personnel: 924,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 1,108,860
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1785 – #6 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $71,500,540,000 – #6 out of 145
The United Kingdom’s air force personnel operate 631 total military aircraft, including 113 fighter aircraft, 31 strike aircraft, and 28 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, the United Kingdom also has 266 military helicopters and 37 attack helicopters.
6. France
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- Total air force personnel: 40,500
- Total army personnel: 141,600
- Total navy personnel: 44,000
- Active military personnel: 200,000
- Reserve military personnel: 26,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 376,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1878 – #8 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $55,000,000,000 – #9 out of 145
France’s air force personnel operate 976 total military aircraft, including 226 fighter aircraft and 44 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, France also has 448 military helicopters and 68 attack helicopters.
5. Finland
- Total air force personnel: 41,100
- Total army personnel: 42,000
- Total navy personnel: 16,000
- Active military personnel: 24,000
- Reserve military personnel: 870,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 53,800
- Total military personnel: 947,800
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8437 – #48 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $6,779,661,000 – #42 out of 145
Finland’s air force personnel operate 163 total military aircraft, including 54 fighter aircraft and 1 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Finland also has 27 military helicopters.
4. Greece
- Total air force personnel: 42,500
- Total army personnel: 200,000
- Total navy personnel: 30,000
- Active military personnel: 142,700
- Reserve military personnel: 221,350
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 419,050
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5337 – #30 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $6,500,000,000 – #44 out of 145
Greece’s air force personnel operate 558 total military aircraft, including 178 fighter aircraft and 8 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Greece also has 293 military helicopters and 29 attack helicopters.
3. Italy
- Total air force personnel: 43,000
- Total army personnel: 100,000
- Total navy personnel: 31,000
- Active military personnel: 165,500
- Reserve military personnel: 18,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 105,000
- Total military personnel: 289,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2164 – #10 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $30,890,000,000 – #16 out of 145
Italy’s air force personnel operate 729 total military aircraft, including 89 fighter aircraft, 67 strike aircraft, and 23 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Italy also has 392 military helicopters and 37 attack helicopters.
2. Turkey
- Total air force personnel: 115,000
- Total army personnel: 518,900
- Total navy personnel: 100,000
- Active military personnel: 355,200
- Reserve military personnel: 378,700
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 883,900
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1902 – #9 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $47,000,000,000 – #13 out of 145
Turkey’s air force personnel operate 1,083 total military aircraft, including 201 fighter aircraft and 28 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, Turkey also has 508 military helicopters and 111 attack helicopters.
1. United States
- Total air force personnel: 701,319
- Total army personnel: 1,403,200
- Total navy personnel: 667,108
- Active military personnel: 1,328,000
- Reserve military personnel: 799,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 2,127,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0744 – #1 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $895,000,000,000 – #1 out of 145
The United States’s air force personnel operate 13,043 total military aircraft, including 1,790 fighter aircraft, 889 strike aircraft, and 647 special mission aircraft. Outside of these fixed-wing aircraft, The United States also has 5,843 military helicopters and 1,002 attack helicopters.
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