The U.S. Marine Corps is widely known as one of the fiercest fighting forces on the ground, but it is also complemented by a host of aircraft that play a variety of roles adding to their combat effectiveness. The Corps employs transports, combat helicopters, and fighter jets to accomplish its objectives where needed. (These are the 26 guns used by the U.S. Marines.)
To identify every aircraft in the U.S. Marine Corps, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ordered these aircraft by how many are currently in active service. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft and how many of these aircraft are on order.
In terms of fleet size, the Marine Corps outranks all but seven nations in the world with 1,277 total aircraft. Compared to other global military powers, the Marine Corps has the sixth most helicopters with over 700 in its fleet. All of these aircraft play an important role in getting the Marines to the fight and taking the fight to opposing forces.
For getting Marines to and from the battlefield, the CH-53 Stallion series of helicopters fills this role incredibly well. The CH-53K King Stallion has a storied history with extensive use throughout the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Typically, the CH-53K is capable of carrying 55 personnel with passenger seating and then under combat conditions it has space for up to 37 combat-ready soldiers.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet is one of the most prolific fighter jets in the service of the Marine Corps. It has an operational range of nearly 700 miles and can hit speeds of roughly 1,200 mph. The Super Hornet’s weapons payload is fairly versatile as it can equip a range of missiles and bombs for whatever strategic objective needs to be met. (These are the world’s largest active military forces.)
Here is a look at every aircraft currently in service in the U.S. Marine Corps:
15. 737 (C-40A)
Source: passionforfly / Flickr
- Type: Transport
- Active in the Marines:: 1
- Aircraft on order: 0
14. Gulfstream IV (C-20G)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Transport
- Active in the Marines:: 1
- Aircraft on order: 0
13. T-34
Source: Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
- Type: Training aircraft/helicopters
- Active in the Marines:: 2
- Aircraft on order: 0
12. Citation Encore/Sovereign/Ultra
- Type: Transport
- Active in the Marines:: 10
- Aircraft on order: 2
11. F-5F/N
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Training aircraft/helicopters
- Active in the Marines:: 12
- Aircraft on order: 0
10. TAV-8B
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Training aircraft/helicopters
- Active in the Marines:: 12
- Aircraft on order: 0
9. King Air 200/350 (UC-12F)
- Type: Transport
- Active in the Marines:: 15
- Aircraft on order: 2
8. KC-130J
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Tanker
- Active in the Marines:: 69
- Aircraft on order: 15
7. AV-8B/+
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the Marines:: 87
- Aircraft on order: 0
6. UH-1Y
Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in the Marines:: 127
- Aircraft on order: 0
5. F-35B/C
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Active in the Marines:: 145
- Aircraft on order: 279
4. CH-53
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in the Marines:: 146
- Aircraft on order: 193
3. AH-1Z
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in the Marines:: 176
- Aircraft on order: 0
2. F/A-18 A/B/C/D
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Active in the Marines:: 186
- Aircraft on order: 0
1. MV-22
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in the Marines:: 288
- Aircraft on order: 33
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