These Are the NATO Countries Buying the Most Military Aircraft

Special Report

Italy+military+aircraft | Displaying the tricolor

Published: March 28, 2024 1:50 pm

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recently added a new member in the last month, Sweden. With this addition, the alliance grows stronger allowing Sweden’s sizable navy and other military assets to be at the disposal of NATO. While naval power is an important facet of NATO’s forces, the combined air forces of these member nations is monumental. (These are the NATO countries with the strongest militaries.)

Logistical aircraft like transports and tankers may be common among NATO aircraft but combat aircraft and helicopters fill out a large portion of its ranks. The United States military might have the most aircraft in the world, but other member nations of NATO have sizable fleets as well and they are only getting larger.

Here 24/7 Wall St. is looking at NATO members who are purchasing the most military aircraft. To determine the NATO countries buying the most military aircraft, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. We ranked these countries according to which countries were ordering the most military aircraft in total. We included supplemental information from GlobalFirePower regarding each country’s current air force and overall military strength ranking. We excluded countries that are not in the process of ordering military aircraft.

One of the most popular aircraft on order by member states of NATO is the F-35 Lightning II, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Hundreds of these aircraft are on order as NATO members are looking to stock up on the next generation of fighter jets. (These are the countries buying the most F-35 fighter jets.)

Operationally, the F-35 is one of the most versatile aircraft on the market. It can act as an interceptor or strike fighter as well as perform covert reconnaissance missions with its advanced stealth technology. While the Lightning II is only one of the aircraft NATO forces are buying, there are hundreds more aircraft that will fill a series of roles within any NATO country’s military forces.

Here is a look at the NATO countries buying the most military aircraft:

25. Latvia

Military aircraft on order: 1
Types of aircraft on order: S-70/UH-40M
Total military aircraft: 7
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 7
Military strength score: 1.9911 – #99 out of 145

24. Lithuania

Military aircraft on order: 6
Types of aircraft on order: S-70/UH-60M
Total military aircraft: 9
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 4
Military strength score: 1.7395 – #88 out of 145

23. Slovenia

Military aircraft on order: 8
Types of aircraft on order: AW139M
Total military aircraft: 38
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 12
Military strength score: 1.8286 – #91 out of 145

22. Croatia

Military aircraft on order: 12
Types of aircraft on order: Rafale
Total military aircraft: 81
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 52
Military strength score: 1.1333 – #66 out of 145

21. Denmark

Military aircraft on order: 17
Types of aircraft on order: F-35A
Total military aircraft: 119
Total attack aircraft: 4
Total helicopters: 34
Military strength score: 0.7743 – #48 out of 145

20. Bulgaria

Military aircraft on order: 18
Types of aircraft on order: F-16V, H215m/AS532
Total military aircraft: 65
Total attack aircraft: 5
Total helicopters: 27
Military strength score: 1.0132 – #62 out of 145

19. Norway

Military aircraft on order: 25
Types of aircraft on order: F-35A, S-70, AW101
Total military aircraft: 102
Total attack aircraft: 30
Total helicopters: 37
Military strength score: 0.5664 – #41 out of 145

18. Slovakia

Military aircraft on order: 26
Types of aircraft on order: AH-1Z, F-16V
Total military aircraft: 37
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 22
Military strength score: 1.1891 – #69 out of 145

17. Hungary

Military aircraft on order: 28
Types of aircraft on order: H225M, L-39NG
Total military aircraft: 62
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 38
Military strength score: 0.8478 – #54 out of 145

16. Belgium

Military aircraft on order: 35
Types of aircraft on order: A400M, F-35A
Total military aircraft: 110
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 20
Military strength score: 1.2064 – #70 out of 145

15. Netherlands

Military aircraft on order: 37
Types of aircraft on order: F-35A, H225M
Total military aircraft: 143
Total attack aircraft: 26
Total helicopters: 66
Military strength score: 0.5644 – #40 out of 145

14. Czechia

Military aircraft on order: 51
Types of aircraft on order: AH-1Z, F-35A, UH-1Y
Total military aircraft: 88
Total attack aircraft: 16
Total helicopters: 33
Military strength score: 0.7706 – #46 out of 145

13. Finland

Military aircraft on order: 64
Types of aircraft on order: F-35A
Total military aircraft: 164
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 27
Military strength score: 0.7967 – #50 out of 145

12. Greece

Military aircraft on order: 74
Types of aircraft on order: Rafale, S-70, NH90
Total military aircraft: 632
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 289
Military strength score: 0.4349 – #32 out of 145

11. Sweden

Military aircraft on order: 77
Types of aircraft on order: Gripen E
Total military aircraft: 212
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 53
Military strength score: 0.4009 – #29 out of 145

10. Spain

Military aircraft on order: 123
Types of aircraft on order: Eurofighter, NH90, S-70
Total military aircraft: 513
Total attack aircraft: 12
Total helicopters: 121
Military strength score: 0.2882 – #20 out of 145

9. Canada

Flying High for the Birds Eye by Robert Sullivan

Flying High for the Birds Eye (Public Domain) by Robert Sullivan

Military aircraft on order: 127
Types of aircraft on order: F-35, S-92, AW101
Total military aircraft: 375
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 143
Military strength score: 0.3813 – #27 out of 145

8. United Kingdom

United Kingdom Royal Air Force... by Clemens Vasters

United Kingdom Royal Air Force... (CC BY 2.0) by Clemens Vasters

Military aircraft on order: 136
Types of aircraft on order: AH-64, CH-47, F-35B
Total military aircraft: 664
Total attack aircraft: 29
Total helicopters: 276
Military strength score: 0.1443 – #6 out of 145

7. Romania

Pride of the sky (CC BY 2.0) by sagesolar

Military aircraft on order: 140
Types of aircraft on order: AH-1z, F-16A, F-35A
Total military aircraft: 131
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 67
Military strength score: 0.7712 – #47 out of 145

6. Italy

Military aircraft on order: 177
Types of aircraft on order: AW101, AW249, F-35A/B
Total military aircraft: 800
Total attack aircraft: 67
Total helicopters: 402
Military strength score: 0.1863 – #10 out of 145

5. Germany

Military aircraft on order: 187
Types of aircraft on order: Eurofighter, F-35A
Total military aircraft: 618
Total attack aircraft: 76
Total helicopters: 318
Military strength score: 0.2847 – #19 out of 145

4. Poland

Military aircraft on order: 238
Types of aircraft on order: AH-64, AW101, F-35A
Total military aircraft: 468
Total attack aircraft: 34
Total helicopters: 215
Military strength score: 0.2917 – #21 out of 145

3. Turkey

Military aircraft on order: 246
Types of aircraft on order: Hurkus C, S/T-70
Total military aircraft: 1,069
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 502
Military strength score: 0.1697 – #8 out of 145

2. France

Military aircraft on order: 377
Types of aircraft on order: H160, H225M, Rafale
Total military aircraft: 972
Total attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 447
Military strength score: 0.1878 – #11 out of 145

1. United States

F-35+Lightning+II | Lockheed Martin F-35

Military aircraft on order: 3,921
Types of aircraft on order: AH-64, F-35, S-70
Total military aircraft: 13,209
Total attack aircraft: 896
Total helicopters: 5,737
Military strength score: 0.0699 – #1 out of 145

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Read more: Special Report, Air Force, aircraft, F-35 Lightning II, fighter jets, helicopter, military, NATO, NATO members power, United States, Military

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