Germany’s Air Force, the Luftwaffe, just upgraded its presence in the Baltic Sea. As part of a deal with the U.S., the Luftwaffe is adding the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to its ranks to replace the aging P-3 Orion. These new aircraft bring upgraded sensors and weaponry to the Baltic, as a means of strengthening NATO’s grip on the region. Berlin has eight of these sub-hunters on order with the first airframe having been delivered. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the German Air Force and what it has to offer.
To identify every aircraft in the German 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 alphabetically. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft, top speed, active aircraft, and armament, if applicable. We excluded trainer aircraft.
Here is a look at every aircraft in the German Air Force:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding the aircraft in the German 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.
CH-47 Chinook
- Type: Medium-lift, tandem rotor transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1962
- Active aircraft: 0
- Ordered aircraft: 60
- Top speed: 180 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
KC-130 Super Hercules
- Type: Aerial tanker / transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 1962
- Active aircraft: 3
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 416 mph
- Armament: N/A
P-3 Orion
- Type: Land-based long-range maritime patrol / Anti-submarine warfare aircraft
- Year introduced: 1962
- Active aircraft: 2
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 466 mph
- Armament: AGM-84 Harpoon, SLAM-ER anti-ship, AGM-65 Maverick, Torpedoes (Mk 46, 50, 54), naval mines, depth charges, unguided rockets
CH-53 Sea Stallion
- Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1966
- Active aircraft: 81
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm XM218, 12.7mm GAU-21, 7.62mm MG3 machine gun
AW159 (Lynx / Super Lynx)
- Type: Multirole helicopter
- Year introduced: 1978
- Active aircraft: 22
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 158 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 20mm automatic cannon pods, TOW anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, Sea Skua anti-ship missiles, AS.12 missiles, Torpedoes, depth charges
Panavia Tornado IDS
- Type: Low-level strike aircraft
- Year introduced: 1979
- Active aircraft: 63
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 1,491 mph
- Armament: 27mm Mauser internal cannon, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, conventional drop bombs, guided bombs, cruise missiles, special mission pods
Dornier Do 228
- Type: Utility transport / Maritime patrol aircraft
- Year introduced: 1982
- Active aircraft: 2
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 268 mph
- Armament: N/A
Airbus A321
- Type: Narrow-body transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 1988
- Active aircraft: 2
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 541 mph
- Armament: N/A
Panavia Tornado ECR
- Type: Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) aircraft
- Year introduced: 1990
- Active aircraft: 21
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 1491 mph
- Armament: 27mm Mauser BK-27 cannons, ECM pods, air-to-surface missiles, air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, conventional bombs
Airbus A319
- Type: Narrow-body transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 1996
- Active aircraft: 1
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 541 mph
- Armament: N/A
C-130J Super Hercules
- Type: Tactical medium transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 1999
- Active aircraft: 3
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 416 mph
- Armament: N/A
Eurofighter Typhoon
- Type: 4th generation multirole aircraft
- Year introduced: 2003
- Active aircraft: 129
- Ordered aircraft: 35
- Top speed: 1,550 mph
- Armament: 27mm Mauser BK-27 internal cannon, Sidewinder missiles, IRIS-T missiles, Meteor missiles, Storm Shadow missiles, MATRA missiles, Taurus stand-off missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-radiation missiles, laser-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs
Tiger
- Type: Twin-seat, twin-engine dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2003
- Active aircraft: 54
- Ordered aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Armament: 30mm GIAT cannon, 30mm Rheinmetall RMK30 cannon, SNEB rockets, Hydra rockets, AIM-92 Stinger missiles, Mistral missiles, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, PARS 3 LR missiles, HOT3 missiles, Rafael Spike-ER missiles
NH90
- Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 2007
- Active aircraft: 99
- Ordered aircraft: 34
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, anti-ship missiles, air-to-surface missiles
UH-72 Lakota
- Type: Light utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 2007
- Active aircraft: 22
- Ordered aircraft: 87
- Top speed: 167 mph
- Armament: N/A
Airbus A400M Atlas
- Type: Tactical military transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 2013
- Active aircraft: 45
- Ordered aircraft: 8
- Top speed: 485 mph
- Armament: N/A
P-8A Poseidon
- Type: Multimission reconnaissance, anti-submarine aircraft
- Year introduced: 2013
- Active aircraft: 0
- Ordered aircraft: 8
- Top speed: 490 mph
- Armament: Torpedoes, naval mines, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles, stand-off cruise missiles
F-35A Lightning II
- Type: Multirole 5th generation aircraft
- Year introduced: 2016
- Active aircraft: 0
- Ordered aircraft: 35
- 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
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