Infographics

Military Aircraft Fleet Strength by Country (Top 140 Countries)

Military aircraft are designed and constructed specifically for military missions, including reconnaissance, combat, transport, and training. In addition, these aircraft are designed for multiple combat environments, including air-to-air combat, air-to-ground assaults, and surveillance missions. They are typically outfitted with cutting-edge technology, such as radar, sophisticated avionics, and weapons systems, to give the military a tactical advantage in various situations. Since the middle of the 20th century, aircraft have been an integral element of military might.

There are numerous sizes and configurations of military aircraft, ranging from small drones and helicopters to massive transport aircraft and stealth bombers. Their capabilities and features depend on the mission for which they are intended. Fighter jets, assault helicopters, transport planes, and reconnaissance drones are some of the most frequently used military aircraft.

In modern warfare, military aircraft play a significant role in providing air support to ground forces, conducting reconnaissance missions, and launching air-to-ground attacks against enemy targets. They are also used for humanitarian missions such as search and rescue, disaster relief, and medical evacuations. The creation and deployment of cutting-edge military aircraft continue to play a crucial role in the global defence of nations.

Facts about Military Aircraft:

The F-16 Fighting Falcon, made in the United States and first used in 1978, is the most popular combat plane in the world. More than 25 countries use it.
During World War I, surveillance was the primary purpose of the earliest military aircraft.
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, made in the United States, is the world’s fastest military plane. It can reach speeds as fast as 3,540 km/h.

The Antonov An-124 Ruslan, which the Russian Air Force uses, is the biggest military aircraft in the world.
Some countries collaborate on joint military aircraft programs, such as the F-35 program, which involves the United States and several other countries.
Some nations collaborate on joint military aircraft programmes, such as the F-35 programme involving the United States and several other countries.

Many different types of military aircraft have seen action in pivotal conflicts like World War I, WWII, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.

Military aircraft may be armed with machine guns, bombs, missiles, and rockets, among other armaments.
The military has recently used more robotic aerial vehicles (UAVs), also called “drones.” UAVs can be used to look around, keep an eye on things, and hit specific targets.
Military planes are made to handle extreme circumstances like high altitudes, low temperatures, and high speeds.

Types of Military Aircraft:

Fighters – regain control of vital airspaces by destroying or driving away hostile aircraft.
Bombers are larger, heavier, and less nimble aircraft designed to attack surface targets with explosives or missiles.
Attack aircraft – operate at lower altitudes than bombers and air-superiority fighters and attack ground targets such as tanks, troop formations, and other ground targets.
Transport and cargo aircraft are large-bodied aircraft with ample interior capacity for transporting weapons, supplies, and troops over moderate or long distances.
Helicopters are rotary-wing aircraft utilised for ground support, transporting assault forces, short-distance transport, and surveillance.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) – remotely controlled or autonomously guided aircraft carrying sensors, designators, electronic transmitters, and even offensive weapons.

The Evolution of Military Aircraft:

When the first practical aircraft, in hot-air and hydrogen balloons, were produced in 1783, they were rapidly adopted for military use. The French National Convention authorised the construction of a military tethered-balloon organisation in 1793, and on April 2, 1794, a company of “Aérostiers” was established. Two months later, the first balloon-borne military survey was conducted near Maubeuge. Before 1799, when the Aérostiers were dissolved, their reports contributed to the victory of numerous French armies in battles and sieges. Later, other armies utilised similar reconnaissance aircraft during the American Civil War and the British in Africa from 1884 to 1901.

True military aviation began with the development of the navigable airship in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and the aeroplane was developed in the first 10 years of the twentieth century. Wilbur and Orville Wright, who made the first powered, sustained, and controlled flights in an aeroplane on December 17, 1903, believed this aircraft type would be primarily valuable for military surveillance. In February 1908, the U.S. government issued the first contract for a military aeroplane, requiring an aircraft capable of transporting two people at a minimum speed of 40 miles (65 km) per hour for 125 miles (200 km). The name of the aircraft they delivered in June 1909 was “Aeroplane No. 1, Heavier-than-air Division, United States aerial fleet.”

Consequently, by 1914, reconnaissance, bomber, and carrier-based aircraft were all evolving, and some had been employed in combat. During the Italo-Turkish War, on October 23, 1911, an Italian aviator flew a Blériot XI monoplane for one hour over the enemy positions near Tripoli, Libya. Nine days later, a pilot dropped four grenades on Turkish positions in the first bombing assault.

The World’s First Military Airplane: 1909 Wright Military Flyer:

The 1909 Wright Military Flyer, constructed by Wilbur and Orville Wright, was the first military aircraft in the world. The U.S. Army Signal Corps solicited proposals for a two-seat observation aircraft in 1908. During flight trials, the Wright brothers displayed this aircraft at Fort Myer, Virginia. The United States Army paid $30,000 for the plane, which met all specifications. Signal Corps No. 1 was its official designation, but it was more commonly known as the Wright Military Flyer.

Top 5 Most Advanced Military Aircraft

1. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

It is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth, multirole fighter aircraft for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world and is designed to operate in various weather and combat conditions. The aircraft has a maximum speed of approximately 1,200 miles per hour (1,920 kilometres per hour) and a range of roughly 1,380 miles (2,221 kilometres).

The F-35 was designed to replace several ageing United States military fighter aircraft, including the F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and F/A-18 Hornet. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and several other countries also utilise it.

The F-35 is available in three primary variants:

The F-35A is a version of the F-35 designed for use by the United States Air Force with standard takeoff and landing.

The F-35B is a variant of the F-35 intended for use by the United States Marine Corps and the Royal Navy that is capable of short takeoff and vertical landing.
The F-35C is a carrier-capable variant designed for use by the United States Navy.

The F-35 is equipped with advanced stealth technology, avionics, and a highly integrated sensor package that enables the pilot to collect and process vast data in real-time. It also has a unique display system that is built into the pilot’s helmet. This system gives the pilot a 360-degree view of the fight.

2. Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon

China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation developed the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. As one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, it is designed for air superiority and ground attack missions.

The J-20 debuted at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2016 and entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in March 2017. The aircraft has a range of approximately 4,500 kilometres and a maximum speed of 1,678 miles per hour (2,700 kilometres per hour).

The J-20 is equipped with cutting-edge avionics, such as an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an infrared search and track system, and an electronic warfare (E.W.) suite. In addition, it carries many air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, including long-range missiles, and is equipped with a sophisticated fly-by-wire flight control system.

3. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

The United States Air Force (USAF) developed the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft. The F-22 is designed for air superiority missions, including air-to-air combat, air-to-ground bombardment, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

The F-22 is equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as stealth, advanced sensors and avionics, and supercruise, which enables it to fly at supersonic velocities without afterburners. In addition, it carries numerous armaments, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and bombs. The maximum speed of the F-22 is approximately 1,500 mph (2,414 km/h), and its range without aerial refuelling is about 1,864 miles (3000 km).

The F-22 entered service with the United States Air Force in 2005 and has since been utilised in various operations and exercises around the globe. It has been lauded for its sophisticated capabilities and is regarded as one of the globe’s most formidable fighter aircraft. However, despite delivering 195 aircraft, the F-22 programme was discontinued in 2011 due to its high cost and limited production.

4. KAI KF-21 Boramae

The KAI KF-21 Boramae is a modern fighter aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in South Korea. The KF-21, also known as the “Indigenous Fighter,” is intended to be a multirole fighter aircraft of the next generation with cutting-edge capabilities and technologies.

The development of the KF-21 began in 2015 as a joint effort between KAI and the Agency for Defence Development of the South Korean government. The project aims to develop a fighter jet that will supplant the South Korean Air Force’s ageing F-4 and F-5 aircraft fleet.

The KF-21 is designed to be highly manoeuvrable and equipped with cutting-edge avionics and weaponry. It is outfitted with sophisticated radar and sensors and an array of sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities. In addition, the KF-21 is designed to carry various armaments, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and precision-guided munitions.

5. Sukhoi Su-57

The Sukhoi Su-57 is a stealth fighter jet from the fifth generation made by the Russian company Sukhoi. The Su-57, which used to be called the PAK FA, was made to be a potent and versatile fighter jet that could do various tasks.

One of the most vital things about the Su-57 is that it can hide itself. The plane is made to have a small radar cross-section, which makes it hard for enemy radars to find. The Su-57 also has advanced sensors and electronics, such as an advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and an infrared search and track (IRST) system.

The Su-57 is made to be very versatile and stealthy and has sensors. In addition, the plane has modern thrust-vectoring engines that make making complicated moves in the air possible.

The Su-57 is also very flexible, with a wide range of weapons that can be set up in different ways for different missions. For example, there are air-to-air, air-to-ground, and precision-guided bombs among these weapons.

Top 10 Largest Military Aircraft:

Antonov An-124 (Russia)
Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy (USA)

Antonov An-22 (Russia)
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (USA)
Xian Y-20 (China)

Ilyushin Il-76 (Russia)
Kawasaki C-2 (Japan)
Airbus A400M (European)

Shaanxi Y-9 (China)
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules (USA)

Top 9 Fastest Military Aircraft:

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird MiG-25

MiG-31
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
Sukhoi Su-27 family

MiG-23
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
MiG-29

IAI Kfir
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

Here is a list of the Military Aircraft Fleet Strength by Country, according to GFP:

Rank	Country	Total Aircraft
1	United States	13,300
2	Russia	4,182
3	China	3,166
4	India	2,210
5	South Korea	1,602
6	Japan	1,451
7	Pakistan	1,413
8	Egypt	1,069
9	Turkiye	1,065
10	France	1,004
11	North Korea	947
12	Saudi Arabia	897
13	Italy	850
14	Taiwan	737
15	Brazil	665
16	United Kingdom	663
17	Greece	635
18	Germany	601
19	Israel	601
20	UAE	565
21	Algeria	547
22	Iran	541
23	Spain	517
24	Thailand	488
25	Mexico	468
26	Indonesia	466
27	Colombia	465
28	Poland	459
29	Syria	453
30	Canada	376
31	Iraq	361
32	Australia	353
33	Ukraine	312
34	Angola	302
35	Chile	289
36	Myanmar	280
37	Jordan	256
38	Morocco	250
39	Venezuela	250
40	Singapore	248
41	Peru	246
42	Kazakhstan	237
43	Argentina	228
44	South Africa	226
45	Vietnam	223
46	Sweden	205
47	Bangladesh	204
48	Qatar	198
49	Uzbekistan	197
50	Belarus	191
51	Sudan	191
52	Philippines	188
53	Yemen	177
54	Finland	166
55	Kenya	156
56	Tunisia	152
57	Azerbaijan	148
58	Switzerland	148
59	Malaysia	147
60	Romania	146
61	Nigeria	144
62	Netherlands	136
63	Oman	128
64	Libya	127
65	Ecuador	118
66	Serbia	117
67	Bahrain	116
68	Denmark	115
69	Kuwait	114
70	Belgium	106
71	Portugal	104
72	Austria	101
73	Norway	100
74	Zambia	98
75	Czechia	97
76	Zimbabwe	90
77	Ethiopia	89
78	Sri Lanka	86
79	Turkmenistan	86
80	Croatia	80
81	Cuba	80
82	Lebanon	78
83	Bulgaria	66
84	Georgia	66
85	Armenia	64
86	Bolivia	64
87	Dominican Republic	63
88	Hungary	57
89	Uruguay	52
90	Uganda	50
91	Slovakia	48
92	Botswana	46
93	DR Congo	46
94	El Salvador	46
95	New Zealand	45
96	Honduras	43
97	Panama	41
98	Tanzania	40
99	Mali	39
100	Paraguay	39
101	Slovenia	37
102	Chad	34
103	Guatemala	34
104	Laos	34
105	Eritrea	33
106	Namibia	32
107	Cameroon	31
108	Senegal	27
109	Tajikistan	25
110	Cambodia	24
111	Gabon	23
112	Ireland	23
113	Mauritania	23
114	Bosnia and Herzegovina	22
115	Burkina Faso	20
116	Ghana	20
117	North Macedonia	20
118	Albania	19
119	Mozambique	19
120	South Sudan	18
121	Nicaragua	16
122	Niger	16
123	Nepal	15
124	Congo	13
125	Mongolia	11
126	Montenegro	11
127	Lithuania	10
128	Estonia	6
129	IvoryCoast	6
130	Kyrgyzstan	6
131	Latvia	4
132	Madagascar	4
133	Sierra Leone	4
134	Central African Republic	3
135	Moldova	3
136	Suriname	3
137	Beliz	2
138	Benin	2
139	Bhutan	2
140	Luxembourg	1

In conclusion, the size of a country’s military aircraft fleet is an essential indicator of its military power and ability to protect its interests and keep its people safe. In addition, it shows how much money a country spends on military technology and how well its armed forces can do their jobs.