# List of active United Kingdom military aircraft

This is a list of military aircraft currently in service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.

## Royal Air Force

| Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
| Multi-Role Combat Aircraft ||||||||
| Eurofighter Typhoon | European (British, German, Italian, Spanish) | Jet | Multi-role | 2003 | 102 | 137 | 16 Tranche 1s have been progressively withdrawn and scrapped under the RTP requirement which started in late 2016. All Tranche 1s (apart from 4, based in the Falklands) to be retired by 2025. |
| Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning | United States (UK as Level 1 partner) | Jet | Stealth Multi-role | 2013 | 35 | 35 | Jointly operated with Fleet Air Arm. Maximum of 138 aircraft to be procured One F-35B crashed November 2021. |
| AEW&C ||||||||
| Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW.1 | United States | Jet | AW&C | 2022 | - | 3 | Originally five orders, now reduced to three. In February 2023 it was stated that the order for three aircraft could gradually increase to five. |
| Reconnaissance / Maritime Patrol ||||||||
| Beechcraft Shadow R.1 | United States | Propeller | ISTAR | 2009 | 6 | 8 | Expected OSD 2030. A further two aircraft are to be added by 2025 along with an upgrade to the current aircraft. |
| Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint | United States | Jet | SIGINT | 2013 | 3 | 3 | Formally known as Airseeker. |
| Boeing P-8 Poseidon MRA.1 | United States | Jet | ASW/Anti-ship | 2019 | 9 | 9 | |
| Tanker / Transport ||||||||
| Airbus Voyager | Airbus (European, Multinational) | Jet | Tanker / Transport | 2011 | 14 | 14 | Five additional aircraft available upon request from AirTanker Services. |
| Transport ||||||||
| Boeing C-17A Globemaster III | United States | Jet | Transport | 2001 | 8 | 8 | |
| Airbus A400M Atlas C.1 | Airbus (European, Multinational) | Propeller | Transport | 2014 | 22 | 22 | Up to six additional aircraft planned for procurement by 2030. |
| Dassault Envoy IV CC.1 | France | Jet | Transport | 2022 | 2 | 2 | Two aircraft to be introduced from March 2022. To be initially operated under civil contract until 2026. |
| Helicopter ||||||||
| Boeing Chinook | United States | Rotorcraft | Transport | 1980 | 39 | 54 | Operational numbers being reduced to 51 helicopters. |
| Westland/Airbus Helicopters Puma HC.2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Transport | 1971 2013 | 13 | 18 | To be retired in March 2025. |
| Airbus H145 Jupiter HC.2 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2024 | - | 6 | Six aircraft ordered; to replace Puma HC2s deployed in Cyprus and Brunei from 2024. |
| Trainer Aircraft ||||||||
| Airbus H135 Juno HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 29 | 29 | Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
| Airbus H145 Jupiter HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 7 | 7 | Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
| BAE Systems Hawk T.2 | United Kingdom | Jet | Jet trainer | 2009 | 28 | 28 | Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by No. IV (R) Squadron & No. XXV(F) Squadron; aircraft to remain in service until 2040. |
| Beechcraft Texan T1 | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 14 | 14 | Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
| Embraer Phenom T.1 | Brazil | Jet | Trainer | 2018 | 5 | 5 | Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
| Grob Prefect T.1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 23 | 23 | Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by RAF. |
| Grob Tutor T.1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 1999 | 91 | 119 | Used by the RAF Air Experience Flight. 28 Tutors have been sold to the Finnish Air Force as of 2018. |
| Grob Viking T.1 | Germany | Glider | Trainer | 1990 | 52 | 91 | The Grob Viking T1 is the RAF's primary aircraft for delivering basic glider and flight training to the RAF Air Cadets. |
| Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance UAVs ||||||||
| General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper | United States | UAV | ISR / Attack | 2007 | 9 | 10 | Expected OSD 2024. To be replaced by Protector UAV. |
| Protector RG1 | United States | UAV | ISR / Attack | 2023 | 2 | 16 | 16 ordered; second aircraft delivered in July 2024 with five more to be delivered by the end of the year. |

### RAF Red Arrows

| Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
| British Aerospace Hawk T.1 | United Kingdom | Jet | Trainer | 1980 | 12 | 12 | Retired from aggressor role in March 2022; retained by the Red Arrows; to be retired by 2030. |

### RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

| Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
| Avro Lancaster (PA474) | United Kingdom | Propeller | Heavy bomber | 1942 | 1 | 1 | 1 B.I |
| de Havilland Canada Chipmunk | United Kingdom | Propeller | Trainer | 1946 | 2 | 2 | 2 T.10 |
| Douglas Dakota | United States | Propeller | Transport | 1942 | 1 | 1 | 1 C.3 |
| Hawker Hurricane | United Kingdom | Propeller | Fighter | 1937 | 2 | 2 | 2 Mk IIc |
| Supermarine Spitfire | United Kingdom | Propeller | Fighter | 1938 | 5 | 6 | 1 Mk IIa, 1 Mk Vb, 1 LF Mk XVIe 2 PR Mk XIX |

## Army Air Corps

| Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
| Attack helicopters ||||||||
| Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian | United States | Helicopter | Attack | 2022 | 37 | 50 on order | 50 Apache AH1 are being remanufactured to AH-64E specification. Armed with M230 cannon and JAGM, Hellfire K1 and Hellfire Romeo missiles. |
| Reconnaissance helicopters ||||||||
| AgustaWestland Wildcat | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Utility | 2014 | 24 | 34 | Up to 8 helicopters serve with the Fleet Air Arm's 847 Squadron in support of the Royal Marines. |
| Transport helicopters ||||||||
| Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II | France | Rotorcraft | SAS | 2009 | 2 | 2 | |
| Tactical ISR UAV ||||||||
| Thales Watchkeeper WK450 | United Kingdom | UAV | ISR | 2014 | 12 | 45 | 8 systems have reportedly crashed since 2014. To be retired in March 2025. |

## Fleet Air Arm

| Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
| Combat Aircraft ||||||||
| Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning | United States (UK as Level 1 partner) | Jet | Stealth Multi-role | 2013 | 35 | 35 | Jointly operated with Royal Air Force. Initial Operational Capability (Maritime) in 2020; 809 Naval Air Squadron stood up in December 2023 with initial squadron operating capability projected for December 2024. |
| Attack/Reconnaissance helicopters ||||||||
| AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Attack | 2014 | 21 | 28 | |
| AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | ASW/AEW | 2000 | 23 | 30 | Expected OSD 2040. |
| AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat AH1 | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Utility/Reconnaissance | 2014 | - | - | Up to 8 Army Air Corps aircraft tasked to 847 Naval Air Squadron in support of the Royal Marines. |
| Transport helicopters ||||||||
| AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk4/4A | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2000 | 20 | 25 | One aircraft crashed September 2024; Expected OSD 2040. |
| Trainer Aircraft ||||||||
| Grob Tutor | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 1999 | 5 | 5 | Introductory fight training; operated by 727 Naval Air Squadron |
| Tactical vertical takeoff/landing UAV ||||||||
| Peregrine | Austria | Rotorcraft UAV | ISR | 2024 | 2+ | 2+ | Began trials on HMS Lancaster in the Persian Gulf mid-2024 |

## Ministry of Defence

As well as the military services, a number of defence contractors operate military aircraft on behalf of or lease them from the Ministry of Defence.
| Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
| Agusta AW109 | Italy | Rotorcraft | Utility | | 1 | 1 | QinetiQ, Boscombe Down. |
| Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II | France | Rotorcraft | Utility | 1999 | 2 | 2 | Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training. Operated by British International Helicopters under MRCOA. |
| Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil | France | Rotorcraft | Trainer | | 3 | 3 | Cobham Helicopter Academy, Newquay under CFAOS. |
| Eurofighter Typhoon | United Kingdom | Jet | Multi-role | | 3 | 3 | BAE Systems, Warton. |
| Hawker Hunter | UK | Jet | Fighter | | 3 | 3 | Hawker Hunter Aviation, RAF Scampton. |
| Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II | United States | Jet | Multi-role | 2013 | - | - | 4 of 36 F-35Bs operated in the United States by 17 Squadron RAF; test and evaluation role. |
| Westland Sea King | United Kingdom | Rotorcraft | Trainer | | 2 | 2 | HeliOperations under CFAOS. |
| Airbus Zephyr | United Kingdom | High-altitude pseudo-satellite | UAV | | 0 | 3 | Solar-powered long-endurance UAV; observation and communications platform; two of three aircraft in storage; MoD has not been a participant in any flights since 2021 |

## UK Military Flying Training System

| Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
| Grob Prefect T.1 | Germany | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 23 | 23 | Serves with 57 Squadron RAF, 703 Naval Air Squadron and 674 Squadron, Army Air Corps. |
| Beechcraft Texan T.1 | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2018 | 14 | 14 | Serves with 72 Squadron RAF. |
| Beechcraft Avenger | United States | Propeller | Trainer | 2011 | 4 | 4 | Serves with 750 Naval Air Squadron. |
| Embraer Phenom T.1 | Brazil | Jet | Trainer | 2018 | 5 | 5 | Serves with 45 Squadron RAF. |
| BAE Systems Hawk T.2 | United Kingdom | Jet | Jet trainer | 2009 | 28 | 28 | Serves with No. IV (R) Squadron & No. XXV(F) Squadron. |
| Airbus H135 Juno HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 29 | 29 | Serves with 60 and 202 Squadrons RAF, 705 Naval Air Squadron and 660 Squadron, Army Air Corps. |
| Airbus H145 Jupiter HT.1 | Germany | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2018 | 7 | 7 | Serves with 60 and 202 Squadrons RAF. |