Tri-service badge of the United Kingdom's armed forces.

This is a list of military aircraft currently in service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.

Royal Air Force

Main article: Royal Air Force
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Combat Aircraft
Eurofighter Typhoon United Kingdom Jet Multi-role 2007 137[1] 137[a][1] [2] 16 Tranche 1s have been progressively withdrawn and scrapped under the RTP requirement[3] which started in late 2016[4][5]
All Tranche 1s to be retired by 2025.[6]
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning United States [7] Jet Stealth Multi-role 2013 31[b] 32[c] [8][9][10] Jointly operated with Fleet Air Arm. Maximum of 60-80 aircraft to be
procured[11][12][13][14]
AEW&C
Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW.1 United States Jet AW&C 2022 0 3 Originally five on order, now reduced to three, to begin operating in 2024.[15][2]
Reconnaissance
Beechcraft Shadow R.1 United States Propeller ISTAR 2009 6 6 [2] Expected OSD 2030.[16] A further two aircraft are to be added in 2023 along
with an upgrade to the current aircraft[17]
Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint United States Jet SIGINT 2013 3 3 [2] Formally known as Airseeker[18]
Boeing Poseidon MRA.1 United States Jet ASW/Anti-ship[19] 2019 9 9
Tanker / Transport
Airbus Voyager Spain Jet Tanker / Transport 2011 12 12 [2] Two additional aircraft available upon request from AirTanker Services
Transport
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III United States Jet Transport 2001 8 8 [2]
Airbus A400M Atlas C.1 Spain Propeller Transport 2014 22 22[d][20][21] [2] Up to six additional aircraft to be procured by 2030[22][23][24]
Dassault Envoy IV CC.1 France Jet Transport 2022 2[25] 2 Two aircraft to be introduced from March 2022. To be initially operated under civil contract until 2024[26]
Helicopter
Leonardo AW109SP United Kingdom / Italy Rotorcraft Transport 2016 1 1 [2] Used for transportation of senior military commanders or government ministers. [27]
Boeing Chinook United States Rotorcraft Transport 1980 41 59
Westland/Airbus Helicopters Puma HC.2 United Kingdom Rotorcraft Transport 1971
2013		 14 17 Deployed in Cyprus and Brunei as of 2023[28][2][29]
Airbus H145 Jupiter HC.2 Germany Rotorcraft Transport 2024 0 6 Six aircraft ordered; to replace Puma HC2 in Cyprus and Brunei from 2024.[30][31]
Trainer Aircraft
Airbus H135 Juno HT.1 Germany Rotorcraft Trainer 2018 29 29 [2]
Airbus H145 Jupiter HT.1 Germany Rotorcraft Trainer 2018 7 7 [2]
BAE Systems Hawk T.2 United Kingdom Jet Jet trainer 2009 28 28 [2] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by
No. IV (R) Squadron & No. XXV(F) Squadron; aircraft to remain in service until 2040[32][33]
Beechcraft Texan T1 United States Propeller Trainer 2018 14 14 [2]
Embraer Phenom T.1 Brazil Jet Trainer 2018 5 5 [2]
Grob Prefect T.1 Germany Propeller Trainer 2018 23 23 [2]
Grob Tutor T.1 Germany Propeller Trainer 1999 91 [e] 119 [2] Used by the RAF Air Experience Flight. 28 Tutors have been sold to the
Finnish Air Force as of 2018 [34]
Grob Viking T.1 Germany Glider Trainer 1990 52 60 The Grob Viking T1 is the RAF's primary aircraft for delivering basic glider and flight training to the RAF Air Cadets[2]
Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance UAVs
General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper United States UAV ISR / Attack 2007 9 10 [2] Expected OSD 2024. To be replaced by Protector UAV[35][36]
Protector RG1 United States UAV ISR / Attack 2023 1 16 16 ordered; first aircraft delivered in September 2023[37]

RAF Red Arrows

Main article: Red Arrows
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
British Aerospace Hawk T.1 United Kingdom Jet Trainer 1980 12 12 [2] Retired from aggressor role in March 2022;[38] retained by the Red Arrows; to be retired by 2030.[39]

RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Main article: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Avro Lancaster (PA474) United Kingdom Propeller Heavy bomber 1942 1 1 1 B.I
de Havilland Canada Chipmunk United Kingdom Propeller Trainer 1946 2 2 2 T.10
Douglas Dakota United States Propeller Transport 1942 1 1 1 C.3
Hawker Hurricane United Kingdom Propeller Fighter 1937 2 2 2 Mk IIc
Supermarine Spitfire United Kingdom Propeller Fighter 1938 6 6 1 Mk IIa, 1 Mk Vb, 1 LF.IXe, 1 LF.XVIe, 2 PR.XIX

Army Air Corps

Main article: Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Attack helicopters
AgustaWestland Apache AH1 United Kingdom Rotorcraft Attack 2004 14 16 [2] 50 to be upgraded to AH-64E Apache Guardian specification by 2024[40]
Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian United States Rotorcraft Attack 2020 27 31 (+19) [41] 50 Apache AH1 will be remanufactured to AH-64E specification. Armed with M230 cannon and JAGM, Hellfire K1 and Hellfire Romeo missiles
Reconnaissance helicopters
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat United Kingdom Rotorcraft Utility 2014 25 34 [2]
Transport helicopters
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II France Rotorcraft SAS 2009 5[42] 5
UAV
Thales Watchkeeper WK450 United Kingdom UAV ISR 2014 49 50 [2]

Fleet Air Arm

Main article: Fleet Air Arm
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Combat Aircraft
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning United States Jet Multi-role 2013 - - Jointly operated with Royal Air Force. Initial Operational Capability (Maritime) in 2020;[43] 809 Naval Air Squadron stood up in December 2023 with squadron operational capability projected for 2025[44]
Attack helicopters
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2 United Kingdom Rotorcraft Attack 2014 28 28 [2]
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2 United Kingdom Rotorcraft ASW/AEW 2000 30 44 [2] Expected OSD 2040[45][46]
Transport helicopters
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk4/4A United Kingdom Rotorcraft Transport 2000 25 28 [2] Expected OSD 2040[45][46]
Trainer Aircraft
Beechcraft Avenger United States Propeller Trainer 2011 4 4 [2] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by 750 Naval Air Squadron

Ministry of Defence

As well as the military services, a number of defence contractors operate military aircraft on behalf of or lease them from the Ministry of Defence.

Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Agusta AW109 Italy Rotorcraft Utility 1 1 QinetiQ, Boscombe Down
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II France Rotorcraft Utility 1999 2 2 [2] Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training. Operated by British International Helicopters under MRCOA[f] [47]
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil France Rotorcraft Trainer 3 3 Cobham Helicopter Academy, Newquay under CFAOS[g]
Eurofighter Typhoon United Kingdom Jet Multi-role 3 3 BAE Systems, Warton[h]
Hawker Hunter UK Jet Fighter 3 3[48] Hawker Hunter Aviation, RAF Scampton
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II United States Jet Multi-role 2013 - - Three of 31 F-35Bs operated in the United States by 17 Squadron RAF; test and evaluation role[49]
Westland Sea King United Kingdom Rotorcraft Trainer 2 2 HeliOperations under CFAOS[i]
Airbus Zephyr United Kingdom High-altitude pseudo-satellite UAV 3 3 Solar-powered long-endurance UAV; observation and communications platform[50][51]

UK Military Flying Training System

Main article: UK Military Flying Training System
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Grob Prefect T.1 Germany Propeller Trainer 2018 23 23 [2]
Beechcraft Texan T.1 United States Propeller Trainer 2018 14 14 [2]
Embraer Phenom T.1 Brazil Jet Trainer 2018 5 5 [2]
Airbus H135 Juno HT.1 Germany Rotorcraft Trainer 2018 29 29 [2]
Airbus H145 Jupiter HT.1 Germany Rotorcraft Trainer 2018 7 7 [2]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Total inventory, including aircraft in maintenance at any given time
  2. ^ Includes the 3 used by No. 17(R) squadron based in the US listed below
  3. ^ Includes the 3 used by No. 17(R) squadron based in the US listed below; also includes one lost in November 2021
  4. ^ Final aicraft in initial batch delivered May 2023
  5. ^ As detailed in source this also includes the 5 Tutor platforms which were operated by the Royal Navy, previously categorised as Tutor (RN Flying Grading)
  6. ^ Military Registered Civil Owned Aircraft
  7. ^ leased from the Ministry of Defence and operated on the military register under the Contractor Flying Approved Organisation Scheme {CFAOS)
  8. ^ IPA 1, IPA 5, IPA 6
  9. ^ leased from the Ministry of Defence and operated on the military register under the Contractor Flying Approved Organisation Scheme {CFAOS)

References

  1. ^ a b "Oral evidence: Work of the Chief of the Air Staff, HC 1108". 1 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations 2022". Gov.uk. Ministry of Defence. 11 October 2022.
  3. ^ "RAF to scrap twin-seat Typhoons - Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Scrapped: Eurofighter Typhoon ZJ815 Sent for RTP - Urban Ghosts". 12 December 2016. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  5. ^ "UK armed forces equipment and formations 2020". GOV.UK.
  6. ^ "What is in the Defence Command Paper for air and space capabilities?". 22 March 2021.
  7. ^ "How British is the F-35?". 14 October 2019.
  8. ^ Manuel, Rojoef (26 June 2023). "Lockheed Delivers Two New F-35B Fighter Jets to Royal Air Force". The Defencepost.
  9. ^ "Britain takes delivery of more F-35 jets". 21 November 2022.
  10. ^ "F-35 Lightning II". Twitter. Retrieved 4 November 2021. The UK's F-35 fleet has grown to 24 aircraft after @OC207Sqn pilots ferried three new jets from the @LockheedMartin plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
  11. ^ "UK looking at '60 and then maybe up to 80′ F-35B jets". 23 March 2021.
  12. ^ Delivering Carrier Strike. National Audit Office. 10 March 2017. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-78604-110-4. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Written question HL867: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem 17-07-2017". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017. One F-35B crashed November 2021.
  14. ^ "More F-35B jets being delivered to the UK". 15 February 2022.
  15. ^ Bozyk, Piotr (10 October 2022). "RAF Lossiemouth Base preparing for arrival of UK E-7 Wedgetail fleet".
  16. ^ "DE&S signs £250 million aircraft deal to sustain the RAF's intelligence-gathering Shadow aircraft fleet" (PDF). desider. No. 127. Ministry of Defence, DE&S. February 2019. OCLC 928842222. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  17. ^ [1] Archived 13 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine UK-orders-Leonardo-Thales-protection-system-for-RAF-Shadow-fleet
  18. ^ "RC-135W Rivet Joint". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  19. ^ "New Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft lands in UK for first time". Royal Air Force. 4 February 2020.
  20. ^ Dunlop, Tom (22 May 2023). "New Atlas transport aircraft delivered to UK". UK Defence Journal.
  21. ^ "Oral evidence: Work of the Chief of the Air Staff, HC 1108". 1 February 2023.
  22. ^ "Oral evidence: Work of the Chief of the Air Staff, HC 1108". 1 February 2023.
  23. ^ "UK Atlas breaks parachute delivery record during DE&S cargo drop trials" (PDF). desider. No. 125. Ministry of Defence, DE&S. December 2018. OCLC 928842222. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  24. ^ "RAF Brize Norton". 11 October 2022.
  25. ^ "Royal Air Force's newest aircraft fleet reaches full-service capability". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  26. ^ Allison, George (8 February 2022). "Britain purchasing French jets for VIP transport".
  27. ^ "Sloane Helicopters: Contracts". Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  28. ^ "RAF Akrotiri Helicopter Capability Transfers From Griffin To Puma". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Puma HC2". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  30. ^ https://www.janes.com/defence-news/defence/latest/uk-to-acquire-h145-helicopters-for-cyprus-brunei-missions
  31. ^ https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/uk-mod-to-buy-six-h145s-in-fresh-blow-to-nmh-plans/155777.article
  32. ^ Allison, George (6 September 2021). "MoD confirm Hawk T2 2040 out of service date".
  33. ^ "Hawk T2". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  34. ^ "Five More ex-UK Grob Tutors Delivered to Finnish Air Force". Royal Air Force. 22 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  35. ^ Osborne, Tony (29 July 2019). "RAF Retiring Reaper In 2024, Paving Way For Protector". Aviation Week.
  36. ^ "UK signs £65m contract for first three Protectors". Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  37. ^ Jennings, Gareth (12 October 2023). "RAF reconstitutes 31 Squadron as new Protector unit". Janes.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  38. ^ "First-Generation Hawk Trainer Bows Out of UK Military Service".
  39. ^ "Typhoon, C-130J and Puma retirements, FCAS investment headline UK defence review".
  40. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). DESider. February 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  41. ^ "New version of Apache attack helicopter enters service". UK Defence Journal. 23 January 2022.
  42. ^ "UK Army Air Corps lose Dauphin in accident".
  43. ^ "UK progresses F-35B deliveries". Janes. 1 December 2020.
  44. ^ "Building up the Lightning Force – when will the UK get its F-35 jets? | Navy Lookout". 14 September 2022.
  45. ^ a b "UK extends Merlin operations until 2040".
  46. ^ a b "When will the Royal Navy's Merlin helicopters be retired?". 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  47. ^ "MAA Approved Organistations" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  48. ^ "Hawker Hunter Aviation Ltd - Aircraft". Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  49. ^ Stevenson, Beth. "RAF's 17 Sqn assumes control of F-35 test and evaluation". Flight Global.
  50. ^ Chuter, Andrew (17 February 2016). "British MoD Acquires Solar-Powered Zephyr UAV". Defense News.
  51. ^ "Airbus, UK MoD cites Zephyr trials success on path to 'operationalising pseudo satellite'". Janes.com.

External links

Royal Air Force
Lists of aircraft
Categories