The world’s most widely flown aircraft has 3,884 units in service today, with nearly 1,000 on order for the future. The most widely used military aircraft around the world include combat helicopters, fighter jets, training aircraft, and tankers. However, combat aircraft and helicopters dominate the fleets. Each country varies in the type of aircraft it focuses its resources on, which can give insight into a nation’s military goals. (Also see, the world’s future military aircraft.)

To identify the 25 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.

Here is a look at the most widely flown military aircraft in the world:

Why Are We Covering This?

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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Active aircraft: 869
• Aircraft on order: 2,703
• Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
• Notable countries: Canada, Israel, United States

11. Mikoyan MiG-29

• 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

• 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

• Active aircraft: 1,005
• Aircraft on order: 60
• Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
• Notable countries: China, Kazakhstan, Russia

6. F-15 Eagle

• 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

• Active aircraft: 2,039
• Aircraft on order: 17
• Type: Combat helicopter
• Notable countries: Algeria, Croatia, Cuba, Russia

2. F-16 Fighting Falcon

• Active aircraft: 2,767
• Aircraft on order: 255
• Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
• Notable countries: Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt

1. S-70 Black Hawk

• Active aircraft: 3,884
• Aircraft on order: 921
• Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
• Notable countries: United States, Saudi Arabia, Poland

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