Over the course of World War II, military aircraft production ramped up. During this time, aircraft were mainly used to support ground forces, but today, technology has advanced to create extremely powerful combat aircraft. Some of the most heavily armed aircraft in the US fleet include advanced fighter jets capable of carrying thousands of pounds of ordnance. (Exploring the fastest and most powerful fighter jets in existence.)
24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at combat aircraft within the U.S. military. To identify the most heavily armed combat aircraft in the United States military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these aircraft according to their maximum payload. We also included supplemental data on how many of these aircraft are in active service, the type of aircraft, and their top speeds.
Here is a look at the most heavily armed combat aircraft currently serving in the U.S. military:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding the combat aircraft used by the U.S. provides insight into joint military capabilities and defense strategies. Also knowing what the U.S. has in its arsenal further explains its military capabilities.
17. B-21 Raider
- Type: Long range strategic stealth bomber
- Year entered service: Expected 2028
- Active aircraft: 100 on order
- Top speed: 621 mph
- Armament: Conventional drop bombs, precision-guided bombs, nuclear-tipped bombs/missiles
- Payload: Unknown
16. AT-802U Sky Warden
- Type: Multirole light aircraft
- Year entered service: 1990
- Active aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 221 mph
- Armament: Gun pods, cannon pods, conventional drop bombs
- Payload: 8,000 lbs
15. AV-8B/+ Harrier II
- Type: Short take-off and vertical landing strike aircraft
- Year entered service: 1985
- Active aircraft: 87
- Top speed: 665 mph
- Armament: 30mm ADEN cannons, drop bombs, laser-guided bombs, Maverick missiles, Harpoon missiles, cluster munitions, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, joint direct attack munitions
- Payload: 9,200 lbs
14. F/A-18A/C/D Hornet
- Type: Carrier-based strike fighter aircraft
- Year entered service: 1983
- Active aircraft: 140
- Top speed: 1190 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Sparrow missiles, Maverick missiles, Harpoon missiles, HARM missiles, laster-guided / precision drop bombs, gun pods, rocket pods, nuclear-tipped ordnance
- Payload: 13,700 lbs
13. F-35B Lightning II (VTOL)
- Type: Multirole 5th generation aircraft (Vertical Takeoff and Landing)
- Year entered service: 2016
- Active aircraft: 112
- Top speed: 1199 mph
- Armament: 25mm GAU-12/U cannon in external pod, Sidewinder missiles, Paveway guided bombs, Rockeye II bombs, Brimstone missiles, Storm Shadow missiles, drop bombs
- Payload: 15,000 lbs
12. A-10C Thunderbolt II
- Type: Close-air support / forward air control
- Year entered service: 1976
- Active aircraft: 270
- Top speed: 439 mph
- Armament: 30mm GAU-8/A gatling gun, Maverick missiles, Sidewinder missiles, rocket pods, drop bombs, cluster bombs, Paveway bombs
- Payload: 16,000 lbs
11. F-16C Fighting Falcon
- Type: Multirole 4th generation fighter aircraft
- Year entered service: 1978
- Active aircraft: 738
- Top speed: 1317 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61 automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, Maverick missiles, Penguin missiles, Runway denial bombs, cluster bombs, laser-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs
- Payload: 17,000 lbs
10. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
- Type: Carrier-based strike fighter aircraft
- Year entered service: 1999
- Active aircraft: 421
- Top speed: 1187 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61A1 Vulcan automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, Harpoon missiles, HARM missiles, Maverick missiles, joint direct att munitions, Rockeye II bombs, general purpose bombs
- Payload: 17,750 lbs
9. F-35A Lightning II
- Type: Multirole 5th generation aircraft
- Year entered service: 2016
- Active aircraft: 234
- Top speed: 1199 mph
- Armament: 25mm GAU-12/U automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Paveway guided bombs, Rockeye II bombs, Brimstone missiles, Storm Shadow missiles, drop bombs
- Payload: 18,000 lbs
8. F-35C Lightning II
- Type: Multirole 5th generation carrier borne aircraft
- Year entered service: 2016
- Active aircraft: 30
- Top speed: 1199 mph
- Armament: 25mm GAU-12/U cannon in external pod, Sidewinder missiles, Paveway guided bombs, Rockeye II bombs, Brimstone missiles, Storm Shadow missiles, drop bombs
- Payload: 18,000 lbs
7. F-22 Raptor
- Type: 5th generation air dominance fighter aircraft
- Year entered service: 2005
- Active aircraft: 178
- Top speed: 1599 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, joint drop munitions, drop bombs, air-launched cruise missiles
- Payload: 22,000 lbs
6. F-15 C/E/EX Eagle II
- Type: Air superiority fighter aircraft
- Year entered service: 1976
- Active aircraft: 377
- Top speed: 1875 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61A1 automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Sparrow missiles, Maverick missiles, HARM missiles, laser-guided bombs, joint direct attack munitions, cluster bombs, nuclear bombs
- Payload: 29,500 lbs (maximum for EX)
5. B-2 Spirit
- Type: Strategic stealth heavy bomber
- Year entered service: 1997
- Active aircraft: 17
- Top speed: 628 mph
- Armament: Air-launched cruise missiles, strategic free-fall nuclear bombs, conventional drop bombs, joint direct attack munitions, JASSM missiles
- Payload: 40,000 lbs
4. AC-130W Stinger II
- Type: Special operations fixed-wing gunship
- Year entered service: 2010
- Active aircraft: 3
- Top speed: 300 mph
- Armament: 30mm Bushmaster II GAU-23/A gatling gun, Viper Strike missiles, Griffin missiles, Hellfire missiles
- Payload: 42,000 lbs
3. AC-130J Ghostrider
- Type: Ground attack / close-air support
- Year entered service: 2017
- Active aircraft: 29
- Top speed: 416 mph
- Armament: 30mm ATK GAU-23/A automatic cannon, 105mm M102 field howitzer, Griffin missiles, Viper Strike precision-guided bombs, Hellfire missiles, drop bombs
- Payload: 42,000 lbs
2. B-52H Stratofortress
- Type: Long range strategic heavy bomber
- Year entered service: 1955
- Active aircraft: 72
- Top speed: 595 mph
- Armament: ACLM cruise missiles, Harpoon missiles, CALCM cruise missiles, joint direct attack munitions, freefall nuclear bombs
- Payload: 70,000 lbs
1. B-1B Lancer
- Type: Strategic heavy bomber
- Year entered service: 1986
- Active aircraft: 42
- Top speed: 833 mph
- Armament: Joint direct attack munitions, general purpose bombs, naval mines, cluster munitions, SRAM missiles, JASSM missiles, JSOW missiles, freefall nuclear bombs
- Payload: 75,000 lbs
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