Qatar’s Air Force in 2026: Three Fighter Types and Its First Air-to-Air Kills

The Qatar Emiri Air Force flies more than 100 modern fighters split across three types: the American F-15QA, the French Rafale and the European Typhoon. Few air forces anywhere run three advanced fighter fleets side by side, and Qatar does it with roughly 2,000 air force personnel, by the IISS’s count.

On March 2, 2026, that investment paid off for the first time. A Qatari F-15QA shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers flying at about 80 feet toward Al Udeid Air Base and the Ras Laffan gas complex, the first air-to-air kills in the air force’s history.

This guide ranks every type Qatar’s air force flies by how much it matters to the country’s defense as of October 2026, then covers what is on order, where the jets are based and why half the Typhoon fleet may soon leave for Türkiye.

Rank	Aircraft	Role	Fleet	Status
1	Boeing F-15QA Ababil	Multirole fighter	48 delivered (46 listed active)	In service
2	Dassault Rafale DQ/EQ	Multirole fighter	36	In service, option on 36 more
3	Eurofighter Typhoon	Multirole fighter	24	12 being sold to Türkiye
4	Boeing AH-64E Apache	Attack helicopter	24	In service
5	Boeing C-17A Globemaster III	Strategic airlifter	8	In service
6	Lockheed Martin C-130J-30	Tactical airlifter	4	In service
7	NHIndustries NH90 TTH/NFH	Transport and naval helicopter	28	Deliveries completed late 2025
8	Pilatus PC-21	Advanced turboprop trainer	24	In service
9	BAE Hawk Mk 167	Advanced jet trainer	9	Based in the UK
10	PAC Super Mushshak	Basic trainer	8	In service

1. Boeing F-15QA Ababil: The Jet That Scored the First Kills

The F-15QA is the backbone of the air force and its largest fighter fleet. Qatar signed a $12 billion deal for 36 of the jets in June 2017, and Boeing’s $6.2 billion production contract for them followed that December.

The QA is one of the most advanced versions of the F-15 Eagle, with digital fly-by-wire controls. It first flew in St. Louis on April 14, 2020, and the first four jets left for Qatar on October 27, 2021.

Boeing delivered the last of the first 36 in August 2023. Qatar later added 12 more, and FlightGlobal reports that the 48-strong fleet was completed in April 2025, although its own fleet table lists 46 jets as active.

On March 2, 2026, two Iranian Su-24s dropped to about 80 feet to slip under radar, carrying bombs and guided munitions, according to CNN’s sources. They were reportedly two minutes from Al Udeid and Ras Laffan when a Qatari F-15QA shot both down.

“Qatari fighters for the first time have shot down two Iranian bombers,” said Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Dan Caine. It was also the first air-to-air victory for the F-15QA variant, against the jet our guide to Iran’s air force describes as its only dedicated bomber.

2. Dassault Rafale: 36 Jets and an Option on 36 More

Qatar ordered 24 of the Dassault Rafale on May 4, 2015, in a deal reported at 6.3 billion euros. It exercised an option for 12 more on December 7, 2017, bringing the fleet to 36.

Dassault handed over the first jet at Mérignac, France, on February 6, 2019. The first five reached Qatar on June 5, 2019, landing at the newly built Dukhan Air Base, also called Tamim Air Base, where they fly with the Al Adiyat squadron.

All 36 were delivered between 2019 and 2022. FlightGlobal still records an option or letter of intent for 36 more, and French press reports in 2023 described talks on an F4 upgrade and a second batch, but we found no new Rafale order through October 2026.

The Rafale gives Qatar a second, non-American fighter supplier. Our ranking of the best fighter jets in the world shows where it sits against the F-15 family.

3. Eurofighter Typhoon: Half the Fleet May Go to Türkiye

Qatar ordered 24 Eurofighter Typhoons and nine Hawk trainers from BAE Systems in December 2017, a contract valued at about 5 billion pounds by UK Defence Journal and 6 billion pounds by other outlets. The first three left Warton, England, on August 25, 2022, bound for Tamim Air Base.

The Typhoon is the fleet most tied to another air force. Qatari and Royal Air Force crews formed a joint unit, No. 12 Squadron, at RAF Coningsby, and four of its RAF Typhoons deployed to Qatar in January 2026 at the Qatari government’s request.

One of those RAF jets shot down an Iranian drone heading for Qatar on March 1, 2026. The UK did not say whether the pilot was British or Qatari.

The fleet’s future is now uncertain. Qatar announced 12 more Typhoons in December 2024, but no contract has been published, and in late 2025 Türkiye agreed to buy 12 of Qatar’s 24, alongside 20 new jets it ordered from Britain. The first ex-Qatari jet was expected by late February 2026, and we found no report of a handover as of October.

4. Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian: 24 Attack Helicopters

Qatar’s air force, not its army, flies the country’s attack helicopters. It received its first AH-64E Apache at Boeing’s plant in Mesa, Arizona, on March 14, 2019, part of a 24-helicopter purchase signed in 2014 alongside Patriot missiles.

Deliveries were due to finish by May 2020. The US cleared a further 24 Apaches for Qatar in May 2019 at an estimated $3 billion, but FlightGlobal still lists that batch as an option rather than a firm order.

5. Boeing C-17A Globemaster III: The Region’s First C-17 Order

Qatar became the first Middle East nation to order the C-17 Globemaster III when it signed for two on July 21, 2008. Boeing delivered the first at Long Beach, California, on August 11, 2009.

At the 2015 Paris Air Show, Qatar bought four of the last C-17s Boeing built, doubling its fleet to eight.

6. Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules: Four Stretched Airlifters

Lockheed Martin delivered four C-130J Super Hercules to Qatar on September 28, 2011, all of the longer C-130J-30 version. They were Qatar’s first C-130s of any kind.

That delivery also made Qatar the first C-130J operator in the Middle East. The four handle tactical airlift that does not need a C-17.

7. NHIndustries NH90: 28 Helicopters, Delivered in Full

Qatar flies both versions of the NH90: the TTH troop transport and the NFH naval helicopter. Both belong to the air force rather than the navy.

Leonardo delivered the last of 28 in late 2025, and the partners marked the milestone at the DIMDEX show in January 2026. By then the fleet had flown 7,400 hours with average serviceability above 80%, according to Leonardo.

8. Pilatus PC-21: Where Fighter Pilots Learn the Basics

Qatar ordered 24 Pilatus PC-21 turboprop trainers in 2012. The first reached the air force’s academy in mid-2014, and training started in mid-2015.

The PC-21 is the middle step of the pipeline. Students arrive from the Super Mushshak and leave for jet training on the Hawk or overseas.

9. BAE Hawk Mk 167: A Qatari Squadron in England

Qatar’s nine BAE Hawk Mk 167 jet trainers came with the Typhoon order and do not live in Qatar. Since September 2021 they have flown with a joint British-Qatari training unit, No. 11 Squadron, at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire.

Qatar also bought six Leonardo M-346 jet trainers, confirmed in January 2022 and linked to the international flight training school in Italy. FlightGlobal does not count them in Qatar’s fleet, so they sit outside this ranking.

10. PAC Super Mushshak: First Flights for Every Cadet

Qatari cadets start on eight Super Mushshak piston trainers, built by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and listed by FlightGlobal as the MFI-395. Qatar ordered them in June 2016, and the first batch arrived on July 19, 2017.

From the Super Mushshak, trainees move to the PC-21. The pipeline from a Pakistani-built trainer to a Swiss turboprop to an American, French or European fighter says a lot about how widely Qatar shops.

The Rest of the Fleet

FlightGlobal lists 19 AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters and two smaller AW109s for utility and search-and-rescue work. Thirteen SA342 Gazelles, in service since 1983, are being replaced in the training role by Airbus H125s ordered in 2018.

A single Pilatus PC-24 business jet serves as a multi-engine trainer. Royal VIP flying is not an air force job: it belongs to the separate Qatar Amiri Flight, which is where the Boeing 747-8 that Qatar gave the United States as an Air Force One came from.

On Order: Tankers and Drones

Qatar owns no aerial refueling tanker, so its 100-plus fighters rely on partner nations for fuel in the air. A 2014 plan for two Airbus A330 MRTT tankers never produced an aircraft in Qatari service.

That may change. On August 20, 2026, the US State Department approved a possible $4.5 billion sale of up to four KC-46A Pegasus tankers to Qatar. The figure is a ceiling, and Qatar has not yet signed a contract.

Qatar also signed for eight MQ-9B drones in a deal worth nearly $2 billion, announced during President Trump’s visit to Doha on May 14, 2025. It was the first sale of the MQ-9B to the Middle East, and no deliveries have been reported.

The biggest gap is airborne early warning. Qatar dropped a plan for three Boeing E-7 Wedgetails in 2018, and in July 2026 Saab sold two GlobalEye radar planes to an unnamed Middle East customer, which has not been identified.

The War That Tested Qatar’s Air Force

The United States and Israel struck Iran on February 28, 2026, and Iran fired back at the Gulf states hosting US forces. On the first day, Qatar’s defense ministry said it detected 65 ballistic missiles and 12 drones, two of which reached Al Udeid without loss of life.

The Su-24 shootdown came two days later, on the same day Qatar intercepted seven ballistic missiles and five drones. On March 4, Qatari jets downed two drones and two cruise missiles out of a salvo of 10 drones and two cruise missiles.

Not everything was stopped. Iranian missiles damaged Ras Laffan on March 18, prompting Qatar to expel Iran’s military attachés, and a US early-warning radar at Al Udeid was hit. The last attack on Qatar we found came on April 8, the day a ceasefire was agreed.

No Qatari combat aircraft loss was reported. On March 22, an armed forces helicopter crashed at sea after what officials called a technical malfunction, killing six people, including a Qatari pilot and a Turkish officer.

Where Qatar’s Air Force Flies From

Al Udeid Air Base, built by Qatar in 1996 for more than $1 billion, is the largest US military base in the Middle East and typically houses about 10,000 US service members. It is also home to Qatari transport and F-15QA units.

The Rafales fly from Tamim Air Base near Dukhan, on the west coast, which opened in 2019, and the first Typhoons were delivered there too. Iran’s June 23, 2025, missile attack on Al Udeid, which Qatar says its air defenses mostly intercepted, showed why spreading the fleet out matters.

Qatar’s jets also train abroad. Besides the UK squadrons and the planned Idaho facility, a 2021 agreement that took effect in 2022 lets Qatar station up to 36 military aircraft and 250 personnel in Türkiye on temporary deployments.

How Strong Is the Qatar Air Force?

For its size, very. Global Firepower’s 2026 index counts 115 fighters for Qatar, 19th in the world, and every one of its front-line fighters has been delivered since 2019.

The weakness is the system around the fighters. Qatar has no tanker, no airborne radar plane and three separate fighter supply chains, which analyst Caleb Larson called “a significant logistical challenge” when the war began.

Qatar’s real insurance is its partners. A US executive order signed on September 29, 2025, after Israel struck Hamas officials in Doha, pledges American action, military if necessary, against any armed attack on Qatar. Its neighbor’s much larger fleet is covered in our guide to Saudi Arabia’s air force.

FAQ

Does Qatar have a strong air force?

Yes, for a country of its size. Qatar flies more than 100 modern fighters across three types, the F-15QA, Rafale and Typhoon, all delivered since 2019, and Global Firepower’s 2026 index ranks its 115 fighters 19th in the world. Its gaps are support aircraft: it has no tanker and no airborne early warning plane.

How many fighter jets does Qatar have?

About 106 to 108 modern fighters as of October 2026: 48 F-15QAs delivered (FlightGlobal lists 46 active), 36 Rafales and 24 Typhoons. Some lists add nine Mirage 2000-5s and six Alpha Jets, but their status is uncertain, and 12 of the Typhoons are being sold to Türkiye.

Does Qatar have F-15s?

Yes. Qatar flies the F-15QA Ababil, one of the most advanced F-15 versions. It ordered 36 in 2017, added 12 more, and completed a 48-jet fleet in April 2025, according to FlightGlobal. A Qatari F-15QA shot down two Iranian Su-24s on March 2, 2026.

Does Qatar have F-35s?

No. Qatar submitted a formal request to buy the F-35 in 2020, but the United States has not announced any sale. The air force’s most advanced fighters are the F-15QA, Rafale and Typhoon.

Has the Qatar Air Force ever shot down an aircraft?

Yes, once. On March 2, 2026, a Qatari F-15QA shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers flying at about 80 feet toward Al Udeid Air Base and the Ras Laffan gas complex. They were the first air-to-air kills in the air force’s history.

Does Qatar have missiles for air defense?

Yes. Qatar operates Patriot batteries, which US Central Command said helped defeat Iran’s June 2025 missile attack on Al Udeid. Ground-based air defense is run by a separate command, the Qatar Amiri Air Defence Forces, rather than the air force.

What is Qatar Air Force One?

Searches for it usually mean the Boeing 747-8 Qatar gave the United States in 2025, which now flies as an Air Force One. It was never an air force jet: it came from the royal VIP fleet of the Qatar Amiri Flight.

How many people serve in the Qatar Air Force?

About 2,000 active personnel, according to the IISS Military Balance 2023, out of roughly 16,500 across Qatar’s armed forces. Its commander as of 2026 is Major General Faisal Khalid Al-Ghanim.