The Combat Aircraft of the Future
The current geopolitical state of the world is causing many national militaries to reevaluate their assets, as instability is springing up in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Air forces, in particular, are readying their fleets through upgrades or even…
The current geopolitical state of the world is causing many national militaries to reevaluate their assets, as instability is springing up in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Air forces, in particular, are readying their fleets through upgrades or even buying new aircraft in an effort to be prepared for whatever may come. (These are the 42 most popular fighter jets used in today’s air forces.)
Many countries are ordering combat aircraft to bolster their forces and act as a deterrent to other nations seeking to expand their borders and capture more resources. The United States produces many of these combat aircraft that will ultimately be the future face of many other national air forces.
To identify the combat aircraft of the future, 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 on order. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft, how many of these aircraft are in active service, and what militaries employ these aircraft.
The F-35 Lightning II is the most widely ordered combat aircraft in the world with over 2,700 fighter jets on order. It only entered service in 2016 but Lockheed Martin has produced hundreds of these jets with many more on the way to fill out the ranks of other allied air forces. (These are the world’s most iconic strike fighter aircraft since World War II.)
The B-21 Raider is one stealth bomber on order for the United States that is shrouded in secrecy. It is meant to take over for the B-2 Spirit but it is unclear when these stealth bombers will enter the service. So far there reportedly have been test flights but not much else.
Here is a look at the combat aircraft of the future:
26. L-39NG
- Total aircraft on order: 4
- Total active aircraft: 0
- Militaries with this aircraft: Hungary
25. Su-34
- Total aircraft on order: 4
- Total active aircraft: 134
- Militaries with this aircraft: Russia
24. IA-63
- Total aircraft on order: 5
- Total active aircraft: 10
- Militaries with this aircraft: Argentina
23. J-10C
- Total aircraft on order: 7
- Total active aircraft: 18
- Militaries with this aircraft: Pakistan
22. AT-6
- Total aircraft on order: 12
- Total active aircraft: 0
- Militaries with this aircraft: Thailand, Tunisia
21. B-250
- Total aircraft on order: 24
- Total active aircraft: 0
- Militaries with this aircraft: United Arab Emirates
20. Hurkus C
- Total aircraft on order: 24
- Total active aircraft: 0
- Militaries with this aircraft: Turkey
19. JF-17
- Total aircraft on order: 47
- Total active aircraft: 128
- Militaries with this aircraft: Pakistan, Myanmar
18. J-15/Su-30/33
- Total aircraft on order: 50
- Total active aircraft: 45
- Militaries with this aircraft: China
17. Tu-160
- Total aircraft on order: 50
- Total active aircraft: 15
- Militaries with this aircraft: Russia
16. Su-57
- Total aircraft on order: 62
- Total active aircraft: 14
- Militaries with this aircraft: Russia
15. MiG-29/35
- Total aircraft on order: 68
- Total active aircraft: 302
- Militaries with this aircraft: Russia, Algeria, Yemen
14. Eurofighter Typhoon
- Total aircraft on order: 77
- Total active aircraft: 95
- Militaries with this aircraft: Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
13. Eurofighter
- Total aircraft on order: 80
- Total active aircraft: 201
- Militaries with this aircraft: Germany, Spain
12. FA-50 GF/PL
- Total aircraft on order: 82
- Total active aircraft: 2
- Militaries with this aircraft: Poland, Malaysia
11. AT-802 L/U
- Total aircraft on order: 87
- Total active aircraft: 0
- Militaries with this aircraft: Kenya, United States
10. Su-27/30
- Total aircraft on order: 94
- Total active aircraft: 781
- Militaries with this aircraft: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, India
9. B-21
- Total aircraft on order: 100
- Total active aircraft: 0
- Militaries with this aircraft: United States
8. F/A-18E/F
- Total aircraft on order: 108
- Total active aircraft: 421
- Militaries with this aircraft: United States, Kuwait
7. F-15
- Total aircraft on order: 162
- Total active aircraft: 410
- Militaries with this aircraft: Indonesia, Qatar, United States
6. Gripen E
- Total aircraft on order: 164
- Total active aircraft: 6
- Militaries with this aircraft: Brazil, Sweden
5. KF-21
- Total aircraft on order: 170
- Total active aircraft: 0
- Militaries with this aircraft: Indonesia, South Korea
4. Tejas
- Total aircraft on order: 180
- Total active aircraft: 32
- Militaries with this aircraft: India
3. F-16 A/C/V
- Total aircraft on order: 237
- Total active aircraft: 202
- Militaries with this aircraft: Ukraine, Taiwan, Romania, Morocco
2. Rafale
- Total aircraft on order: 362
- Total active aircraft: 211
- Militaries with this aircraft: France, Egypt, Croatia, India, United Arab Emirates
1. F-35 A/B/C/I
- Total aircraft on order: 2,703
- Total active aircraft: 661
- Militaries with this aircraft: United States, Israel, Poland, Canada
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.
His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.
When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.
