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Military

Discover Battle-Tested Classics and Cutting-Edge Aircraft of the U.S. Military

Photo of Jennifer Geer
By Jennifer Geer Published
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Discover Battle-Tested Classics and Cutting-Edge Aircraft of the U.S. Military

© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

From the iconic B-52 Stratofortress produced in the 1950s to the B-21 Raider still undergoing test flights, the U.S. Air Force is ready to meet the demands of air superiority. The Air Force has over 5,000 aircraft in active service, and about 2,500 of those units are combat or attack aircraft. The B-52s may be older aircraft, but are well-maintained and have had significant weapons upgrades. These iconic bombers will be in use at least through 2040. (Also see the most expensive aircraft in the U.S. military.)

24/7 Wall St. identified the oldest and newest combat aircraft in the United States military with data from the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked the aircraft on when they entered service with data from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft. We have also listed how many of these aircraft are in active service or are on order, the type of aircraft, and what military branches they serve in.

Why This Matters

ermingut / E+ via Getty Images

While the US Air Force is the most powerful in the world, it comes with a high price tag. The Department of the Air Force has requested a $217.5 billion budget request for 2025. This includes $188.1 billion for the Air Force and $29.4 billion for the Space Force, funded by federal tax dollars.

Here is a look at the oldest and newest combat aircraft currently serving in the U.S. military.

14. B-52H

Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
  • Year entered service: 1955
  • Type: Long-range strategic heavy bomber
  • Active aircraft: 72
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

13. F-15 C/E/EX

91-0325 F-15E Strike Eagle by Tomu00c3u00a1s Del Coro
91-0325 F-15E Strike Eagle (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tomu00c3u00a1s Del Coro
  • Year entered service: 1976
  • Type: Air superiority fighter aircraft
  • Active aircraft: 377
  • Aircraft on order: 102
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

12. A-10C

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Year entered service: 1976
  • Type: Close-air support / forward air control
  • Active aircraft: 270
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

11. F-16C

Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
  • Year entered service: 1978
  • Type: Multirole 4th generation fighter aircraft
  • Active aircraft: 738
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

10. AV-8B/+

iyoupapa / Flickr
  • Year entered service: 1985
  • Type: Short take-off and vertical landing strike aircraft
  • Active aircraft: 87
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Marine Corps

9. B-1B

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Year entered service: 1986
  • Type: Strategic heavy bomber
  • Active aircraft: 42
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

8. AT-802U

AT-802 by Mztourist
AT-802 (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by Mztourist
  • Year entered service: 1990
  • Type: Multirole light aircraft
  • Active aircraft: 0
  • Aircraft on order: 75
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

7. B-2

U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Flyo... by Thank You (24 Millions ) views
U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Flyo... (CC BY 2.0) by Thank You (24 Millions ) views
  • Year entered service: 1997
  • Type: Strategic stealth heavy bomber
  • Active aircraft: 17
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

6. F/A-18 A/C/D/E/F

An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assig... by Official U.S. Navy Page
An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assig... (CC BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Page
  • Year entered service: 1999
  • Type: Carrier-based strike fighter aircraft
  • Active aircraft: 561
  • Aircraft on order: 76
  • Military branches in service: United States Marine Corps, United States Navy

5. F-22

my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
  • Year entered service: 2005
  • Type: 5th generation air dominance fighter aircraft
  • Active aircraft: 178
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

4. AC-130W

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Year entered service: 2010
  • Type: Special operations fixed-wing gunship
  • Active aircraft: 3
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

3. F-35 A/B/C

An Israeli F-35 Adir receives fuel from a Tennessee Air National Guard KC-135 as the aircraft make the flight across the Atlantic, Dec, 6, 2016. by ermaleksandr
An Israeli F-35 Adir receives fuel from a Tennessee Air National Guard KC-135 as the aircraft make the flight across the Atlantic, Dec, 6, 2016. (PDM 1.0 DEED) by ermaleksandr
  • Year entered service: 2016
  • Type: Multirole 5th generation aircraft
  • Active aircraft: 376
  • Aircraft on order: 1,855
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy

2. AC-130J

ajw1970 / Flickr
  • Year entered service: 2017
  • Type: Ground attack / close-air support
  • Active aircraft: 29
  • Aircraft on order: 0
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force

1. B-21

The B-21 Raider was unveiled to the public at a ceremony December 2, 2022 in Palmdale, Calif. Designed to operate in tomorrow's high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring America's enduring airpower capability. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Tech. Sgt. William OBrien, 94th Airlift Wing photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Year entered service: Expected 2028
  • Type: Long-range strategic stealth bomber
  • Active aircraft: 0
  • Aircraft on order: 100
  • Military branches in service: United States Air Force
Photo of Jennifer Geer
About the Author Jennifer Geer →

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