The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has no fighter jets in service. Global Firepower’s 2026 estimate credits the Congolese air force (Force Aérienne, part of the FARDC) with about 56 crewed military aircraft: six attack aircraft, 10 fixed-wing transports, two trainers and 38 helicopters, nine of them attack helicopters. Its combat jets are about six Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, and since 2023 it has also operated Chinese CH-4 armed drones, about nine of which SIPRI estimates were delivered. Several types are listed as unserviceable, and no official inventory is published.
Quick answer
Total crewed military aircraft: about 56 (Global Firepower 2026, estimate; fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, drones not among the types GFP lists). Fighter jets: none active; 2 MiG-23s listed as unserviceable. Attack aircraft: about 6 Su-25 (12 delivered 1999-2012). Attack helicopters: about 8 Mi-24/Mi-35 listed, 3 of them damaged or unserviceable. Drones: 9 CH-4B delivered 2023-2024 (SIPRI estimate), 3-6 believed in service. On order: 6 Paramount Mwari ground-attack/surveillance aircraft (none delivered by end-2025, SIPRI).
Data verified on 7 November 2026. Delivery data from SIPRI (to end-2025); fleet estimates from Global Firepower 2026 and defenceWeb. Totals are estimates, not official figures.
How many fighter jets does the DRC have?
None that are operational. The DRC’s only supersonic fighters in recent decades were MiG-21s and MiG-23s acquired second-hand in the late 1990s: SIPRI records five MiG-21PFMs from Serbia (1996) and two MiG-23s from Libya (1998). defenceWeb’s current profile lists two MiG-23s and describes them as unserviceable, and Global Firepower counts no fighters.
The DRC’s combat jet is the Su-25, a subsonic ground-attack aircraft. SIPRI records ten delivered from Georgia in 1999-2000 and two second-hand from Ukraine in 2012. defenceWeb estimates that about six remain in service, and Global Firepower counts six attack aircraft. Older Italian MB-326 trainers are listed but are of unclear status and possibly in storage.
DRC Air Force aircraft and drone inventory
| Platform | Variant | Quantity | Status | Source / period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-25 | Su-25 | 12 delivered; about 6 listed | Listed | SIPRI (1999-2000, 2012); defenceWeb |
| Mikoyan MiG-23 | MiG-23MS, MiG-23UM | 2 | Unserviceable | SIPRI (1998); defenceWeb |
| Aermacchi MB-326 | MB-326GB, MB-326K | 8 + 6 listed | Status unclear, possibly stored | defenceWeb |
| Ilyushin Il-76 / Lockheed C-130H | Il-76; C-130H | 2-3 / 1 listed | Listed | defenceWeb |
| Antonov An-26 / Boeing 727 | An-26; 727 | 6 An-26 delivered 2002-2006 / 2 Boeing 727 (2009) | Current number not confirmed | SIPRI |
| Paramount Mwari | Mwari (SIPRI: ground-attack aircraft) | 6 ordered | On order; none delivered by end-2025 (SIPRI) | defenceWeb; SIPRI (order 2022) |
| Mil Mi-24 / Mi-35 | Mi-24K, Mi-24V, Mi-24P | 12 delivered 1996-2010; 8 listed, 3 damaged or unserviceable | Partly in service | SIPRI; defenceWeb |
| Mil Mi-8 / Mi-17 | Mi-8, Mi-17 | About 6 listed | Number serviceable unknown | defenceWeb |
| Bell UH-1H / Bell 206 | UH-1H Huey II; 206 | About 7 / 2 delivered | Delivered second-hand, 2018-2020 | SIPRI |
| Aérospatiale Puma / Mi-26 | SA330; Mi-26 | 10 / 1 | Puma status unknown; Mi-26 non-operational | defenceWeb |
| CASC CH-4 (UAV) | CH-4B | 9 delivered (SIPRI estimate); 3-6 believed in service | Number remaining unknown | SIPRI (2023-2024); defenceWeb; RFI, Mar 2026 |
| Berkut-BM (one-way attack drone) | Berkut-BM | About 20 (SIPRI estimate) | Delivered 2024 from Belarus | SIPRI |
SIPRI quantities are deliveries, not serviceable aircraft. Drones are listed separately and are not counted as crewed aircraft. Reports that the FARDC has also received Turkish drones have not been confirmed by any official source.
Attack helicopters
The Mi-24 is the DRC’s most numerous crewed combat type. SIPRI records 12 Mi-24-family helicopters delivered from Ukraine between 1996 and 2010, and notes that some early deliveries were operated by Russian or Ukrainian mercenaries. defenceWeb lists eight, three of them damaged or unserviceable, while Global Firepower counts nine attack helicopters. For the type’s African history, see our Mi-24/Mi-35 combat record in Africa.
Drones: CH-4 and beyond
The DRC became a drone operator in 2023. It ordered Chinese CH-4 armed drones in late 2023; SIPRI estimates nine CH-4Bs delivered in 2023-2024, at an estimated cost of $150 million reported by RFI. RFI reported in March 2026 that it was unknown how many of the nine remained operational, and defenceWeb estimates three to six. SIPRI also records about 20 Belarusian Berkut-BM one-way attack drones delivered in 2024.
Reports of newer acquisitions are unconfirmed. RFI cited security sources describing new Chinese and possibly Turkish drones, and AFP-sourced reporting has referred to the ANKA, but no official confirmation of a sale has been published. Our explainer Why the DRC bought the CH-4 covers the 2023 purchase.
How the DRC compares
On Global Firepower’s 2026 numbers the DRC’s air force (about 56 aircraft) is larger than those of Uganda (51), Rwanda (5) and Burundi (5), although defenceWeb lists several Congolese types as unserviceable. Uganda, unlike the DRC, is credited by GFP with six fighters. Angola, its southern neighbour, is covered in our Angolan Air Force inventory.
Frequently asked questions
Does the DRC have fighter jets?
Not in working order. Two MiG-23s are listed as unserviceable; the active combat jets are Su-25 ground-attack aircraft.
How many Su-25s does the DRC have?
About six are believed to be in service, out of 12 delivered between 1999 and 2012.
What drones does the DRC use?
Chinese CH-4B armed drones (nine ordered in 2023) and Belarusian Berkut-BM one-way attack drones. Turkish drone purchases have been reported but not confirmed.
Has the DRC received the Mwari aircraft?
Not according to SIPRI. Six were ordered from South Africa’s Paramount in 2022, and SIPRI’s register recorded none delivered by the end of 2025. We found no later public report of a delivery.
Related reading
- Why the DRC bought the CH-4 drone
- Which African countries operate the CH-4?
- SAMIDRC equipment and combat record
- Rooivalk in the DRC: combat record
- Mi-24/Mi-35 in Africa
Sources
- SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, trade register for DR Congo, 1960-2025 (data published March 2026; accessed November 2026).
- Global Firepower, Democratic Republic of the Congo military strength 2026 (accessed November 2026).
- defenceWeb, “Democratic Republic of the Congo” African militaries profile (accessed November 2026).
- RFI, “Est de la RDC: comment les drones se sont imposés dans le conflit”, 13 March 2026.
- defenceWeb, “Democratic Republic of Congo emerges as Mwari’s next customer” (2023).
Last updated: 7 November 2026.