This is a list of military aircraft currently in service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Multi-Role Combat Aircraft | |||||||
Eurofighter Typhoon | European (British, German, Italian, Spanish) | Jet | Multi-role | 2003 | 102 [1] | 137 [a] [2] | [3] 16 Tranche 1s have been progressively withdrawn and scrapped under the RTP requirement [4] which started in late 2016. [5] [6] All Tranche 1s (apart from 4, based in the Falklands) [7] retired by 2025. [8] |
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning | United States [9] | Jet | Stealth Multi-role, including nuclear strike | By 2030 | 0 [b] [10] | (12) [c] | 12 F-35A to be procured by 2030; [11] [12] To support NATO nuclear mission and complement Royal Navy submarine-based nuclear forces. [13] |
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning | United States [14] | Jet | V/STOL Stealth Multi-role | 2013 | 39 [d] [15] [16] [17] [18] | 40 (63) [e] | [19] [18] [20] [21] [22] Jointly operated with the Fleet Air Arm: 47 F-35B being acquired by 2026; 15 additional F-35B planned by 2033 [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] |
AEW&C | |||||||
Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW.1 | United States | Jet | AW&C | 2026 [28] | 0 | (3) | Originally five envisaged, now reduced to three. 2025 defence review recommended acquisition of additional aircraft. [29] [3] |
Reconnaissance / Maritime Patrol | |||||||
Beechcraft Shadow R.1 | United States | Propeller | ISTAR | 2009 | 8 [30] | 8 [31] | [3] Expected OSD 2030. [32] Current fleet expanded and upgraded. [33] |
Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint | United States | Jet | SIGINT | 2013 | 3 | 3 | [3] Formally known as Airseeker. [34] |
Boeing P-8 Poseidon MRA.1 | United States | Jet | ASW/Anti-ship [35] | 2019 | 9 | 9 | |
Tanker / Transport | |||||||
Airbus Voyager | Airbus (European, Multinational) | Jet | Tanker / Transport | 2011 | 14 [36] | 14 | [3] [37] |
Transport | |||||||
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III | United States | Jet | Transport | 2001 | 8 | 8 | [3] |
Airbus A400M Atlas C.1 | Airbus (European, Multinational) | Propeller | Transport | 2014 | 22 | 22 [f] [38] [39] | [3] Up to six additional aircraft planned for procurement by 2030, [40] [41] [42] or procurement of additional capacity in partnership with private sector providers. [43] |
Dassault Envoy IV CC.1 | France | Jet | Transport | 2022 | 2 [44] | 2 | Two aircraft to be introduced from March 2022. To be initially operated under civil contract until 2026. [45] |
Helicopter | |||||||
Boeing Chinook | United States | Rotorcraft | Transport | 1980 | 37 | 51 | 14 HC.Mk 6A variants withdrawn from service; to be replaced by 14 CH-47-ER variants from 2027; overall operational numbers to stabilize at c. 51 helicopters [46] [47] |
Airbus H145 Jupiter HC.2 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2026 | 0 | (6) | Six aircraft ordered; to replace former Puma HC2s deployed in Cyprus and Brunei from 2026. [48] [49] [50] |
Trainer Aircraft | |||||||
Airbus H135 Juno HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 29 | 29 | [3] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
Airbus H145 Jupiter HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 7 | 7 | [3] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
BAE Systems Hawk T.2 | United Kingdom | Jet | Jet trainer | 2009 | 28 | 28 | [3] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by No. IV (R) Squadron & No. XXV(F) Squadron; aircraft to remain in service until 2040. [51] [52] |
Beechcraft Texan T1 | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 14 | 14 | [3] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
Embraer Phenom T.1 | Brazil | Jet | Trainer | 2018 | 5 | 5 | [3] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
Grob Prefect T.1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 23 | 23 | [3] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
Grob Tutor T.1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 1999 | 91 [g] | 119 | [3] Used by the RAF Air Experience Flight. 28 Tutors have been sold to the Finnish Air Force as of 2018. [53] |
Grob Viking T.1 | Germany | Glider | Trainer | 1990 | 52 | 91 | The Grob Viking T1 is the RAF's primary aircraft for delivering basic glider and flight training to the RAF Air Cadets. [3] |
Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance UAVs | |||||||
General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper | United States | UAV | ISR / Attack | 2007 | 10 | 10 | [3] Extended in service but being replaced by Protector UAV. [54] [55] [56] [57] |
Protector RG1 | United States | UAV | ISR / Attack | 2023 | 10 [58] | 16 | 16 ordered; 10 aircraft delivered with 4 in the UK and the other 6 in the US where they are used for testing and training. [59] |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Aerospace Hawk T.1 | United Kingdom | Jet | Trainer | 1980 | 12 | 12 | [3] Retired from aggressor role in March 2022; [60] retained by the Red Arrows; to be retired by 2030. [61] |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avro Lancaster (PA474) | United Kingdom | Propeller | Heavy bomber | 1942 | 1 | 1 | 1 B.I |
de Havilland Canada Chipmunk | United Kingdom | Propeller | Trainer | 1946 | 2 | 2 | 2 T.10 |
Douglas Dakota | United States | Propeller | Transport | 1942 | 1 | 1 | 1 C.3 |
Hawker Hurricane | United Kingdom | Propeller | Fighter | 1937 | 2 | 2 | 2 Mk IIc |
Supermarine Spitfire | United Kingdom | Propeller | Fighter | 1938 | 5 | 6 | 1 Mk IIa, 1 Mk Vb, 1 LF Mk XVIe 2 PR Mk XIX |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Attack helicopters | |||||||
Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian | United States | Helicopter | Attack | 2022 | 50 [62] [63] | 50 | 50 Apache AH1 remanufactured to AH-64E specification. Armed with M230 cannon and JAGM, Hellfire K1 and Hellfire Romeo missiles. [64] |
Reconnaissance helicopters | |||||||
AgustaWestland Wildcat | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Utility | 2014 | 34 | 34 | Up to 8 helicopters serve with the Fleet Air Arm's 847 Squadron in support of the Royal Marines. [65] [66] |
Transport helicopters | |||||||
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II | France | Rotorcraft | SAS | 2009 | 5 [67] | 6 |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | |||||||
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning | United States | Jet | V/STOL Stealth Multi-role | 2013 | - | - | Jointly operated with Royal Air Force. Initial Operational Capability (Maritime) in 2020; [68] 809 Naval Air Squadron stood up in December 2023. [69] |
Attack/Reconnaissance helicopters | |||||||
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Attack | 2014 | 28 | 28 | [3] |
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | ASW/AEW | 2000 | 30 | 44 | [3] Expected OSD 2040. [70] [71] |
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat AH1 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Utility/Reconnaissance | 2014 | - | - | Up to 8 Army Air Corps aircraft tasked to 847 Naval Air Squadron in support of the Royal Marines. [65] |
Transport helicopters | |||||||
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk4/4A | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2000 | 24 | 25 | One aircraft crashed September 2024; [72] [3] Expected OSD 2040. [70] [71] |
Trainer Aircraft | |||||||
Grob Tutor | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 1999 | 5 | 5 | Introductory fight training; operated by 727 Naval Air Squadron [73] |
Tactical vertical takeoff/landing UAV | |||||||
Peregrine | Austria | Rotorcraft UAV | ISR | 2024 | 2+ | 2+ | Began trials on HMS Lancaster in the Persian Gulf mid-2024 [74] [75] [76] [77] |
As well as the military services, a number of defence contractors operate military aircraft on behalf of or lease them from the Ministry of Defence.
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agusta AW109 | Italy | Rotorcraft | Utility | 1 | 1 | QinetiQ, Boscombe Down. | |
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II | France | Rotorcraft | Utility | 1999 | 2 | 2 | [3] Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training. Operated by British International Helicopters under MRCOA [h] . [78] |
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil | France | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 3 | 3 | Cobham Helicopter Academy, Newquay under CFAOS [i] . | |
Eurofighter Typhoon | United Kingdom | Jet | Multi-role | 3 | 3 | BAE Systems, Warton [j] . | |
Hawker Hunter | UK | Jet | Fighter | 3 | 3 [79] | Hawker Hunter Aviation, RAF Leeming. | |
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II | United States | Jet | Multi-role | 2013 | - | - | 4 of 39 F-35Bs operated in the United States by 17 Squadron RAF; test and evaluation role. [80] [81] [18] |
Westland Sea King | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2 | 2 | HeliOperations under CFAOS [k] . | |
Airbus Zephyr | United Kingdom | High-altitude pseudo-satellite | UAV | 0 | 3 | Solar-powered long-endurance UAV; observation and communications platform; [82] [83] two of three aircraft in storage; MoD has not been a participant in any flights since 2021 [84] |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grob Prefect T.1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 23 | 23 | Serves with 57 Squadron RAF, 703 Naval Air Squadron and 674 Squadron, Army Air Corps. [3] [85] [86] [87] |
Beechcraft Texan T.1 | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 14 | 14 | Serves with 72 Squadron RAF. [88] [3] |
Beechcraft Avenger | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2011 | 4 | 4 | Serves with 750 Naval Air Squadron. [3] |
Embraer Phenom T.1 | Brazil | Jet | Trainer | 2018 | 5 | 5 | Serves with 45 Squadron RAF. [89] [3] |
BAE Systems Hawk T.2 | United Kingdom | Jet | Jet trainer | 2009 | 28 | 28 | Serves with No. IV (R) Squadron & No. XXV(F) Squadron. [3] |
Airbus H135 Juno HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 29 | 29 | Serves with 60 and 202 Squadrons RAF, 705 Naval Air Squadron and 660 Squadron, Army Air Corps. [3] [90] [91] |
Airbus H145 Jupiter HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 7 | 7 | Serves with 60 and 202 Squadrons RAF. [3] [92] |
The UK's F-35 fleet has grown to 24 aircraft after @OC207Sqn pilots ferried three new jets from the @LockheedMartin plant in Fort Worth, Texas.