Some African air forces are overhauling their fleets while weighing affordability, the types of fighter aircraft to buy, and getting rid of older aircraft too expensive to maintain.
The air forces are investing in advanced aircraft to deal with terrorists, criminal groups and regional security threats. They also are working toward defense partnerships with such countries as Italy, Türkiye and the United States.
Regional powerhouse Nigeria has announced plans to accelerate its acquisition of more than 46 advanced military aircraft, including fighter jets and helicopters, as part of a “fleet modernization initiative,” according to a February 2026 Business Insider Africa Report. The country has been a leader in using lighter attack aircraft to fight terrorists. Insider Africa said the fleet expansion is to address “insurgency and internal security challenges.”
Nigeria’s A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft have been a major success story in the fight against terrorism. The country is weighing the advantages of acquiring more small aircraft versus committing to larger, more expensive “next generation” full-size fighter jets. These are more accurately referred to as “fifth generation” aircraft which can include stealth technology, small radar profiles, and advanced avionics and computer systems. Such jets are designed to network with other technology during operation.
Egypt, with Africa’s largest Air Force fleet, has been given the go-ahead to join Türkiye’s fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet program, according to Military Africa. This approval is reportedly the first step in Egypt co-producing and building such jets. The Egyptian Air Force’s current fighter fleet includes a mix of Lockheed Martin F-16s, as well as Dassault Rafales and MiG-29 fighter jets.
Algeria, with Africa’s second-largest Air Force fleet, has become the continent’s first to begin integrating fifth-generation fighters, according to Business Insider Africa. “This acquisition is a direct response to regional rivalries and a bid to maintain qualitative superiority in the Maghreb,” Business Insider reported, adding that the arrival of jets “fundamentally alters the balance of power in North Africa, giving Algiers a platform capable of challenging advanced Western defences.”
Increases in global insecurity has led Morocco to continue to modernize its Royal Armed Forces, according to the Spanish news agency Atalayar Between Two Shores. Morocco is competing with neighboring Algeria’s significant military spending, Atalayar reports.
“The African country is not only increasing its capacity in terms of quantity, but is also developing state-of-the-art bases which, together with the implementation of compulsory military service, form a tandem of growth and development that is positioning Morocco as a player to be reckoned with on the international stage,” Atalayar reported.
In addition to its fighter jets, Morocco has 24 Apache AH-64Es attack helicopters, which are believed to be among the most modern and effective attack platforms of any kind on the market.
Some military researchers say that stealth fighter jets are not the best tool for hunting insurgents and terrorists. Africa has relatively few high-intensity country-on-country conflicts that require such firepower. Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia and other countries dealing with terrorists need light attack planes, along with drones, helicopters and surveillance aircraft, researchers say.
Other countries, including Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia, rely on conventional fighter jets for deterrence, especially in dealing with neighboring countries. Ethiopia, for instance, has neighboring countries with “limited and largely aging air assets,” leaving the country with “clear qualitative and quantitative advantages,” according to the Institute of Foreign Affairs. The institute said in early 2026 that Ethiopia’s air superiority “strengthens deterrence while increasing Ethiopia’s freedom of action in crisis scenarios.”
On paper, several African countries appear to have significant air firepower, but statistics are deceptive. Many countries’ fleets are made up of secondhand planes, donated or bought at a discount from other world air powers. These planes often are old and unreliable, and maintenance and parts have become too expensive. Some nations still rely on aircraft that are “statistically closer to museum pieces than cutting-edge combatants,” according to Military Africa, calling the maintenance of such planes “a logistical nightmare.”
As the landscape changes rapidly, air forces are deciding what types of aircraft to purchase to modernize their fleets in the coming years.
“Air power that can fly, adapt and endure is ultimately more valuable than air power that looks impressive on paper,” wrote military analyst Joan Swart in a February 2026 report for defenceWeb. “In that sense, Africa’s path forward is not about imitation, but about designing force defence capabilities that reflect its own realities — and priorities.”
