You’ll Never Guess Which Middle Eastern Nation Leads the Pack in Attack and Strike Aircraft

Syrian President al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024, and the country was plunged into conflict and strife. Since al-Assad was ousted, Syria’s manpower and air power have been affected; the country has lost numerous planes and battles under the weight of its own conflict, as well as attacks from other countries. Israeli forces have carried out over 21 air attacks on Syrian targets in 2025 alone. On March 10, 2025, Israeli forces attacked two towns — Jbab and Izraa — where former al-Assad military positions existed. Israeli media has reported that the attacks are designed to prevent Syrian rebels “trying to take over” military sites, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is okay with Israel continuing the attacks until Syria demilitarizes any southern Syrian territory near Israel as a matter of national defense.

Air attacks can be especially effective because they can destroy armored vehicles, easily get behind enemy lines, and provide several forms of support, from air defense to air strikes. Attack and strike aircraft are also incredibly precise. This means that, when a country chooses to use its attack aircraft, it is most likely hitting exactly where it means to — which can be devastating for the country or army being attacked. Considering the vast amount of conflict ranging across the Middle East, 24/7 Wall St. wanted to understand which Middle Eastern nations had the largest attack and strike aircraft fleet. To do so, we looked at comprehensive data collected in Global Firepower’s 2025 Military Strength Ranking. This ranking includes information on manpower, airpower, geography, land and naval forces, and more to determine a country’s overall military prowess. Altogether, Global Firepower includes 60 individual factors in its rankings — and 145 countries are included. We listed the countries in ascending order from least amount of strike and attack aircraft to most. In the case of a tie, the tie breaker was both the total amount of military aircraft as well as the lower PowerIndex score; the closer to 0.000, the more powerful the military. (These countries are investing the most in strike or attack aircraft.)

This previously published post was updated on March 18, 2025 to reflect new conflicts between Syria and Israel following air strikes, as well as a statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Why Discuss This Now?

Understanding the military dynamics in the Middle East is essential given the region’s historical and ongoing geopolitical tensions. For decades, the Middle East has been shaped by conflicts, religious divisions, and territorial disputes, making it a hotspot for conflict. Whether it’s Iran’s growing influence or the strategic role of countries like Saudi Arabia, the military forces in this region heavily influence global security and energy markets. Considering recent conflicts in Syria and Israel, as well as clashes between American forces and Yemeni Houthis after a series of air strikes, learning about which countries have the largest attack aircraft fleets can also give you a better idea of who might be more dominant should serious conflict break out.

These Middle Eastern countries have the most strike and attack aircraft:

10. Syria

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 9
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 104
• Total helicopters: 77
• Total attack helicopters: 14
• Total military aircraft: 207
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.2771 – #64 out of 145

Syria’s military history is marked by its strategic location, which has made it a point of contention for regional and international conflicts. Historically Syria has been part of major empires due to its position between the Mediterranean and the Arab world. The country gained independence from France in 1946, and since then it has been involved in several wars with Israel and the Lebanese Civil War. Most recently in Syria’s military history is the 2011 Syrian Civil War, which was brought on by Arab Spring protests. This was hotly contested by multiple factions including ISI, Kurdish forces, as well as foreign military powers like Russia and the U.S., Turkey and others. Recent moves have brought into question what the future of the country will look like.

9. Oman

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 10
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 29
• Total helicopters: 31
• Total attack helicopters: 0
• Total military aircraft: 128
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.8047 – #82 out of 145

Oman was a powerful empire in the 17th and 18th centuries, with colonies around the Indian Ocean and enough naval strength to back it up. This allowed the country to resist the Portuguese and the Persians. By the 19th century, Oman saw a drastic leap in its military capabilities. Following an alliance with the British Empire, Oman modernized its forces and kept pace with Western powers. In more recent years, Oman has remained neutral in regional conflicts. This has allowed the nation to focus on defense and maintaining its forces.

8. Yemen

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 12
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 27
• Total helicopters: 30
• Total attack helicopters: 7
• Total military aircraft: 84
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.8901 – #85 out of 145

Yemen is currently a warzone and has been since the start of the Yemeni civil war in 2014. While this conflict is fairly complex in terms of the breakdown, there is a religious aspect that simplifies it along Sunni and Shia lines. Yemen is currently divided with the Houthis to the north and the PLC to the south. The conflict in Yemen is worsened by the involvement of countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, who have been providing weapons and aid to opposing factions. Unfortunately, this has had significant and deletorious effects on Yemen’s air force. The number of military aircraft has been drastically split in half since 2024, when the country had nearly double the aircraft fleet it does currently.

7. United Arab Emirates

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 16
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 99
• Total helicopters: 247
• Total attack helicopters: 30
• Total military aircraft: 551
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.0186 – #54 out of 145

The United Arab Emirates has a brief but dynamic military history. The country was formed in 1971 when seven emirates combined forces, focused on building a nation with a strong military geared towards advanced technology and modernization. The U.S. and France are the main sellers of technology to the UAE; in turn, the UAE has been involved in regional operations in the Gulf War, Yemen, and against ISIS. The UAE’s power extends further beyond its relatively small territory in the Persian Gulf. In fact, the country has been projecting power abroad where it has established military bases in the Horn of Africa and beyond.

6. Iran

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 21
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 188
• Total helicopters: 128
• Total attack helicopters: 13
• Total military aircraft: 551
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.3048 – #16 out of 145

Iran has a rich cultural history, as well as a rich military history that can be traced back to the days of the Persian Empire. However, its standing in today’s geopolitical landscape is a bit complex. Many Western powers view Iran as an antagonist, both in the region and abroad. This has led to countries levying sanctions against Iran, which hampers military modernization and social progression. However, Iran refuses to be contained; the country still has a strong military force and holds strong nuclear aspirations — something that many countries are concerned about, especially the United States. U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz recently said that all options were on the table to prevent Iranian nuclearization.

5. Iraq

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 36
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 26
• Total helicopters: 197
• Total attack helicopters: 39
• Total military aircraft: 391
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.7738 – #43 out of 145

Despite gaining independence in 1932 from the British, Iraq was still subject to British influence until the late 1950s. British colonialism significantly stifled Iraq’s growth, both culturally and militaristically. While Britain still had its hands in Iraq for decades, the country was eventually ruled by Saddam Hussein, who rose to power with the Ba’ath Party in 1979. Hussein rapidly expanded the military during his time, even waging a war with Iran from 1980 to 1988. Saddam would later invade Kuwait in 1990, leading to the Gulf War. However, a U.S. led invasion in 2003 would ultimately topple the dictator and create instability within the country as well as the formation of multiple insurgent factions to the new government. Currently, Iraq is in the state of rebuilding its military to deal with internal threats.

4. Israel

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 38
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 240
• Total helicopters: 147
• Total attack helicopters: 48
• Total military aircraft: 611
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.2661 – #15 out of 145

Israel was formed in 1948 and plunged near-immediately into conflict with neighboring Arab states. The conflict was centered around the legitimacy of Israel as a country — a concept that is still being argued and fought over to this day. Israel has become a center of regional conflict, and many of its prized areas (Jerusalem, for example) are frequently contested. As such, Israel’s military history is tied very closely with its national identity. The country has compulsory military service in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for its citizens, who are primarily Jewish. Despite its seemingly small stature, Israel has survived — and even expanded its territory — through conflicts like the Suez Crisis, Six-Day War, Yom Kippur War, and other conflicts with Lebanon. Its most recent engagement with Hamas has devastated the Gaza Strip, and the international community is concerned with the ongoing situation to say the least.

3. Saudi Arabia

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 81
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 283
• Total helicopters: 264
• Total attack helicopters: 34
• Total military aircraft: 917
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.4201 – #24 out of 145

After conquering Riyadh in 1902, Abdulaziz Al Saud (Ibn Saud) unified the Saudi state. Decades later, Saudi Arabia — as we know it today — was offcially founded in 1932. Exploring Saudi Arabi’s background illuminates its rich military history, some of which was shaped by the country’s relationship of other nations. Countries became increasingly drawn to Saudi Arabia following the discovery of oil in the Kingdom in the 1930s. Saudi Arabia then formed profitable and supportive partnerships with Western trading partners, including the United States. Through ths trade connection, Saudi Arabia has also procured advanced weapons and aircraft, allowing it to become one of the most dominant military powers in the region — something we saw during the Gulf War as part of the coalition that expelld Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

2. Egypt

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 90
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 238
• Total helicopters: 348
• Total attack helicopters: 100
• Total military aircraft: 1,093
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.3427 – #19 out of 145

Egypt stands in control of one of the most important global shipping lanes: the Suez Canal. After nationalizing the Suez Canal in 1956, Egypt found itself in crisis with other powers such as Israel, France, and Britain. However, Egypt was able to keep hold of the Canal — and this, alongside Egypt’s position between Africa and the Middle East, helped the nation rise to prominence as a military power. Just over a decade ago, the Egyptian military played a significant role in the Arab Spring, particularly in the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

1. Pakistan

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 90
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 328
• Total helicopters: 373
• Total attack helicopters: 57
• Total military aircraft: 1,399
• Military strength score and world rank: 0.2513 – #12 out of 145

Pakistan’s military history is deeply tied with its formation in 1947, when it separated from India. This division would set the stage for India and Pakistan’s continued conflict in the following decades. The first Indo-Pakistani War was waged over Kashmir which each nation claimed as their own. There would be subsequent wars in 1965 and 1971. The conflict in 1971 was a severe loss for Pakistan and ultimately culminated in the creation of Bangladesh.

Pakistan has also participated in other regional conflicts like the Soviet-Afghan War, where it supported Afghan mujahideen groups with the aid of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. The Pakistani military has also played a significant role in the country’s politics, having directly ruled Pakistan during various periods through military coups. While the military ranked as the ninth strongest in the world in 2024, and has since fallen to 12th strongest, it still remains a significant force in geopolitics.

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