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German, Italian, Spanish) | Jet | Multi-role | 2003 | 107 [1] | 130 [a] [1] | [2] 16 Tranche 1s have been progressively withdrawn and scrapped under the RTP requirement [3] which started in late 2016. [4] [5] All Tranche 1s (apart from 4, perhaps those based in the Falklands) [6] to be retired by 2025. [7] |
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning | United States [8] (UK as Level 1 partner) | Jet | Stealth Multi-role | 2013 | 33 [b] [9] | 34 [c] | [9] [10] [11] [12] Jointly operated with Fleet Air Arm. Maximum of 138 aircraft to be procured [13] [14] [15] One F-35B crashed November 2021. [16] |
AEW&C | |||||||
Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW.1 | United States | Jet | AW&C | 2022 | - | 3 | Originally five orders, now reduced to three. In February 2023 it was stated that the order for three aircraft could gradually increase to five. [17] [2] |
Reconnaissance / Maritime Patrol | |||||||
Beechcraft Shadow R.1 | United States | Propeller | ISTAR | 2009 | 6 | 8 [18] | [2] Expected OSD 2030. [19] A further two aircraft are to be added by 2025 along with an upgrade to the current aircraft. [20] |
Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint | United States | Jet | SIGINT | 2013 | 3 | 3 | [2] Formally known as Airseeker. [21] |
Boeing P-8 Poseidon MRA.1 | United States | Jet | ASW/Anti-ship [22] | 2019 | 9 | 9 | |
Tanker / Transport | |||||||
Airbus Voyager | Airbus (European, Multinational) | Jet | Tanker / Transport | 2011 | 9 | 14 | [2] Five additional aircraft available upon request from AirTanker Services. [23] |
Transport | |||||||
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III | United States | Jet | Transport | 2001 | 8 | 8 | [2] |
Airbus A400M Atlas C.1 | Airbus (European, Multinational) | Propeller | Transport | 2014 | 22 | 22 [d] [24] [25] | [2] Up to six additional aircraft planned for procurement by 2030. [26] [27] [28] |
Dassault Envoy IV CC.1 | France | Jet | Transport | 2022 | 2 [29] | 2 | Two aircraft to be introduced from March 2022. To be initially operated under civil contract until 2026. [30] |
Helicopter | |||||||
Leonardo AW109SP | United Kingdom / Italy | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2016 | 1 | 1 | [2] Used for transportation of senior military commanders or government ministers. [31] |
Boeing Chinook | United States | Rotorcraft | Transport | 1980 | 60 | 75 | Operational numbers being reduced to 51 helicopters. [32] |
Westland/Airbus Helicopters Puma HC.2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Transport | 1971 2013 | 13 [33] [34] | 18 [35] | To be retired in March 2025. [36] |
Airbus H145 Jupiter HC.2 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2024 | - | 6 | Six aircraft ordered; to replace Puma HC2s deployed in Cyprus and Brunei from 2024. [37] [38] |
Trainer Aircraft | |||||||
Airbus H135 Juno HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 29 | 29 | [2] 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 | [2] 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 | [2] 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. [39] [40] |
Beechcraft Texan T1 | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 14 | 14 | [2] 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 | [2] 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 | [2] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
Grob Tutor T.1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 1999 | 91 [e] | 119 | [2] Used by the RAF Air Experience Flight. 28 Tutors have been sold to the Finnish Air Force as of 2018. [41] |
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. [2] |
Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance UAVs | |||||||
General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper | United States | UAV | ISR / Attack | 2007 | 9 | 10 | [2] Expected OSD 2024. To be replaced by Protector UAV. [42] [43] |
Protector RG1 | United States | UAV | ISR / Attack | 2023 | 2 | 16 | 16 ordered; second aircraft delivered in July 2024 with five more to be delivered by the end of the year. [44] |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Aerospace Hawk T.1 | United Kingdom | Jet | Trainer | 1980 | 12 | 12 | [2] Retired from aggressor role in March 2022; [45] retained by the Red Arrows; to be retired by 2030. [46] |
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 IXe, 1 LF MK XVIe 2 PR.XIX |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Attack helicopters | |||||||
Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian | United States | Helicopter | Attack | 2022 | 41 [47] | 50 on order | 50 Apache AH1 are being remanufactured to AH-64E specification. Armed with M230 cannon and JAGM, Hellfire K1 and Hellfire Romeo missiles. [48] |
Reconnaissance helicopters | |||||||
AgustaWestland Wildcat | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Utility | 2014 | 25 | 34 | Up to 8 helicopters serve with the Fleet Air Arm's 847 Squadron in support of the Royal Marines. [49] [2] |
Transport helicopters | |||||||
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II | France | Rotorcraft | SAS | 2009 | 5 [50] | 6 | |
Tactical ISR UAV | |||||||
Thales Watchkeeper WK450 | United Kingdom | UAV | ISR | 2014 | 46 | 54 | 8 systems have reportedly crashed since 2014. [51] [2] To be retired in March 2025. [52] |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | |||||||
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning | United States (UK as Level 1 partner) | Jet | Stealth Multi-role | 2013 | - | - | Jointly operated with Royal Air Force. Initial Operational Capability (Maritime) in 2020; [53] 809 Naval Air Squadron stood up in December 2023 with initial squadron operating capability projected for December 2024. [54] |
Attack/Reconnaissance helicopters | |||||||
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Attack | 2014 | 28 | 28 | [2] |
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | ASW/AEW | 2000 | 30 | 44 | [2] Expected OSD 2040. [55] [56] |
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. [49] |
Transport helicopters | |||||||
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk4/4A | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2000 | 24 | 25 | One aircraft crashed September 2024; [57] [2] Expected OSD 2040. [55] [56] |
Trainer Aircraft | |||||||
Grob Tutor | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 1999 | 5 | 5 | Introductory fight training; operated by 727 Naval Air Squadron [58] |
Tactical vertical takeoff/landing UAV | |||||||
Peregrine | Austria | Rotorcraft UAV | ISR | 2024 | 2+ | 2+ | Began trials on HMS Lancaster in the Persian Gulf mid-2024 [59] [60] [61] [62] |
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 | [2] Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training. Operated by British International Helicopters under MRCOA [f] . [63] |
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil | France | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 3 | 3 | Cobham Helicopter Academy, Newquay under CFAOS [g] . | |
Eurofighter Typhoon | United Kingdom | Jet | Multi-role | 3 | 3 | BAE Systems, Warton [h] . | |
Hawker Hunter | UK | Jet | Fighter | 3 | 3 [64] | Hawker Hunter Aviation, RAF Scampton. | |
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II | United States | Jet | Multi-role | 2013 | - | - | 3–4 of 33 F-35Bs operated in the United States by 17 Squadron RAF; test and evaluation role. [65] [9] |
Westland Sea King | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2 | 2 | HeliOperations under CFAOS [i] . | |
Airbus Zephyr | United Kingdom | High-altitude pseudo-satellite | UAV | 0 | 3 | Solar-powered long-endurance UAV; observation and communications platform; [66] [67] two of three aircraft in storage; MoD has not been a participant in any flights since 2021 [68] |
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. [2] [69] [70] [71] |
Beechcraft Texan T.1 | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 14 | 14 | Serves with 72 Squadron RAF. [72] [2] |
Beechcraft Avenger | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2011 | 4 | 4 | Serves with 750 Naval Air Squadron. [2] |
Embraer Phenom T.1 | Brazil | Jet | Trainer | 2018 | 5 | 5 | Serves with 45 Squadron RAF. [73] [2] |
BAE Systems Hawk T.2 | United Kingdom | Jet | Jet trainer | 2009 | 28 | 28 | Serves with No. IV (R) Squadron & No. XXV(F) Squadron. [2] |
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. [2] [74] [75] |
Airbus H145 Jupiter HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 7 | 7 | Serves with 60 and 202 Squadrons RAF. [2] [76] |
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. Since its formation, the RAF has played a significant role in British military history. In particular, during the Second World War, the RAF established air superiority over Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, and led the Allied strategic bombing effort.
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five RN fighting arms. As of 2023 it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the F-35 Lightning II carrier-based stealth fighter jointly with the Royal Air Force.
The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), also known by its United States designation AIM-132, is an imaging infrared homing air-to-air missile, produced by MBDA UK, that is designed for close-range combat. It is in service in the Royal Air Force (RAF), replacing the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The ASRAAM is designed to allow the pilot to fire and then turn away before the opposing aircraft can close for a shot. It flies at over Mach 3 to ranges in excess of 25 kilometres (16 mi). It retains a 50 g maneuverability provided by body lift and tail control.
Royal Air Force Marham, commonly abbreviated RAF Marham is a Royal Air Force station and military airbase near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia.
The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy consists of two vessels. The lead ship of her class, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was named on 4 July 2014 in honour of Elizabeth I and was commissioned on 7 December 2017. Her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, was launched on 21 December 2017, and was commissioned on 10 December 2019. They form the central components of the UK Carrier Strike Group.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers and the Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy. Capable of carrying 60 aircraft including fixed wing, rotary wing and autonomous vehicles, she is named in honour of the first HMS Queen Elizabeth, a World War I era super-dreadnought, which in turn was named after Queen Elizabeth I. The carrier Queen Elizabeth carries her namesake ship's honours, as well as her Tudor rose-adorned crest and motto.
HMS Prince of Wales (R09) is the second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Unlike most large aircraft carriers, Prince of Wales is not fitted with catapults and arrestor wires, and is instead designed to operate STOVL aircraft; the ship is currently planned to carry up to 48 F-35B Lightning II stealth multirole fighters and Merlin helicopters for airborne early warning and anti-submarine warfare, although in surge conditions the class is capable of supporting 70+ F-35B. The design emphasises flexibility, with accommodation for 250 Royal Marines and the ability to support them with attack helicopters and troop transports up to and larger than Chinook size.
Future planning of the Royal Navy's capabilities is set through periodic Defence Reviews carried out by the British Government.
Royal Air Force Barkston Heath or RAF Barkston Heath is a Royal Air Force Relief Landing Ground under the command of RAF Cranwell near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England.
The Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) is the official designation of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence used for the F-35 Lightning II. The F-35, developed from the X-35, is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter program.
The Joint Aviation Command (JAC), previously known as Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of all three services of the British Armed Forces and unmanned aerial vehicles of the British Army for command and coordination purposes.
809 Naval Air Squadron, nicknamed the Immortals, is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the United Kingdom. It was first formed in 1941 and flew in the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean and the Far East during the Second World War. After active service during the Suez Crisis, 809 was disbanded in 1959. Reformed in 1963 to fly Blackburn Buccaneers, the squadron was disbanded briefly in 1965–66, and then again in 1978. A brief period during the Falklands War saw 809 reformed to bring Sea Harrier FRS.1 aircraft south to the UK task group and to fly from HMS Illustrious.
The planning for the future of the Royal Air Force involves supporting ongoing British military operations and the introduction of new aircraft types including unmanned aerial vehicles and the BAE Systems Tempest sixth-generation fighter in the 2030s. Priorities include greater focus on network enabled capability and mixing crewed fighter jets with UAVs and swarming drones. The new initiative will focus on increasing interoperability with members of NATO and becoming carbon net-zero, with strategies such as using sustainable aviation fuels in aircraft.
Operation Shader is the operational code name given to the contribution of the United Kingdom in the ongoing military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The operation involves the British Army providing ground support and training to allied forces fighting against ISIL, the Royal Air Force providing humanitarian aid airdrops, reconnaissance and airstrikes, and the Royal Navy providing reconnaissance and airstrikes from the UK Carrier Strike group and escort to allied carrier battle groups.
SPEAR is a family of air-launched effectors under development by MBDA UK for the Royal Air Force's Select Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) Capability 3, or SPEAR 3 programme, from which the system also derives its name. The SPEAR family currently consists of two variants: SPEAR, a 100kg class air-to-surface cruise missile; and SPEAR-EW, an electronic warfare variant for stand-in jamming or for use as a decoy.
The Lightning Force HQ was the organisation controlling the operations of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force. Following on from the principles developed in the operation of the UK's previous STOVL aircraft, the Harrier, the formation is a joint organisation falling under RAF Air Command.
The UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) is a carrier battle group of the Royal Navy. It has existed in various forms since the mid-2000s. Between 2006 and 2011, the formation centred around the Royal Navy's Invincible-class aircraft carriers until the retirement of their Harrier GR9 strike aircraft in 2011 as a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The UKCSG subsequently returned in February 2015 ahead of the entry into service of the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The aim of the CSG is to facilitate carrier-enabled power projection.
Project Vixen is the name of a Royal Navy programme examining the use of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from its two aircraft carriers. The project likely draws its name from the de Havilland Sea Vixen, notable for being the Royal Navy's first two-seat carrier-based aircraft capable of supersonic flight.
The New Medium Helicopter (NMH) is a British military programme to procure up to 44 medium-lift support helicopters to replace the Westland Puma HC2 and initially, the Bell 412 Griffin operated by the Royal Air Force; and the Bell 212 and Airbus AS365 Dauphin operated by the British Army. It is expected the new aircraft will enter service during the late-2020s. By the mid 2020s, only the Puma HC2 is intended for replacement, the other types have already been retired or will remain in service.
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.