The F-16 Fighting Falcon is one of the most widely used combat aircraft in the world. Although it was introduced to service in 1978, it continues to be widely popular weapons system. For many militaries, it acts as a relatively low-cost and high-performance option, even compared against newer combat aircraft. The Fighting Falcon is just one of many military aircraft that pervades many national air forces. (These are the newest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force.)
To identify the military aircraft that are most widely used, 24/7 Wall St. referenced the report 2023 World Air Forces from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. We ranked each aircraft by the number of units in service in the 163 countries reporting to FlightGlobal. Supplemental data regarding the type of aircraft, how many are on order, and notable countries that use these aircraft also came from FlightGlobal.
Like the F-16, many of these military aircraft are relatively cheaper than their newer counterparts making them more affordable for countries looking to build up their military might. Another common theme among some of these combat aircraft mentioned is that they have been in production for decades, which gives credence to their combat record.
The F-35 Lightning II is one of the newer models that is widely used by world militaries. Lockheed Martin has been producing hundreds of these fighter jets over the last decade and many NATO nations have purchased this fifth-generation multirole aircraft. One of the main selling points on the F-35 is its versatility and its stealth capabilities.
It is worth noting that the vast majority of this list consists of combat aircraft and combat helicopters. Militaries tend to have fewer tankers, transports, and special mission aircraft because their roles are limited, while combat aircraft are more effective to project power.
The only instance of a transport, tanker, and special mission aircraft on this list is the versatile C-130 Hercules and its multiple variants. Designed by Lockheed Martin, this aircraft is used in multiple roles on and off the battlefield, including humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and military logistics. (These are the oldest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force.)
Here is a look at the most widely used military aircraft on Earth:
25. NH90 Caiman
- Active aircraft: 446
- Aircraft on order: 147
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Australia, France, Netherlands
24. Chengdu J-7 Fishcan
- Active aircraft: 452
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: China
23. Bell 206 JetRanger
- Active aircraft: 478
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Argentina, Germany, Iraq, Italy
22. Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot
- Active aircraft: 489
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Armenia, Belarus, North Korea, Russia
21. Eurocopter H145
- Active aircraft: 533
- Aircraft on order: 88
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Albania, Germany, United States
20. AH-1 Cobra
- Active aircraft: 573
- Aircraft on order: 46
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan
19. T-38 Talon
- Active aircraft: 575
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Training aircraft
- Notable countries: Turkey, United States
18. Aero L-39 Albatros
- Active aircraft: 575
- Aircraft on order: 36
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Libya, Mali, Russia
17. MD500 Defender
- Active aircraft: 588
- Aircraft on order: 86
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Argentina, Colombia, North Korea
16. F-5 Tiger II
- Active aircraft: 611
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Brazil, Chile, South Korea, Switzerland
15. F-35 Lightning II
- Active aircraft: 716
- Aircraft on order: 2,758
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Canada, Israel, United States
14. Mil Mi-17 Hip
- Active aircraft: 765
- Aircraft on order: 65
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Bangladesh, India, Venezuela
13. Mil Mi-24 Hind
- Active aircraft: 828
- Aircraft on order: 33
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Armenia, Russia, Ukraine
12. Mikoyan MiG-29
- Active aircraft: 899
- Aircraft on order: 79
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt
11. Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker
- Active aircraft: 964
- Aircraft on order: 87
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: China, Kazakhstan, Russia
10. CH-47 Chinook
- Active aircraft: 925
- Aircraft on order: 202
- Type: Combat aircraft
- Notable countries: Australia, Germany, United States
9. T-6 Texan
- Active aircraft: 980
- Aircraft on order: 68
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Thailand, United States, Iraq
8. F-15 Eagle
- Active aircraft: 1,066
- Aircraft on order: 222
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Indonesia, Israel, Japan, United States
7. Bell UH-1 Iroquois
- Active aircraft: 1,105
- Aircraft on order: 33
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: United States, Turkey, South Korea
6. F/A-18 Hornet
- Active aircraft: 1,111
- Aircraft on order: 116
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Canada, Spain, Switzerland, United States
5. C-130 Hercules
- Active aircraft: 1,133
- Aircraft on order: 119
- Type: Combat aircraft, special mission, tanker, transport
- Notable countries: United States, Austria, Israel
4. AH-64 Apache
- Active aircraft: 1,233
- Aircraft on order: 324
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Greece, India, United States
3. Mil Mi-8 Hip
- Active aircraft: 2,039
- Aircraft on order: 17
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Notable countries: Algeria, Croatia, Cuba, Russia
2. F-16 Fighting Falcon
- Active aircraft: 2,763
- Aircraft on order: 156
- Type: Combat aircraft, training aircraft
- Notable countries: Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt
1. S-70 Black Hawk
- Active aircraft: 3,909
- Aircraft on order: 806
- Type: Combat helicopter, training aircraft
- Notable countries: United States, Saudi Arabia, Poland
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