Special Report

These Are the NATO Countries Buying the Most Military Aircraft

Italy+military+aircraft | Displaying the tricolor
sagesolar / Flickr

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

usairforce / Flickr
  • 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

dvids / Flickr
  • 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

U.S. Department of Defense / Public Domain / Flickr
  • 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

usarmyeurope_images / Flickr
  • 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

my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
  • 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

usarmyeurope_images / Flickr
  • 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

ajw1970 / Flickr
  • 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

slezo / Flickr
  • 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

Jozsef Soos / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • 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

david_e_smith / Flickr
  • 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

milchcow_peng / Flickr
  • 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

VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • 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

sagesolar / Flickr
  • 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

Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
  • 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

dynasoar / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • 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

pablorebo1984 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

sagesolar / Flickr
  • 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

Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
  • 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

Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
  • 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

cooke1 / Flickr
  • 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

VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • 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
Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
  • 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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