Which U.S. military aircraft would you fly if you were serving today? Combat, surveillance, logistical support, search and rescue?
Why don’t we play a game to find out?
First, pick a number between 1 and 49. Next, find your number in the slides that follow. That’s the aircraft you would fly in the military today.
24/7 Wall St. referenced the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website, to identify all of the planes in active service in the U.S. military. Supplemental data regarding the aircraft type, how many are in active service, and how many are on order also came from FlightGlobal.
Why We’re Covering This
Looking at the scope of U.S. military aircraft provides a better understanding of the country’s strategic and defense priorities. The number of certain active aircraft also shows how ready the military is for other tactical or logistical missions. By seeing how many active U.S. military planes are in service, 24/7 Wall St. also gives you the knowledge to situate U.S. military capabilities in the larger global landscape.
Here is a look at every U.S. military plane in active service.
49. DHC-6 Twin Otter
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 1
- On order for the military: 0
48. PA-31 Navajo
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 1
- On order for the military: 0
47. Gulfstream G550
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in the military: 2
- On order for the military: 9
46. AC-130W Stinger II
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 3
- On order for the military: 0
45. Cessna 208 Caravan
- Branch: Air Force, Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 3
- On order for the military: 0
44. de Havilland Canada Dash 7
- Branch: Army
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 3
- On order for the military: 0
43. E-8 Joint STARS
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 4
- On order for the military: 0
42. Boeing E-4
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 4
- On order for the military: 0
41. Boeing C-32
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 4
- On order for the military: 0
40. Douglas C-41
- Branch: Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 5
- On order for the military: 0
39. Gulfstream C-20
- Branch: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 5
- On order for the military: 0
38. Beechcraft 1900
- Branch: Air Force, Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 6
- On order for the military: 0
37. Leonardo C-27 Spartan
- Branch: Army
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 7
- On order for the military: 0
36. Bombadier Express E-11
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 7
- On order for the military: 4
35. Martin P-3 Orion
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 8
- On order for the military: 0
34. EP-3 Ares II
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 9
- On order for the military: 0
33. Boeing E-6 Mercury
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 16
- On order for the military: 0
32. B-2 Spirit
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 17
- On order for the military: 0
31. C-40 Clipper
- Branch: Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 18
- On order for the military: 0
30. Bombadier Dash 8
- Branch: Air Force, Army
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 19
- On order for the military: 0
29. Learjet 35
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 19
- On order for the military: 0
28. KC-10 Extender
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Tanker
- Active in the military: 20
- On order for the military: 0
27. C-146 Wolfhound
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 20
- On order for the military: 0
26. E-3 Sentry
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 21
- On order for the military: 0
25. Fairchild C-26 Metroliner
- Branch: Army, Navy
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in the military: 21
- On order for the military: 0
24. Boeing RC-135
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 22
- On order for the military: 0
23. C-2 Greyhound
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 26
- On order for the military: 0
22. U-2 Dragon Lady
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 26
- On order for the military: 0
21. AC-130J Ghostrider
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 29
- On order for the military: 0
20. U-28A Draco
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in the military: 35
- On order for the military: 0
19. Citation Encore/Sovereign/Ultra
- Branch: Army, Marine Corps
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 38
- On order for the military: 2
18. B-1B Lancer
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 42
- On order for the military: 0
17. C-5M Super Galaxy
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 52
- On order for the military: 0
16. KC-46 Pegasus
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Tanker
- Active in the military: 72
- On order for the military: 99
15. B-52H Stratofortress
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 72
- On order for the military: 0
14. E-2 Hawkeye
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 83
- On order for the military: 25
13. AV-8B Harrier II
- Branch: Marine Corps
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 87
- On order for the military: 0
12. Boeing P-8 Poseidon
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 118
- On order for the military: 10
11. EA-18G Growler
- Branch: Navy
- Type: Special mission
- Active in the military: 153
- On order for the military: 0
10. F-22 Raptor
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 178
- On order for the military: 0
9. C-17 Globemaster III
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Transport
- Active in the military: 228
- On order for the military: 0
8. Beechcraft C-12 Huron
- Branch: Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps
- Type: Special mission, transport
- Active in the military: 255
- On order for the military: 2
7. A-10C Thunderbolt II
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 270
- On order for the military: 0
6. F-35 Lightning II
- Branch: Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 376
- On order for the military: 1,855
5. F-15EX Eagle II
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 377
- On order for the military: 102
4. KC-135 Stratotanker
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Tanker
- Active in the military: 377
- On order for the military: 0
3. C-130 Hercules
- Branch: Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Special mission, transport, tanker
- Active in the military: 539
- On order for the military: 51
2. F/A-18 Hornet / Super Hornet
- Branch: Marine Corps, Navy
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 561
- On order for the military: 76
1. F-16C Fighting Falcon
- Branch: Air Force
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Active in the military: 738
- On order for the military: 0
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