This is a list of military aircraft currently in service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.
Main article: Royal Air Force |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A400M Atlas C1 | Spain | Propeller | Transport | 2014 | 20 | 20 | [1] Two on order expected to be delivered in the early 2020s[2] |
Airbus Voyager | Spain | Jet | Tanker / Transport | 2011 | 9 | 9 | [1] Five additional aircraft available upon request from AirTanker Services for a total of 14 |
Beechcraft Shadow R1 | USA | Propeller | ISTAR | 2009 | 8 | 8 | [1] Expected OSD 2030.[3] A further two aircraft are to be added in 2023 along with an upgrade to the current aircraft[4] |
Bell Griffin HAR2 | Canada | Rotorcraft | Utility | 2003 | 3 | 3 | [1] Supplied and maintained by Cobham but operated by military aircrew. Used for SAR, fire fighting and ISTAR duties amongst others in RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus |
Boeing Airseeker R1 | USA | Jet | SIGINT | 2013 | 3 | 3 | [1] |
Boeing Chinook | USA | Rotorcraft | Transport | 1980 | 60 | 72 | [1] |
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III | USA | Jet | Transport | 2001 | 8 | 8 | [1] |
Boeing Sentry AEW1 | USA | Jet | AEW&C | 1991 | 5[a][5] | 7 | [1] Expected OSD December 2022.[6] To be replaced by Boeing E-7 Wedgetail from 2023.[7] |
Boeing P-8 Poseidon | USA | Jet | ASW | 2019 | 5 | 5 | [8] A further four are on order |
Britten-Norman Defender | UK | Propeller | Patrol | 2003 | 9 | 9 | [1] Will be jointly operated by Army and RAF during transition period [9] |
Britten-Norman Islander | UK | Propeller | Patrol | 1997 | 3 | 6 | [1] Will be jointly operated by Army and RAF during transition period [9] |
British Aerospace 146 | UK | Jet | Transport | 1986 2012 |
4 | 6 | [1] Expected OSD 31 March 2022.[10] They have also been put up for sale[11] |
British Aerospace Hawk T1 | UK | Jet | Trainer | 1976 | 56[b] | 76[c] | [1] To be retired from aggressor role by 2025;[12] those flown by the Red Arrows retired by 2030.[13] Used in the aggressor role by No. 100 Squadron and the Red Arrows |
British Aerospace Hawk T2 | UK | Jet | Trainer | 2009 | 28 | 28 | [1] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by No. IV (R) Squadron & No. XXV(F) Squadron |
Eurofighter Typhoon | Europe | Jet | Multi-role | 2007 | 136[d] | 157[e] | [1] Of the 22 two seat trainer aircraft[14] 16 Tranche 1s have been progressively withdrawn and scrapped under the RTP requirement[15] which started in late 2016[16][17]All Tranche 1s to be retired by 2025.[18] |
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper | USA | UAV | ISR / Attack | 2007 | 9 | 10 | [1] Expected OSD 2024. To be replaced by Protector UAV[19][20] |
Grob Tutor T1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 1999 | 91[f] | 119 | [1] Used by the RAF Air Experience Flight. 28 Tutors have been sold to the Finnish Air Force as of 2018 [21] |
Grob Viking TX1 | Germany | Glider | Trainer | 1990 | 52 | 60 | [1] |
Leonardo AW109SP | Italy | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2016 | 1 | 1 | [1] Used for transportation of senior military commanders or government ministers |
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules | USA | Propeller | Transport | 2000 | 14 | 25 | [1] All to be withdrawn by 2023. [22] |
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning | USA/UK [23] | Jet | Multi-role | 2013 | 18[g] | 18[h] | [24] Jointly operated with Fleet Air Arm. Maximum of 60-80 aircraft to be procured[25][26][27] |
Westland Puma HC2 | UK | Rotorcraft | Transport | 1971 | 23 | 24 | [1] |
Main article: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avro Lancaster (PA474) | UK | Propeller | Bomber | 1942 | 1 | 1 B.I | |
De Havilland Canada Chipmunk | UK | Propeller | Trainer | 1946 | 2 | 753 | 2 T.10 |
Douglas Dakota | USA | Propeller | Transport | 1942 | 1 | 1 C.3 | |
Hawker Hurricane | UK | Propeller | Fighter | 1937 | 2 | 14533 | 2 Mk IIc |
Supermarine Spitfire | UK | Propeller | Fighter | 1938 | 6 | 20341 | 1 Mk IIa, 1 Mk Vb, 1 LF.IXe, 1 LF.XVIe, 2 PR.XIX |
Main article: Fleet Air Arm |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2 | UK | Rotorcraft | Attack | 2014 | 28 | 28 | [1] |
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2 | UK | Rotorcraft | ASW | 2000 | 30 | 44 | [1] Maritime helicopter; out of service date is 2029[28] |
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk3i/4 | UK | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2000 | 25 | 28 | [1] Troop carrying aircraft used to support the Royal Marines The Mk4/4A are undergoing a capability upgrade and will be fully delivered by 2021[29][30] All Mk3 have now been upgraded to Mk4 with just the Mk3i remaining; out of service date is 2030.[31][28] |
British Aerospace Hawk T1 | UK | Jet | Trainer | 1994 | 14 | 14[32] | [1] Used in the aggressor role by 736 Naval Air Squadron |
Beechcraft Avenger | USA | Propeller | Trainer | 2011 | 4 | 4 | [1] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by 750 Naval Air Squadron |
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning | USA | Jet | Multi-role | 2013 | 21 | Firm order of 48 | Jointly operated with Royal Air Force. Initial Operational Capability (Maritime) in 2020[24] |
Main article: Army Air Corps (United Kingdom) |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AgustaWestland Apache AH1 | UK | Rotorcraft | Attack | 2004 | 30 | 67 | [1] To be replaced by the AH-64E Apache Guardian in 2024[33] |
Boeing AH-64E Guardian | United States | Rotorcraft | Attack | 2020 | 0 | 6 | [34] A total of 50 aircraft are on order to replace the Apache AH1. |
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat | UK | Rotorcraft | Utility | 2014 | 34 | 34 | [1] |
Bell 212 | Canada | Rotorcraft | Utility | 1995 | 5 | 5 | [1] Used by No. 7 Flight AAC and No. 25 Flight AAC in Brunei and Kenya in support of TTB and BATUK |
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II | France | Rotorcraft | SAS | 2009 | 5 | 5 | |
Thales Watchkeeper WK450 | UK | UAV | ISR | 2014 | 49 | 50 | [1] |
Westland Gazelle | UK | Rotorcraft | Patrol | 1974 | 26 | 34 | [1] Expected OSD 2025. Two additional units are currently undergoing work to bring them back into service[35] |
The contractors providing the new UK Military Flying Training System will eventually operate 42 fixed wing aircraft and 36 helicopters on the military register, but the aircraft are initially civilian-registered.[citation needed]
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grob Prefect T1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 23 | 23 | [1] |
Beechcraft Texan T1 | USA | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 14 | 14 | [1] |
Embraer Phenom 100 | Brazil | Jet | Trainer | 2018 | 5 | 5 | [1] |
Airbus H135 Juno | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 29 | 29 | [1] |
Airbus H145 Jupiter | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 3 | 3 | [1] A further 4 aircraft to be procured[36] |
Main article: Empire Test Pilots' School |
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Aerospace Hawk | UK | Jet | Trainer / experimental | 2 | 2 | [37] Operated for the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine[38] |
As well as the military services, a number of defence contractors operate military aircraft on behalf of or leased 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 | [1] Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training. Operated by British International Helicopters under MRCOA[i] [39] |
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil | France | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 3 | 3 | Cobham Helicopter Academy, Newquay under CFAOS[j] | |
Eurofighter Typhoon | UK | Jet | Multi-role | 3 | 3 | BAE Systems, Warton[k] | |
Hawker Hunter | UK | Jet | Fighter | 3 | 3[40] | Hawker Hunter Aviation, RAF Scampton | |
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning II | USA | Jet | Multi-role | 2013 | 3 | 3 | Lockheed Martin, United States[26] |
Westland Sea King | UK | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2 | 2 | HeliOperations under CFAOS[l] |