The following is a list of currently active military aircraft in the United States Air Force.
The following is a list of currently active military aircraft in the United States Air Force.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Aircraft | ||||||
| F-22 Raptor | United States | stealth air superiority | 186 | |||
| F-35 Lightning II | United States | stealth multirole | F-35A | 234 | 1,372 on order. [1] Another 129 F-35A variants are used for training [1] | |
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | United States | multirole | F-16C | 738 [1] | Another 137 F-16D variants are used for training [1] | |
| F-15 Eagle | United States | air superiority | F-15C | 149 [2] | 18 D variants are used for training [1] | |
| F-15 Strike Eagle | United States | multirole | F-15E | 219 [3] | ||
| F-15EX Eagle II | United States | multirole | 2 | 102 on order [1] | ||
| A-10 Thunderbolt II | United States | attack / CAS | A-10C | 270 [1] | ||
| AC-130 Ghostrider | United States | ground attack / CAS | AC-130J | 29 [1] | ||
| B-1 Lancer | United States | strategic bomber | B-1B | 42 [1] | employs variable-sweep wing design | |
| B-2 Spirit | United States | stealth strategic bomber | 17 [1] | |||
| B-52 Stratofortress | United States | strategic bomber | B-52H | 72 [1] | ||
| AWACS | ||||||
| E-3 Sentry | United States | AWACS | E-3B/C/G | 21 [1] | ||
| E-4 Nightwatch | United States | command and control | E-4B | 4 [1] | ||
| E-11A | Canada | command and control / BACN | E-11A | 7 | 4 on order [1] | |
| Electronic Warfare | ||||||
| EA-37B | United States | SIGINT / PSYOP / attack | EA-37B | 1 | 9 on order [1] | |
| EC-130 Commando Solo | United States | radar jamming / PSYOP | EC-130J | 7 [1] | ||
| EC-130H Compass Call | United States | radar jamming / PSYOP | 7 [1] | |||
| Reconnaissance | ||||||
| IPTN CN-235 | Indonesia | SIGINT / ELINT | 5 [1] | |||
| E-9A Widget | Canada | SIGINT / ELINT | 9 [4] | |||
| MC-12W Liberty | United States | SIGINT / surveillance | W | 40 [4] | ||
| OA-1K Sky Warden | United States | armed reconnaissance | 6 on order [4] | |||
| RC-135 Rivet Joint | United States | ELINT / surveillance | S/U/V/W | 22 [1] | ||
| U-2 Dragon Lady | United States | high altitude reconnaissance | U-2S | 26 [1] | ||
| U-28A Draco | Switzerland | ISR / SIGINT | U-28A | 26 [1] | ||
| Tanker | ||||||
| KC-10 Extender | United States | aerial refueling | 20 [1] | |||
| KC-46 Pegasus | United States | aerial refueling | 72 | 99 on order [4] | ||
| KC-135 Stratotanker | United States | aerial refueling | KC-135R/T | 377 [1] | ||
| MC-130J Commando II | United States | aerial refueling / transport | KC-130J | 57 | 4 on order [1] | |
| Transport | ||||||
| C-5 Galaxy | United States | strategic airlifter | C-5M | 52 [1] | ||
| C-12 Huron | United States | utility / transport | 23 [1] | |||
| C-12J | United States | transport | C-12J | 3 [1] | ||
| C-17 Globemaster III | United States | strategic airlifter | 228 [1] | |||
| C-21A | United States | VIP transport | C-21A | 19 [1] | ||
| C-32 | United States | VIP transport | 4 [1] | |||
| C-37A/B | United States | VIP transport | C-37A C-37B | 13 [5] | 1 is the C-37B variant, based on the Gulfstream G550 | |
| C-40 Clipper | United States | VIP transport | C-40B/C | 12 [6] | ||
| C-130 Hercules | United States | transport | C-130H | 158 [1] | ||
| C-130J Super Hercules | United States | tactical airlifter | C-130J | 172 | 26 on order [1] | |
| C-146 Wolfhound | Germany | transport | C-146A | 20 [1] | ||
| HC-130J Super Hercules | United States | SAR / transport | 38 | 1 on order [4] | ||
| U-27A Caravan | United States | transport / utility | 2 [1] | |||
| U-28A Draco | Switzerland | transport / utility | U-28A | 12 [1] | ||
| UV-18B Twin Otter | Canada | utility transport | 1 [4] | STOL capable aircraft | ||
| VC-25 | United States | Presidential transport | 2 [6] | |||
| Helicopter | ||||||
| HH-60 Pave Hawk | United States | CSAR | HH-60G/U | 96 | 931 on order [1] | |
| MH-139 Grey Wolf | United States | utility | MH-139 | 4 | 75 on order [1] | |
| UH-1N Twin Huey | United States | utility | 64 [1] | |||
| V-22 Osprey | United States | CSAR | CV-22B | 52 | 2 on order [1] | |
| Trainers | ||||||
| A-29 Super Tucano | Brazil | assessment trainer | A-29C | 3 [1] | ||
| F-117 Nighthawk | United States | trainer | 4 [1] | stealth OPFOR trainer | ||
| G120TP | Germany | basic trainer | 2 [1] | contracted by JPAG Aviation | ||
| T-1 Jayhawk | United States | multi-engine trainer | 131 [1] | |||
| T-6 Texan II | United States | advanced trainer | T-6A | 444 [1] | ||
| T-7 Red Hawk | United States | advanced trainer | T-7A | 1 | 350 on order [1] | |
| T-38 Talon | United States | jet trainer | T-38A/C | 497 [1] | ||
| T-53A Kadet II | United States | basic trainer | T-53A | 25 [1] | ||
| TC-135 Stratolifter | United States | multi-engine trainer | 3 [4] | |||
| TH-1 Iroquois | United States | rotorcraft trainer | UH-1H | 39 [1] | ||
| TU-2 Dragon Lady | United States | high altitude reconnaissance trainer | TU-2 | 4 [1] | ||
| UAV | ||||||
| MQ-9 Reaper | United States | multi-mission | MQ-9A | 50 [7] | ||
| RQ-4 Global Hawk | United States | ISTAR / SIGINT | RQ-4B | 33 [8] | ||
| RQ-11 Raven | United States | ISR | RQ-11B | 3,000 [9] | ||
| RQ-20 Puma | United States | ISR | RQ-20B | 60 [10] | Puma 3 AE variant is on order [11] [12] | |
| RQ-170 Sentinel | United States | ISTAR / SIGINT | 20 [13] [14] | |||
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.
The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Conceived in the early 1990s for aerial reconnaissance and forward observation roles, the Predator carries cameras and other sensors. It was modified and upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other munitions. The aircraft entered service in 1995, and saw combat in the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the NATO intervention in Bosnia, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the Iraq War, Yemen, the 2011 Libyan civil war, the 2014 intervention in Syria, and Somalia.
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft introduced in 2001. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical, and known as Tier II+ during development. The RQ-4 provides a broad overview and systematic surveillance using high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors with long loiter times over target areas.
The IAI RQ-5 Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was originally intended to serve as the United States Army's Short Range UAV system for division and corps commanders. It took off and landed on runways. It used a gimbaled EO/IR sensor to relay its video in real time via a second airborne Hunter over a C-band line-of-sight data link. The RQ-5 is based on the Hunter UAV that was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries.
The AAI RQ-7 Shadow is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the United States Army, Australian Army, Swedish Army, Turkish Air Force and Italian Army for reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and battle damage assessment. Launched from a trailer-mounted pneumatic catapult, it is recovered with the aid of arresting gear similar to jets on an aircraft carrier. Its gimbal-mounted, digitally stabilized, liquid nitrogen-cooled electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera relays video in real time via a C-band line-of-sight data link to the ground control station (GCS).
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is an American high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed for and flown by the United States Navy as a surveillance aircraft. Together with its associated ground control station, it is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the Triton is intended to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions, continuous maritime surveillance, conduct search and rescue missions, and to complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
The Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout is an unmanned autonomous helicopter developed by Northrop Grumman for use by the United States Armed Forces. The Fire Scout is designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness, aerial fire support and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces. The initial RQ-8A version was based on the Schweizer 330, while the enhanced MQ-8B was derived from the Schweizer 333. The larger MQ-8C Fire Scout variant is based on the Bell 407.
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft (RPV/RPA) by the USAF to indicate ground control by humans.
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron 2 (VMUT-2) is an unmanned aerial vehicle training squadron in the United States Marine Corps that is transitioning from operating the RQ-21A Blackjack to the MQ-9A Reaper. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina and will serve as the MQ-9A Reaper Fleet Replacement Squadron, training UAS officers and enlisted sensor operators. Historically, VMUT-2 provided aerial surveillance, offensive air support, and electronic warfare for the II Marine Expeditionary Force. VMUT-2 falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) classifies unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into "Groups" according to their size and capability, a joint system that replaced the service branches' separate categorization schemes in 2011.
The 432nd Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-170 Sentinel Unmanned aerial vehicles.
Naval Air Warfare Centers are research organizations within Naval Air Systems Command. The centers are grouped within the following divisions:
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadron in the United States Marine Corps that operates the MQ-9A Reaper that consists of approximately 200 Marines. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and its primary mission is to provide aerial surveillance for the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit also provides Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) to units participating in Mojave Viper, an exercise held several times a year in 29 Palms, CA. The squadron, nicknamed the Phantoms, was activated on 12 September 2008 and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 24 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
The General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger is a developmental unmanned combat aerial vehicle built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the U.S. military.
The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith, is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has released few details on the UAV's design or capabilities, defense analysts believe that it is a stealth aircraft fitted with aerial reconnaissance equipment. Introduced in 2007, it was deployed to Afghanistan in late 2007, and to South Korea two years later, in September 2009. Some images and details of the aircraft were released after Iran captured an RQ-170 in 2011. It has a flying wing design, and uses a single engine, speculated to be either a General Electric TF34 turbofan or a Garrett TFE731.
The AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma is an American unmanned aircraft system which is small, battery powered, and hand-launched. Its primary mission is surveillance and intelligence gathering using an electro-optical and infrared camera. It is produced by AeroVironment.
The Northrop Grumman RQ-180 is an American stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance aircraft intended for contested airspace. As of 2019, there had been no images or statements released, but growing evidence points to the existence of the RQ-180 and its use in regular front-line service. The use of the nickname "White Bat" in a 2021 video released by the US Air Force Profession of Arms Center of Excellence (PACE) suggests that the military may be preparing to release information on the RQ-180.
As of January 2014, the United States military operates a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles : 7,362 RQ-11 Ravens; 990 AeroVironment Wasp IIIs; 1,137 AeroVironment RQ-20 Pumas; 306 RQ-16 T-Hawk small UAS systems; 246 MQ-1 Predators; MQ-1C Gray Eagles; 126 MQ-9 Reapers; 491 RQ-7 Shadows; and 33 RQ-4 Global Hawk large systems.
The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an aerial refueling drone that resulted from the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program, which grew out of the earlier Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. The MQ-25 first flew on 19 September 2019.