Out of all the air forces in the world, the U.S. military is home to the largest with over 13,000 aircraft currently in its fleet. These aircraft span the range of fighters, bombers, transport, and surveillance planes, each with its own set of unique capabilities. Each one of these plays an instrumental role in how the U.S. projects power around the world. (These are the nations with the largest air forces in the world.)
U.S. military aircraft provide support for various operations, from combat and surveillance to search and rescue missions. And to keep its position as the world’s dominant military power, the United States invests heavily in its air force. Accordingly, the U.S. has built an incredibly diverse fleet of aircraft.
24/7 Wall St. referenced the report, 2024 World Air Forces, from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website to identify all of the planes in active service in the U.S. military. We ranked aircraft by the number of units in active service. We excluded all trainer aircraft and helicopters and all aircraft from the Coast Guard. Supplemental data regarding the type of aircraft, how many are in active service, and how many are on order came from FlightGlobal.
Out of all the combat aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II is one of the most recent to enter service. With over 350 units in service, the F-35 forms the backbone of the military’s air dominance strategy. This advanced multirole fighter, developed by Lockheed Martin, combines stealth capabilities, advanced sensors, and networking technology, making it an indispensable tool for maintaining military superiority. (These are the oldest and newest fighter jets in modern air forces.)
Separate from fighter jets, the U.S. military employs logistical support and surveillance aircraft like the C-130 Hercules and the E-3 Sentry. The C-130 Hercules, with hundreds of units in service, remains the workhorse for mobility and transport in the U.S. military. It also takes on a few different variants across branches. The E-3 Sentry is an airborne early warning and control aircraft, providing critical surveillance and command-and-control capabilities.
Here is a look at every U.S. military plane in active service:
49. DHC-6 Twin Otter
Source: tomasdelcoro / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 1
- On order for the military: 0
48. PA-31 Navajo
Source: Jeroen Stroes Aviation Photography / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 1
- On order for the military: 0
47. Gulfstream G550
Source: Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in military: 2
- On order for the military: 9
46. AC-130W Stinger II
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 3
- On order for the military: 0
45. Cessna 208 Caravan
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force, Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 3
- On order for the military: 0
44. de Havilland Canada Dash 7
Source: Alan Radecki Akradecki / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Army
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 3
- On order for the military: 0
43. E-8 Joint STARS
Source: fireballsg72 / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 4
- On order for the military: 0
42. Boeing E-4
Source: ajw1970 / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 4
- On order for the military: 0
41. Boeing C-32
Source: dylan33 / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 4
- On order for the military: 0
40. Douglas C-41
Source: Jud McCranie / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 5
- On order for the military: 0
39. Gulfstream C-20
Source: Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
- Branch: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 5
- On order for the military: 0
38. Beechcraft 1900
Source: santirf / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Branch: Air Force, Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 6
- On order for the military: 0
37. Leonardo C-27 Spartan
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 7
- On order for the military: 0
36. Bombadier Express E-11
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 7
- On order for the military: 4
35. Martin P-3 Orion
Source: Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 8
- On order for the military: 0
34. EP-3 Ares II
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 9
- On order for the military: 0
33. Boeing E-6 Mercury
Source: AllenJMSmith / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 16
- On order for the military: 0
32. B-2 Spirit
Source: prayitnophotography / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 17
- On order for the military: 0
31. C-40 Clipper
Source: scubabix / Flickr
- Branch: Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 18
- On order for the military: 0
30. Bombadier Dash 8
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force, Army
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 19
- On order for the military: 0
29. Learjet 35
Source: tomasdelcoro / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 19
- On order for the military: 0
28. KC-10 Extender
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Tanker
- Active in military: 20
- On order for the military: 0
27. C-146 Wolfhound
Source: Thanh Liem / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 20
- On order for the military: 0
26. E-3 Sentry
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 21
- On order for the military: 0
25. Fairchild C-26 Metroliner
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Army, Navy
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in military: 21
- On order for the military: 0
24. Boeing RC-135
Source: kitmasterbloke / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 22
- On order for the military: 0
23. C-2 Greyhound
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 26
- On order for the military: 0
22. U-2 Dragon Lady
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 26
- On order for the military: 0
21. AC-130J Ghostrider
Source: ajw1970 / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 29
- On order for the military: 0
20. U-28A Draco
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in military: 35
- On order for the military: 0
19. Citation Encore/Sovereign/Ultra
- Branch: Army, Marine Corps
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 38
- On order for the military: 2
18. B-1B Lancer
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 42
- On order for the military: 0
17. C-5M Super Galaxy
Source: markyharky / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 52
- On order for the military: 0
16. KC-46 Pegasus
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Tanker
- Active in military: 72
- On order for the military: 99
15. B-52H Stratofortress
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 72
- On order for the military: 0
14. E-2 Hawkeye
Source: Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 83
- On order for the military: 25
13. AV-8B Harrier II
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Branch: Marine Corps
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 87
- On order for the military: 0
12. Boeing P-8 Poseidon
Source: venkatmangudi / Flickr
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 118
- On order for the military: 10
11. EA-18G Growler
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in military: 153
- On order for the military: 0
10. F-22 Raptor
Source: tomasdelcoro / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 178
- On order for the military: 0
9. C-17 Globemaster III
Source: crudmucosa / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in military: 228
- On order for the military: 0
8. Beechcraft C-12 Huron
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in military: 255
- On order for the military: 2
7. A-10C Thunderbolt II
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 270
- On order for the military: 0
6. F-35 Lightning II
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 376
- On order for the military: 1,855
5. F-15EX Eagle II
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 377
- On order for the military: 102
4. KC-135 Stratotanker
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Tanker
- Active in military: 377
- On order for the military: 0
3. C-130 Hercules
Source: Oren Rozen / Wikimedia Commons
- Branch: Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Special mission, transport, tanker
- Active in military: 539
- On order for the military: 51
2. F/A-18 Hornet / Super Hornet
Source: public domain / flickr
- Branch: Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 561
- On order for the military: 76
1. F-16C Fighting Falcon
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in military: 738
- On order for the military: 0
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