Niger has no fighter jets. Global Firepower’s 2026 estimate credits the Nigerien Air Force (Armée de l’Air du Niger) with about 26 crewed military aircraft: two attack aircraft, seven fixed-wing transports, two special-mission aircraft and 13 helicopters, two of them attack helicopters; GFP’s category figures add up to 24, two fewer than its total. Its only jets are two second-hand Su-25s of unconfirmed status, alongside two Turkish HÜRKUŞ-C light attack aircraft. Since 2022 Niger has also built a Turkish drone force of six Bayraktar TB2s and, from 2025, the TUSAŞ AKSUNGUR. We found no official published inventory.
Quick answer
Total crewed military aircraft: about 26 (Global Firepower 2026, estimate; fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, drones not among the types GFP lists). Fighter jets: none. Attack aircraft: 2 Su-25 (2013) and 2 HÜRKUŞ-C (2022-2023). Attack helicopters: about 2 Mi-24/Mi-35, plus armed Gazelles. Armed drones: 6 Bayraktar TB2 (2022) and at least 1 AKSUNGUR (shown September 2025). Reported: 5 Karayel-SU drones (single-source report, unconfirmed).
Data verified on 7 November 2026. Delivery data from SIPRI (to end-2025) and Nigerien official media; totals are estimates.
How many military aircraft does Niger have?
About 26 crewed aircraft, according to Global Firepower’s 2026 data, which exclude drones. Its most capable crewed combat aircraft are two Su-25 ground-attack jets bought second-hand from Ukraine in 2012 and delivered in 2013, according to SIPRI, and two HÜRKUŞ-C turboprops from Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ). SIPRI dates the HÜRKUŞ-C delivery to 2023; Military Africa reports that TUSAŞ completed it by the end of 2022. We found no recent public evidence of the Su-25s flying, so their operational status should be treated as unconfirmed.
Transport and surveillance aircraft make up most of the fixed-wing fleet, much of it supplied by the United States as aid. SIPRI records two second-hand C-130H Hercules (delivered 2021-2022, modernised in Belgium), four Cessna 208B Caravans, a King Air 350 ISR aircraft and two Diamond DA42 MPP surveillance aircraft.
Niger Air Force aircraft and drone inventory
| Platform | Variant | Quantity | Status | Source / period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-25 | Su-25 (ex-Ukraine) | 2 delivered | Status unconfirmed | SIPRI (2013) |
| TUSAŞ HÜRKUŞ | HÜRKUŞ-C | 2 | Delivered (light attack); shown armed in 2025 | SIPRI; Military Africa; TURDEF, Sep 2025 |
| Lockheed C-130H Hercules | C-130H | 2 second-hand, delivered 2021-2022 | Delivered | SIPRI |
| Cessna 208 / King Air 350 / DA42 | 208B; King Air 350 ISR; DA42 MPP | 4 / 1 / 2 | Transport and surveillance | SIPRI |
| Mil Mi-24 / Mi-35 | Mi-24P (Mi-35) | 2 delivered 2008; GFP counts 2 attack helicopters | Serviceability unknown | SIPRI; GFP 2026 |
| Mil Mi-17 / Mi-171Sh | Mi-17; Mi-171Sh (armed) | 2 + 2 delivered | Delivered 2003 and 2020 | SIPRI (2003, 2020) |
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | SA-342L-1, SA-342M (armed) | 3 + 2 | Delivered 2013 and 2022 (French aid) | SIPRI |
| Bell 412 | AB-412HP | 4 (second-hand, Italian aid) | Delivered 2022-2023 | SIPRI |
| Baykar Bayraktar TB2 (UAV) | TB2 | 6 delivered | Delivered May 2022 | SIPRI; Military Africa |
| TUSAŞ AKSUNGUR (UAV) | AKSUNGUR | At least 1 (SIPRI estimate) | Presented 29 September 2025 | APA; TURDEF; SIPRI |
| Lentatek Karayel-SU (UAV) | Karayel-SU | 5 reported | Reported deal (Oct 2024, $87.5 million); delivery not confirmed | Military Africa, May 2026 (single source) |
SIPRI quantities are deliveries, not current serviceable aircraft. Drones are listed separately and not counted as crewed aircraft. No official figure for the number of AKSUNGURs delivered has been published.
Turkish drones and aircraft
Türkiye has supplied Niger’s newest combat aircraft and drones since 2021, SIPRI records. Six Bayraktar TB2s were delivered in May 2022, according to SIPRI and Military Africa. On 29 September 2025 the defence ministry presented the AKSUNGUR, a medium-altitude long-endurance drone, during a visit by Defence Minister General Salifou Mody in the capital, APA reported; the acquisition had been announced in April 2025, and 12 Nigerien personnel were trained in Türkiye. TURDEF reported that state television showed the drone with Roketsan TEBER guided bombs.
In April 2026 Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and General Mody signed a protocol in Ankara for on-site Turkish training support in Niger, Military Africa reported. The same outlet reported a 2024 deal for five Lentatek Karayel-SU drones worth $87.5 million; we found no second source or delivery confirmation, so that item is listed as reported only. For the wider picture, see which African countries operate ANKA and AKSUNGUR and why Niger bought the Bayraktar TB2.
Helicopters
Niger’s helicopter fleet is small and mixed. SIPRI records two Mi-24P (Mi-35) gunships delivered from Russia in 2008, two armed Mi-171Sh helicopters in 2020, five armed Gazelles supplied as French aid in 2013 and 2022, and four second-hand Bell 412s supplied as Italian aid in 2022-2023. Global Firepower counts 13 helicopters, two of them attack helicopters. A July 2026 report by French aviation site Avions Légendaires said Russia had declined an Alliance of Sahel States request for Mi-35M gunships; it has not been officially confirmed.
How Niger compares with its neighbours
Global Firepower’s 2026 estimates put Niger level with Burkina Faso (about 26 aircraft each) and behind Mali (44) and Chad (40). SIPRI records HÜRKUŞ-C deliveries in Africa only to Niger and Chad, and both also received the AKSUNGUR. Our Mali Air Force inventory covers the third AES member.
Frequently asked questions
Does Niger have fighter jets?
No. Its jet combat aircraft are two second-hand Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, whose current status is not confirmed.
What Turkish aircraft does Niger operate?
Bayraktar TB2 and TUSAŞ AKSUNGUR drones, and two HÜRKUŞ-C light attack aircraft.
How many drones does Niger have?
SIPRI records six TB2s delivered in 2022; at least one AKSUNGUR was shown in September 2025. A further Karayel-SU order has been reported but not confirmed.
Does Niger have attack helicopters?
Yes, a small number: about two Mi-24/Mi-35s, plus armed Gazelle and Mi-171Sh helicopters.
Related reading
- Why Niger bought the Bayraktar TB2
- Which African countries operate ANKA and AKSUNGUR?
- Turkish drones in the Sahel: combat record
- Military drones in the Sahel
- Mali Air Force aircraft
Sources
- SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, trade register for Niger, 1960-2025 (data published March 2026; accessed November 2026).
- Global Firepower, Niger military strength 2026 (accessed November 2026).
- APA News, “Niger : l’armée de l’air présente le drone Aksungur”, 29 September 2025.
- TURDEF, “Niger shows its TUSAŞ AKSUNGUR UCAVs after HÜRKUŞ-C”, 28 September 2025.
- Military Africa, “Turkey and Niger formalize on-site military training and logistics”, May 2026.
- Overt Defense, TAI export deliveries (HÜRKUŞ to Niger), 7 June 2023.
Last updated: 7 November 2026.