Though fighter jets are a major part of our modern military, these planes are barely a century old, having only come into play during Americas First World War. However, these craft didn’t really hit their stride until WWII, when they were instrumental in determining the direction of the war. Without these advanced aircraft, the world’s most important war may have been won by the axis powers. Once the war had ended, these craft continue to evolve rapidly, with jet propulsion being employed towards the end of the 1940s.
At their core, fighter jets are military aircraft with top-of-the-line technology allowing them to take on air-to-air combat against enemy planes, as well as engage in ground attacks. Today, fighter jets are essential to our nation’s defense strategy, capable of extreme speeds, sophisticated avionics, and enhanced weapons systems. Another superior quality of these planes is their stealth capabilities, which allows them to soar undetected over enemy airspace to access targets.
24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of 20 countries with the most extensive fighter jet fleets by reviewing the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. We ranked countries on the number of fighter jets designated for combat in each nation’s active military fleet. We’ve included additional information about the overall fleet size and the most common fighter jet from FlightGlobal.
Why Are We Covering This?
The first fighter jets changed the course of warfare during World War II when the German Me 262 attacked a British aircraft in 1944. Since then, fighter jets have evolved tremendously, with the U.S. currently testing jets piloted by artificial intelligence. Driven by the competition with China, these new technologies are sure to lead the shift of what’s to come with fighter jets around the world. 24/7 wants you to be aware of which countries are leading the race to have the air force with the most fighter jets in its arsenal.
Here is a look at the countries with the largest fighter jet fleets.
20. United Kingdom
- Total fighter jets: 149 (22.44% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 664 (#14 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: Eurofighter Typhoon (120 aircraft)
19. Spain
- Total fighter jets: 151 (29.43% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 513 (#19 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: EF-18M/F/A-18A (71 aircraft)
18. Greece
- Total fighter jets: 194 (30.70% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 632 (#15 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-16C (115 aircraft)
17. Turkey
- Total fighter jets: 205 (19.18% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 1,069 (#9 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-16C (157 aircraft)
16. Germany
- Total fighter jets: 210 (33.98% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 618 (#16 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: Eurofighter (133 aircraft)
15. Iran
- Total fighter jets: 218 (39.56% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 551 (#18 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-4D/E/RF-4E (63 aircraft)
14. France
- Total fighter jets: 224 (23.05% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 972 (#10 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: Rafale B/C (92 aircraft)
13. Syria
- Total fighter jets: 225 (49.78% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 452 (#20 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: MiG-23 (87 aircraft)
12. Japan
- Total fighter jets: 253 (17.34% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 1,459 (#6 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-15J (155 aircraft)
11. Israel
- Total fighter jets: 280 (45.75% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 612 (#17 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-16C/I (175 aircraft)
10. Taiwan
- Total fighter jets: 286 (38.13% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 750 (#13 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-16A/V (111 aircraft)
9. Egypt
- Total fighter jets: 326 (30.19% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 1,080 (#8 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-16A/C (168 aircraft)
8. Saudi Arabia
- Total fighter jets: 364 (39.82% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 914 (#12 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-15C/S/SA (211 aircraft)
7. South Korea
- Total fighter jets: 452 (28.68% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 1,576 (#5 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-5E (153 aircraft)
6. Pakistan
- Total fighter jets: 477 (33.26% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 1,434 (#7 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-7 (135 aircraft)
5. North Korea
- Total fighter jets: 572 (60.15% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 951 (#11 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-5 (Shenyang) (106 aircraft)
4. India
- Total fighter jets: 736 (32.06% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 2,296 (#4 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: Su-30 (266 aircraft)
3. Russia
- Total fighter jets: 1,539 (36.17% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 4,255 (#2 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: Su-27/30/35 (409 aircraft)
2. China
- Total fighter jets: 1,578 (47.76% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 3,304 (#3 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: J-7 (417 aircraft)
1. United States
- Total fighter jets: 2,317 (17.54% of total fleet)
- Total military aircraft fleet: 13,209 (#1 most of 145)
- Most common fighter jet: F-16C (738 aircraft)
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