Raptor Dominance: F-22 Surpasses All Other 5th Gen Fighters in Speed and Firepower

Outside of having some of the most technologically advanced aircraft on the planet, the US Air Force is also home to some of the fastest aircraft. From Cold War legends like the SR-71 Blackbird to modern fighters like the F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II, the Air Force has consistently prioritized speed. These jets that the USAF is pushing make it the most lethal air force in the world. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the arsenal of aircraft in the USAF and which of these are the fastest.

To identify the fastest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ordered these aircraft by top speed. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft, armament, and more. We excluded trainer aircraft.

Here is a look at the fastest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force:

Why Are We Covering This?

Understanding the aircraft in the US Air Force is important because these aircraft play a pivotal role in maintaining national security and global stability. Each aircraft is designed for specific missions, from air superiority to strategic bombing and reconnaissance, which are essential for defending the country and projecting power abroad. Also knowing which aircraft are in service give context to military capabilities and a better understanding of national defense.

43. UH-1N Twin Huey

Bell UH-1N Twin Huey (BY 2.0) by walknboston

• Type: Multi-role utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1970
• Active aircraft: 64
• Top speed: 150 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm GAU-16 machine gun, 7.62mm machine guns, 70mm rocket pods

42. Mi-171 Hip-H

• Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1981
• Active aircraft: 1
• Top speed: 158 mph
• Armament: Shturm missiles, rocket pods, 23mm cannon pods, 7.62mm machine guns

41. S-70 Black Hawk

• Type: Medium-lift multi-mission helicopter
• Year introduced: 1979
• Active aircraft: 95
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, Hellfire missiles, 12.7mm gatling guns, M134 gatling guns, rocket pods, 30mm chain gun

40. Leonardo AW139

Italian Helicopter HH139, Trident Juncture 15 (CC BY 3.0) by Antonio Stellato

• Type: Medium-lift utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 2003
• Active aircraft: 8
• Top speed: 193 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns

39. DHC-6 Twin Otter

• Type: Transport / light utility aircraft
• Year introduced: 1966
• Active aircraft: 1
• Top speed: 196 mph
• Armament: N/A

38. Cessna 208 Caravan

• Type: Turboprop utility aircraft
• Year introduced: 1984
• Active aircraft: 2
• Top speed: 214 mph
• Armament: N/A

37. C-146 Wolfhound

• Type: Special missions support
• Year introduced: 2000
• Active aircraft: 21
• Top speed: 217 mph
• Armament: N/A

36. AT-802U Sky Warden

• Type: Multirole light aircraft
• Year introduced: 1990
• Active aircraft: *62 on order
• Top speed: 221 mph
• Armament: Gun pods, cannon pods, conventional drop bombs

35. PA-31 Navajo

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo N828KT cockpit (CC BY 2.0) by Jeroen Stroes Aviation Photography

• Type: Utility aircraft
• Year introduced: 1967
• Active aircraft: 1
• Top speed: 261 mph
• Armament: N/A

34. CN-235

Airbus Military CN-235 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Falconu00c3u0082u00c2u00ae Photography

• Type: Medium-lift tactical transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1988
• Active aircraft: 5
• Top speed: 282 mph
• Armament: N/A

33. AC-130W Stinger II

• Type: Special operations fixed-wing gunship
• Year introduced: 2010
• Active aircraft: 3
• Top speed: 300 mph
• Armament: 30mm Bushmaster II GAU-23/A gatling gun, Viper Strike missiles, Griffin missiles, Hellfire missiles

32. EC-130H Compass Call

• Type: Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) aircraft
• Year introduced: 1983
• Active aircraft: 4
• Top speed: 300 mph
• Armament: N/A

31. CV-22 Osprey

CV-22 Osprey - RAF Mildenhall July 2013 - Explored :-) (BY-SA 2.0) by Airwolfhound

• Type: Tilt rotor VTOL aircraft
• Year introduced: 2007
• Active aircraft: 51
• Top speed: 316 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns

30. Dash 8

• Type: Transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1984
• Active aircraft: 10
• Top speed: 317 mph
• Armament: N/A

29. U-28A Draco

• Type: Light utility aircraft
• Year introduced: 1994
• Active aircraft: 34
• Top speed: 329 mph
• Armament: N/A

28. Beech C-12 Huron

40156 Beech C-12U Huron US Army (BY 2.0) by markyharky

• Type: Transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1974
• Active aircraft: 55
• Top speed: 332 mph
• Armament: N/A

27. C295

Premios de Fotografu00c3u0083u00c2u00ada (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Eju00c3u0083u00c2u00a9rcito del Aire y del Espacio Ministerio de Defensa Espau00c3u0083u00c2u00b1a

• Type: Tactical transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 2001
• Active aircraft: 3
• Top speed: 358 mph
• Armament: N/A

26. AC-130J Ghostrider

• Type: Ground attack / close-air support
• Year introduced: 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

25. C-130J Super Hercules

• Type: Tactical medium transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1999
• Active aircraft: 310
• Top speed: 416 mph
• Armament: N/A

24. HC-130J Combat King II

13-5785 Lockheed Martin HC-130... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tomu00c3u00a1s Del Coro

• Type: Transport / in-flight refueler aircraft
• Year introduced: 1959
• Active aircraft: 40
• Top speed: 416 mph
• Armament: N/A

23. MC-130J Commando II

14-5805 Lockheed Martin MC-13... (CC BY 2.0) by Steve Knight

• Type: Special operations transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 2012
• Active aircraft: 57
• Top speed: 416 mph
• Armament: N/A

22. A-10C Thunderbolt II

• Type: Close-air support / forward air control
• Year introduced: 1976
• Active aircraft: 234
• Top speed: 439 mph
• Armament: 30mm GAU-8/A gatling gun, Maverick missiles, Sidewinder missiles, rocket pods, drop bombs, cluster bombs, Paveway bombs

21. U-2 Dragon Lady

• Type: High-altitude surveillance aircraft
• Year introduced: 1955
• Active aircraft: 24
• Top speed: 475 mph
• Armament: N/A

20. C-17 Globemaster III

Boeing KC-46A Pegasus refuels a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (PDM 1.0) by aeroman3

• Type: Tactical transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1995
• Active aircraft: 220
• Top speed: 518 mph
• Armament: N/A

19. C-5M Super Galaxy

Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy u201850009u2019 (85-0009) (BY-SA 2.0) by HawkeyeUK

• Type: Heavy-lift transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1995
• Active aircraft: 52
• Top speed: 518 mph
• Armament: N/A

18. KC-135 Stratotanker

The Blue Angels conduct aerial refueling operations with a KC-135 Stratotanker. (BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Imagery

• Type: Aerial tanker / in-flight refueler
• Year introduced: 1957
• Active aircraft: 375
• Top speed: 530 mph
• Armament: N/A

17. Learjet 35

N506LG 1984 Learjet C-21A s/n ... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tomu00c3u0083u00c2u00a1s Del Coro

• Type: Transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1973
• Active aircraft: 19
• Top speed: 530 mph
• Armament: N/A

16. E-3 Sentry

• Type: Airborne surveillance, command, control and communications aircraft
• Year introduced: 1977
• Active aircraft: 19
• Top speed: 531 mph
• Armament: N/A

15. KC-46 Pegasus

• Type: Aerial tanker / in-flight refueler
• Year introduced: 2019
• Active aircraft: 88
• Top speed: 569 mph
• Armament: N/A

14. Boeing RC-135

62-4125 US Air Force Boeing RC... (CC BY 2.0) by Steve Knight

• Type: Multi-mission reconnaissance aircraft
• Year introduced: 1962
• Active aircraft: 22
• Top speed: 581 mph
• Armament: N/A

13. C-20 Gulfstream IV

• Type: Military VIP passenger transport aircraft
• Year introduced: 1983
• Active aircraft: 1
• Top speed: 582 mph
• Armament: N/A

12. B-52H Stratofortress

60-0056 Boeing B-52H B.W. 155 Stratofortress Black Widow 23rd Bomb Squadron Minot Air Force Base North Dakota (CC BY-SA 2.0) by TDelCoro

• Type: Long range strategic heavy bomber
• Year introduced: 1955
• Active aircraft: 72
• Top speed: 595 mph
• Armament: ACLM cruise missiles, Harpoon missiles, CALCM cruise missiles, joint direct attack munitions, freefall nuclear bombs

11. E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post

Boeing E-4B Nightwatch u00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u00984078... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alan Wilson

• Type: Airborne surveillance, command, control and communications aircraft
• Year introduced: 1974
• Active aircraft: 4
• Top speed: 602 mph
• Armament: N/A

10. Boeing C-32

• Type: VIP Transport
• Year introduced: 1996
• Active aircraft: 4
• Top speed: 605 mph
• Armament: N/A

9. B-21 Raider

• Type: Long range strategic stealth bomber
• Year introduced: Expected 2028
• Active aircraft: *100 on order
• Top speed: 621 mph
• Armament: Conventional drop bombs, precision-guided bombs, nuclear-tipped bombs/missiles

8. B-2 Spirit

• Type: Strategic stealth heavy bomber
• Year introduced: 1997
• Active aircraft: 18
• Top speed: 628 mph
• Armament: Air-launched cruise missiles, strategic free-fall nuclear bombs, conventional drop bombs, joint direct attack munitions, JASSM missiles

7. EC-37B Compass Call

• Type: Electronic warfare aircraft
• Year introduced: 2023
• Active aircraft: 4
• Top speed: 652 mph
• Armament: N/A

6. Bombardier Express E-11

HB-JRJ at Zurich International Airport (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Daryona

• Type: Special missions platform
• Year introduced: 1997
• Active aircraft: 6
• Top speed: 684 mph
• Armament: N/A

5. B-1B Lancer

Rockwell International (now part of Boeing) B-1B 'Lancer' (PDM 1.0) by aeroman3

• Type: Strategic heavy bomber
• Year introduced: 1986
• Active aircraft: 40
• 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

4. F-35A Lightning II

• Type: Multirole 5th generation aircraft
• Year introduced: 2016
• Active aircraft: 246
• Top speed: 1,199 mph
• Armament: 25mm GAU-12/U automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Paveway guided bombs, Rockeye II bombs, Brimstone missiles, Storm Shadow missiles, drop bombs

3. F-16C Fighting Falcon

General Dynamics F-16C 'Fighting Falcons' (PDM 1.0) by aeroman3

• Type: Multirole 4th generation fighter aircraft
• Year introduced: 1978
• Active aircraft: 708
• Top speed: 1,317 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

2. F-22 Raptor

• Type: 5th generation air dominance fighter aircraft
• Year introduced: 2005
• Active aircraft: 178
• Top speed: 1,599 mph
• Armament: 20mm automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, joint drop munitions, drop bombs, air-launched cruise missiles

1. F-15 C/E/EX Eagle II

• Type: Air superiority fighter aircraft
• Year introduced: 1976
• Active aircraft: 351
• Top speed: 1,875 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