List of active United States Air Force aircraft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of currently active military aircraft in the United States Air Force.
Aircraft
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter aircraft (1,616) | |||||
| F-15 Eagle | United States | air superiority | F-15C | 42[1] | 75 F-15C/D total force as of September 2025[2]
42 F-15C - Air National Guard |
| F-15E Strike Eagle | United States | multirole | 208 | 208 F-15E total force as of March 2026
208 F-15E - Active | |
| F-15EX Eagle II | United States | multirole | 27 | 13 F-15EX total force as of September 2025[3]
6 F-15EX - Active 21 F-15EX - Air National Guard (268 units planned)[4] | |
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | United States | multirole | F-16C | 814 | 814 F-16C total force as of September 2024[5]
257 F-16C - Air National Guard |
| F-22 Raptor | United States | stealth air superiority | F-22A | 183 | 183 F-22A total force as of September 2024[6]
163 F-22A - Active 20 F-22A - Air National Guard |
| F-35 Lightning II | United States | stealth multirole | F-35A | 525 | 525 F-35A total force as of May 2026[7] (USAF Visual in May 2025 indicates 471 aircraft)[8]
400 F-35A - Active 43 - Air National Guard (program of record of 1,763 aircraft), between 161 and 189 aircraft on order[9] |
| Attack aircraft (202) | |||||
| A-10 Thunderbolt II | United States | attack / CAS | A-10C | 172 | 172 A-10C total force as of September 2024[10]
141 A-10C - Active 31 A-10C - Air National Guard |
| AC-130 Ghostrider | United States | ground attack / CAS | AC-130J | 30 | 30 AC-130J total force as of September 2024[11]
30 AC-130J - Active |
| Bomber (142) | |||||
| B-1 Lancer | United States | strategic bomber | B-1B | 46 | 46 B-1B total force as of September 2024[12]
46 B-1B - Active |
| B-2 Spirit | United States | strategic stealth bomber | B-2A | 20 | 20 B-2A total force as of September 2024[13]
18 B-2A - Active |
| B-52 Stratofortress | United States | strategic bomber | B-52H | 75 | 75 B-52H total force as of September 2024[14]
57 B-52H - Active 18 B-52H - Reserve |
| AWACS (26) | |||||
| E-3 Sentry | United States | AWACS | E-3B/G | 14 | 14 E-3B/G total force as of March 2026 (USAF Almanac).[15][16]
19 E-3B/G operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| E-4 Nightwatch | United States | command and control | E-4B | 4 | 4 E-4B as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
4 E-4B operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| E-9A Widget | Canada | SIGINT / ELINT | E-9A | 2 | 2 E-9A as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15] |
| E-11A | Canada | command and control / BACN | E-11A | 5 | 5 E-11A as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
6 E-11A operational, 4 on order (WAF 2025).[17] |
| Electronic Warfare (14) | |||||
| EA-37B Compass Call | United States | SIGINT / PSYOP / attack | EA-37B | 3 | 3 EC-37B operational, 7 on order (WAF 2025).[17] |
| EC-130H Compass Call | United States | radar jamming / PSYOP | 4 | 4 EC-130H as of September 204 (USAF Almanac)[18]
4 EC-130H operational (WAF 2025).[17] | |
| EC-130 Commando Solo | United States | radar jamming / PSYOP | EC-130J | 5 | 5 EC-130J as of September 2024 (USAF Almanac).[19]
0 EC-130J - Air National Guard as of September 20, 2024[20] |
| Reconnaissance | |||||
| IPTN CN-235 | Spain/Indonesia | SIGINT / ELINT | 5[21] | ||
| OA-1K Skyraider II | United States | armed reconnaissance | 3[22] | ||
| P-9 Pale Ale | Canada | Maritime patrol | P-9A | ~4 | Approx. 4 P-9A total force as of February 2023 (Air Combat Command).[15] |
| RC-135 Rivet Joint | United States | ELINT / surveillance | S/U/V/W | 22[21] | The breakdown is as follows: 1 RC-135S Cobra Ball, 2 RC-135U Combat Sent, 1 RC-135V Rivet Joint, 18 RC-135W Rivet Joint. |
| U-2 Dragon Lady | United States | high altitude reconnaissance | U-2S | 27 | 27 U-2S as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
24 U-2S operational (WAF 2025).[17] Trainer aircraft listed separately. |
| U-28A Draco | Switzerland | ISR / SIGINT | U-28A | 26[21] | Special Operations Surveillance aircraft. |
| Tanker | |||||
| KC-46 Pegasus | United States | aerial refueling | KC-46A | 77 | 77 KC-46A total force as of September 2024[23]
58 KC-46A - Active 19 KC-46A - Air National Guard |
| KC-135 Stratotanker | United States | aerial refueling | KC-135R/T | 314 | 325 KC-135R / 51 KC-135T total force as of September 2024[24]
123 KC-135R / 28 KC-135T - Active 140 KC-135R / 23 KC-135T - Air National Guard |
| HC-130J Super Hercules | United States | SAR / transport / tanker | 39 | 39 total force as of September 2024[25]
21 HC-130J - Active 12 HC-130J - Air National Guard 6 HC-130J - Reserve | |
| MC-130J Commando II | United States | EW / transport / tanker | 62 | 62 MC-130J total force as of September 2024[26]
60 MC-130J - Active 2 MC-130J - Air National Guard | |
| Transport | |||||
| C-5 Galaxy | United States | strategic airlifter | C-5M | 52[21] | |
| C-12 Huron | United States | utility / transport | 23[21] | ||
| C-12J | United States | transport | C-12J | 3[21] | |
| C-17 Globemaster III | United States | strategic airlifter | 196 | 222 C-17A total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
146 C-17A - Active 50 C-17A - Air National Guard
| |
| C-21A | United States | VIP transport | C-21A | 19[21] | |
| C-32 | United States | VIP transport | 4[21] | ||
| C-37A/B | United States | VIP transport | C-37A C-37B |
13[27] | The breakdown is 12 C-37As and one C-37B (based on the Gulfstream G550). |
| C-40 Clipper | United States | VIP transport | C-40B/C | 12[28] | The breakdown is four C-40Bs (USAF) and seven C-40Cs (4-USAFR, 3-DC ANG). |
| C-130 Hercules | United States | transport | C-130H | 91 | 91 C-130H total force as of September 2024[29]
0 C-130H - Active 91 C-130H - Air National Guard |
| C-130J Super Hercules | United States | tactical airlifter | C-130J | 142 | 142 C-130J total force as of September 2024[30]
102 C-130J - Active 40 C-130J - Air National Guard
|
| C-146 Wolfhound | Germany | transport | C-146A | 20[21] | |
| U-27A Caravan | United States | transport / utility | 2[21] | ||
| UV-18B Twin Otter | Canada | utility transport | 3[22] | STOL capable aircraft. Supports parachute training for USAFA and AFROTC Cadets. | |
| VC-25 | United States | Presidential transport | 2[28] | ||
| Helicopter | |||||
| HH-60G Pave Hawk | United States | CSAR | HH-60G | 24 | 24 HH-60W total force as of September 2024[31]
8 HH-60G - Active 16 HH-60G - Air National Guard |
| HH-60W Jolly Green II | United States | CSAR | HH-60GW | 47 | 47 HH-60W total force as of September 2024[32]
32 HH-60W - Active 15 HH-60W - Air National Guard |
| MH-139 Grey Wolf | Italy | utility | MH-139 | 8 | 8 MH-139 total force as of September 2024[33]
8 MH-139 - Active (Maximum order volume of 79 aircraft) |
| UH-1N Iroquois | United States | utility | 63 | 63 UH-1N total force as of September 2024[34] | |
| V-22 Osprey | United States | CSAR | CV-22B | 52 | 52 CV-22B total force as of September 2024[35]
52 CV-22B - Active |
| Trainers | |||||
| A-29 Super Tucano | Brazil | assessment trainer | A-29C | 3[21] | |
| F-117 Nighthawk | United States | trainer | 4[21] | stealth OPFOR trainer | |
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | United States | trainer | F-16D | 134 | 136 F-16D total force as of September 2024[36]
98 F-16D - Active 36 F-16D - Air National Guard |
| F-15 Eagle | United States | trainer | F-15D | 24 | 12 F-15D total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
1 F-15D - Active 11 F-15D - Air National Guard 17 F-15D operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| G120TP | Germany | basic trainer | 2[21] | contracted by JPAG Aviation | |
| T-1A Jayhawk | United States | multi-engine trainer | T-1A | 127 | 127 T-1A total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
98 T-6A operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| T-6 Texan II | United States | advanced trainer | T-6A | 442 | 442 T-6A total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
442 T-6A operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| T-7 Red Hawk | United States | advanced trainer | T-7A | 351 units (maximum number of units planned for deployment) | Of these, one unit is deployed and the remaining 350 units are on order.[21] |
| T-38 Talon | United States | jet trainer | T-38A/C | 495 | 495 T-38A / T-38C / AT-38B total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
52 T-38A / 6 AT-38B / 437 T-38C - Active 485 C-17A operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| T-41 Mescalero | United States | basic trainer | T-41D | 4 | 4 total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15] |
| Cessna T-51 | United States | basic trainer | T-51A | 3 | 3 total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15] |
| T-53A Kadet II | United States | basic trainer | T-53A | 24 | 24 T-53A total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
25 T-53A operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| TG-16 | Germany | basic trainer | TG-16A | 18 | 17 TG-16A total force as of November 2025. |
| TC-135 Stratolifter | United States | multi-engine trainer | TC-135W | 3 | 3 TC-135W total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
3 TC-135W operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| TH-1 Iroquois | United States | rotorcraft trainer | UH-1H | 28 | 28 UH-1H total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
39 T-53A operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| TU-2 Dragon Lady | United States | high altitude reconnaissance trainer | TU-2S | 4 | 4 TU-2S total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15]
3 TU-2S operational (WAF 2025).[17] |
| UAV | |||||
| MQ-9 Reaper | United States | multi-mission | MQ-9A | 135 | 135 MQ-9A total force as of May 2026[37]
114 MQ-9A - Active 21 MQ-9A - Air National Guard |
| RQ-4 Global Hawk | United States | ISTAR / SIGINT | RQ-4B | 9 | 9 RQ-4B total force as of September 2023 (USAF Almanac).[15] |
| RQ-11 Raven | United States | ISR | RQ-11B | 3,000[38] | |
| RQ-20 Puma | United States | ISR | RQ-20B | 60[39] | Puma 3 AE variant is on order[40][41] |
| RQ-170 Sentinel | United States | ISTAR / SIGINT | 20[42][43] | ||
Images
An AC-130J of the 4th Special Operations Squadron flies over Kansas in 2023.
An F-15C Eagle flies over Japan in 2019
An F-15EX from the 40th Test Flight Squadron flies over Florida in 2023
An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 494th Fighter Squadron
An F-16C over Iraq in 2008
An F-22A Raptor flies over Andrews Air Force Base during an airshow in 2008
An F-35A in flight
A USAF B-52 bomber
A B-1B in flight over Afghanistan
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber flies over the Pacific Ocean
An E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft
One of 4 E-4B Nightwatch airborne command posts
A new E-11 aircraft being rolled out in 2018
A C-146A Wolfhound taking off
A C-17A Globemaster III taking off from Ramstein Air Base
A VC-25 Air Force One with landing gear down
The MH-139A Grey Wolf replacement for the Bell UH-1N
A CV-22 Osprey over RIAT in 2015
A T-38 Talon over Edwards AFB
An MQ-9 Reaper flies over Southern Afghanistan, 2008
KC-135 Refueling F-16s
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See also
- Future military aircraft of the United States
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of U.S. DoD aircraft designations
- List of currently active United States naval aircraft
- List of United States Air Force squadrons
- List of active U.S. Air Force aircraft squadrons
- UAVs in the U.S. military