Introduced back in 1978, the F-16 Fighting Falcon is one of the most widely used combat aircraft in the world. Despite being introduced roughly half a century ago, this fighter jet continues to be one of the most widely popular weapons systems. For many nations, the F-16 acts as a relatively low-cost and high-performance option, even compared against newer combat aircraft. The Fighting Falcon is just one of many military aircraft that pervades many national air forces. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look into the most widely used military aircraft in the world. (These are the world’s future military aircraft.)
To identify the military aircraft that are most widely used, 24/7 Wall St. referenced the report 2024 World Air Forces from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. We ranked each aircraft by the number of units in service in the 163 countries reporting to FlightGlobal. Supplemental data regarding the type of aircraft, how many are on order, and notable countries that use these aircraft also came from FlightGlobal.
Similar to the F-16, many of the aircraft mentioned in this list are relatively cheaper than their newer counterparts making them more affordable for countries looking to build up their military might. Another common theme among some of these combat aircraft mentioned is that they have been in production for decades, which gives credence to their combat record.
At the same time, the F-35 Lightning II is one of the fifth-generation fighter jets that many world militaries are buying up now. Lockheed Martin has been producing hundreds of these fighter jets since 2016 and many NATO nations have added these aircraft to their air forces. (These countries are buying the most F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.)
It is worth noting that the vast majority of this list consists of combat aircraft and combat helicopters. Militaries tend to have fewer tankers, transports, and special mission aircraft because their roles are limited, while combat aircraft are more effective to project power. However, the C-130 Hercules is only instance of one of these aircraft making the list.
Here is a look at the most widely flown military aircraft in the world:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: sndr / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Understanding the most widely used military aircraft in the world is important because it provides insight into military operations. This also offers a deeper understanding of history, geopolitics, and military alliances.
25. NH90 Caiman
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 433
- Aircraft on order: 93
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Australia, France, Netherlands
24. Chengdu J-7 Fishcan
- Active aircraft: 452
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: China
23. Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 468
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Armenia, Belarus, North Korea, Russia
22. Bell 206 JetRanger
- Active aircraft: 475
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Argentina, Germany, Iraq, Italy
21. F-5 Tiger II
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 558
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Brazil, Chile, South Korea, Switzerland
20. Eurocopter H145
- Active aircraft: 560
- Aircraft on order: 63
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Albania, Germany, United States
19. T-38 Talon
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 575
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Training aircraft
- Notable countries: Turkey, United States
18. Aero L-39 Albatros
- Active aircraft: 580
- Aircraft on order: 32
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Libya, Mali, Russia
17. MD500 Defender
- Active aircraft: 584
- Aircraft on order: 86
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Argentina, Colombia, North Korea
16. AH-1 Cobra
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active aircraft: 594
- Aircraft on order: 61
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan
15. Mil Mi-17 Hip
- Active aircraft: 764
- Aircraft on order: 17
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Bangladesh, India, Venezuela
14. Mil Mi-24 Hind
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 816
- Aircraft on order: 37
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Armenia, Russia, Ukraine
13. C-130 Hercules
- Active aircraft: 842
- Aircraft on order: 98
- Type: Combat aircraft, special mission, tanker, transport
- Notable countries: United States, Austria, Israel
12. F-35 Lightning II
Source: Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 869
- Aircraft on order: 2,703
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Canada, Israel, United States
11. Mikoyan MiG-29
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 898
- Aircraft on order: 72
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt
10. CH-47 Chinook
- Active aircraft: 938
- Aircraft on order: 234
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Notable countries: Australia, Germany, United States
9. Bell UH-1 Iroquois
Source: cak757 / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 992
- Aircraft on order: 31
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: United States, Turkey, South Korea
8. T-6 Texan
- Active aircraft: 1,001
- Aircraft on order: 58
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Thailand, United States, Iraq
7. Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker
Source: Jozsef Soos / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 1,005
- Aircraft on order: 60
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: China, Kazakhstan, Russia
6. F-15 Eagle
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 1,044
- Aircraft on order: 162
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Indonesia, Israel, Japan, United States
5. F/A-18 Hornet
- Active aircraft: 1,108
- Aircraft on order: 116
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Canada, Spain, Switzerland, United States
4. AH-64 Apache
- Active aircraft: 1,249
- Aircraft on order: 327
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Greece, India, United States
3. Mil Mi-8 Hip
![Mil Mi-8 Hip [unmarked] by Alan Wilson](https://247wallst.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/imageForEntry23-sHJ.jpg "Mil Mi-8 Hip [unmarked] by Alan Wilson")
- Active aircraft: 2,039
- Aircraft on order: 17
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Algeria, Croatia, Cuba, Russia
2. F-16 Fighting Falcon
Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 2,767
- Aircraft on order: 255
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt
1. S-70 Black Hawk
Source: fikretozk / iStock via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 3,884
- Aircraft on order: 921
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: United States, Saudi Arabia, Poland
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