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.

For RAF aircraft no longer in service, see List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force. For aircraft expected to enter service with the RAF in the future, see Future of the Royal Air Force.

Tri-service badge of the United Kingdom's armed forces.

Royal Air Force
Main article: Royal Air Force
TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Airbus A400M Atlas C1SpainPropellerTransport20142020[1] Two on order expected to be delivered in the early 2020s[2]
Airbus VoyagerSpainJetTanker / Transport201199[1] Five additional aircraft available upon request from AirTanker Services
Beechcraft Shadow R1USAPropellerISTAR200966[1] Expected OSD 2030.[3] A further two aircraft are to be added in 2023 along
with an upgrade to the current aircraft[4]
Bell Griffin HAR2CanadaRotorcraftUtility200333[1] Supplied and maintained by Cobham but operated by military aircrew. Used for
SAR, fire fighting and ISTAR duties amongst others in RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus
Boeing Airseeker R1USAJetSIGINT201333[1]
Boeing ChinookUSARotorcraftTransport19804160
Boeing C-17A Globemaster IIIUSAJetTransport200188[1]
Boeing Poseidon MRA1USAJetASW201999
British Aerospace Hawk T1UKJetTrainer197656[lower-alpha 1]172[1] To be retired from aggressor role by March 2022 those flown by the Red Arrows
retired by 2030.[5] Used in the aggressor role by No. 100 Squadron and the Red Arrows
British Aerospace Hawk T2UKJetTrainer20092828[1] 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[6]
Dassault Falcon 900LXFranceJetTransport2022Two aircraft to be introduced from March 2022. To be initially operated under civil contract until 2024[7]
Eurofighter TyphoonUKJetMulti-role2007101[lower-alpha 2]137[lower-alpha 3][1] Of the 22 two seat trainer aircraft[8] 16 Tranche 1s have been progressively withdrawn and scrapped under the RTP requirement[9] which started in late 2016[10][11]
All Tranche 1s to be retired by 2025.[12]
General Atomics MQ-9 ReaperUSAUAVISR / Attack2007910[1] Expected OSD 2024. To be replaced by Protector UAV[13][14]
Grob Tutor T1GermanyPropellerTrainer199991[lower-alpha 4]119[1] Used by the RAF Air Experience Flight. 28 Tutors have been sold to the
Finnish Air Force as of 2018 [15]
Grob Viking TX1GermanyGliderTrainer19905260[1]
Leonardo AW109SPItalyRotorcraftTransport201611[1] Used for transportation of senior military commanders or government ministers
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super HerculesUSAPropellerTransport20001425[1] All to be withdrawn by 2023.[16]
Lockheed Martin F-35B LightningUSA [17]JetMulti-role201323[lower-alpha 5]24[lower-alpha 6][18] Jointly operated with Fleet Air Arm. Maximum of 60-80 aircraft to be
procured[19][20][21]
Westland Puma HC2UKRotorcraftTransport19712324[1]

RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Main article: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Avro Lancaster (PA474)UKPropellerBomber194211 B.I
De Havilland Canada ChipmunkUKPropellerTrainer194627532 T.10
Douglas DakotaUSAPropellerTransport194211 C.3
Hawker HurricaneUKPropellerFighter19372145332 Mk IIc
Supermarine SpitfireUKPropellerFighter19386203411 Mk IIa, 1 Mk Vb, 1 LF.IXe, 1 LF.XVIe, 2 PR.XIX

Fleet Air Arm
Main article: Fleet Air Arm
TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2UKRotorcraftAttack20142828[1]
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2UKRotorcraftASW20003044[1] Expected OSD 2040[22][23]
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk3i/4UKRotorcraftTransport20002528[1] The Mk4/4A are undergoing a capability upgrade and will be fully delivered by 2021[24][25] All Mk3 have now been upgraded to Mk4 with just the Mk3i remaining. Expected OSD 2040[22][26][23]
Beechcraft AvengerUSAPropellerTrainer201144[1] Forms part of the UK Military Flying Training System listed below but operated by 750 Naval Air Squadron
Lockheed Martin F-35B LightningUSAJetMulti-role2013--Jointly operated with Royal Air Force. Initial Operational Capability (Maritime) in 2020[27]

Army Air Corps
Main article: Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)
TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
AgustaWestland Apache AH1UKRotorcraftAttack20043067[1] To be replaced by 50 AH-64E Apache Guardians in 2024[28]
Boeing AH-64E GuardianUnited StatesRotorcraftAttack20201414[29] Total of 50 aircraft are on order to replace the Apache AH1
AgustaWestland AW159 WildcatUKRotorcraftUtility20143434[1]
Bell 212CanadaRotorcraftUtility199555[1] Used by No. 7 Flight AAC and No. 25 Flight AAC in Brunei and Kenya in
support of TTB and BATUK
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin IIFranceRotorcraftSAS200966
Thales Watchkeeper WK450UKUAVISR20144950[1]
Westland GazelleUKRotorcraftPatrol197426208[1] Expected OSD 2025.
Airbus H135MGermanyRotorcraftPatrol202230 on orderProject Matcha, Gazelle replacement [30]

UK Military Flying Training System
Main article: UK Military Flying Training System
TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Grob Prefect T1GermanyPropellerTrainer20182323[1]
Beechcraft Texan T1USAPropellerTrainer20181414[1]
Embraer Phenom 100BrazilJetTrainer201855[1]
Airbus H135 JunoGermanyRotorcraftTrainer20182929[1]
Airbus H145 JupiterGermanyRotorcraftTrainer201877[1]

RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
Main article: RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
British Aerospace HawkUKJetTrainer / experimental22 [31] Operated for the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine[32]

Ministry of Defence

As well as the military services, a number of defence contractors operate military aircraft on behalf of or leased from the Ministry of Defence.

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Agusta AW109ItalyRotorcraftUtility11QinetiQ, Boscombe Down
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin IIFranceRotorcraftUtility199922[1] Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training. Operated by British International Helicopters under MRCOA[lower-alpha 7] [33]
Eurocopter AS350 ÉcureuilFranceRotorcraftTrainer33Cobham Helicopter Academy, Newquay under CFAOS[lower-alpha 8]
Eurofighter TyphoonUKJetMulti-role33BAE Systems, Warton[lower-alpha 9]
Hawker HunterUKJetFighter33[34]Hawker Hunter Aviation, RAF Scampton
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIUSAJetMulti-role201333Operated in the United States by 17 Squadron RAF; test and evaluation role[35]
Westland Sea KingUKRotorcraftTrainer22HeliOperations under CFAOS[lower-alpha 10]
Airbus ZephyrUKHigh-altitude pseudo-satelliteUAV33Solar-powered long-endurance UAV; observation and communications platform[36][37]

See also

Notes
  1. Not including the 14 operated by 736 NAS
  2. Not including the 3 IPA aircraft listed below
  3. Not including the 3 IPA aircraft listed below
  4. As detailed in source this also includes the 5 Tutor platforms which were operated by the Royal Navy, previously categorised as Tutor (RN Flying Grading)
  5. Not including the 3 used by No. 17(R) squadron based in the US listed below
  6. Not including the 3 used by No. 17(R) squadron based in the US listed below; however, includes one lost in November 2021
  7. Military Registered Civil Owned Aircraft
  8. leased from the Ministry of Defence and operated on the military register under the Contractor Flying Approved Organisation Scheme {CFAOS)
  9. IPA 1, IPA 5, IPA 6
  10. leased from the Ministry of Defence and operated on the military register under the Contractor Flying Approved Organisation Scheme {CFAOS)

References
  1. "UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations 2020". Gov.uk. Ministry of Defence. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  2. "UK Atlas breaks parachute delivery record during DE&S cargo drop trials" (PDF). desider. No. 125. Ministry of Defence, DE&S. December 2018. OCLC 928842222. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  3. "DE&S signs £250 million aircraft deal to sustain the RAF's intelligence-gathering Shadow aircraft fleet" (PDF). desider. No. 127. Ministry of Defence, DE&S. February 2019. OCLC 928842222. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  4. Archived 13 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine UK-orders-Leonardo-Thales-protection-system-for-RAF-Shadow-fleet
  5. "Typhoon, C-130J and Puma retirements, FCAS investment headline UK defence review".
  6. Allison, George (6 September 2021). "MoD confirm Hawk T2 2040 out of service date".
  7. Allison, George (8 February 2022). "Britain purchasing French jets for VIP transport".
  8. "UK Typhoon Fleet by Block « Articles « Fast Air Photography". www.fast-air.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  9. "RAF to scrap twin-seat Typhoons - Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  10. "Scrapped: Eurofighter Typhoon ZJ815 Sent for RTP - Urban Ghosts". 12 December 2016. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  11. "UK armed forces equipment and formations 2020". GOV.UK.
  12. "What is in the Defence Command Paper for air and space capabilities?". 22 March 2021.
  13. Osborne, Tony (29 July 2019). "RAF Retiring Reaper In 2024, Paving Way For Protector". Aviation Week.
  14. "UK signs £65m contract for first three Protectors". Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  15. "Five More ex-UK Grob Tutors Delivered to Finnish Air Force". Royal Air Force. 22 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  16. "The UK's Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper". Janes.com.
  17. "How British is the F-35?". 14 October 2019.
  18. "F-35 Lightning II". Twitter. Retrieved 4 November 2021. The UK’s F-35 fleet has grown to 24 aircraft after @OC207Sqn pilots ferried three new jets from the @LockheedMartin plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
  19. "UK looking at '60 and then maybe up to 80′ F-35B jets". 23 March 2021.
  20. Delivering Carrier Strike. National Audit Office. 10 March 2017. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-78604-110-4. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  21. "Written question HL867: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem 17-07-2017". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017. One F-35B crashed November 2021.
  22. "UK extends Merlin operations until 2040".
  23. "When will the Royal Navy's Merlin helicopters be retired?". 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  24. "Farnborough 2018: More Merlin magic for the UK (video) - DH - Defence Helicopter - Shephard Media". www.shephardmedia.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  25. "UK Merlin Mk4/4a programme hit by delays - DH - Defence Helicopter - Shephard Media". www.shephardmedia.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  26. "UK completes Merlin HC3/3A helo upgrades". IHS Janes. 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  27. "UK progresses F-35B deliveries". Janes. 1 December 2020.
  28. "Archived copy" (PDF). DESider. February 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. UK Defence Journal. 23 January 2022 version of Apache attack helicopter enters service https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/new-version-of-apache-attack-helicopter-enters-service/title=New version of Apache attack helicopter enters service. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. Perry, Dominic. "UK selects H135s to replace British Army's elderly Gazelle helicopters". Flight Global.
  31. Empire Test Pilots' School - Our Fleet and Facilities Archived 19 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, etps.qinetiq.com
  32. "Hawk T1". RAF.mod. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  33. "MAA Approved Organistations" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  34. "Hawker Hunter Aviation Ltd - Aircraft". Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  35. Stevenson, Beth. "RAF's 17 Sqn assumes control of F-35 test and evaluation". Flight Global.
  36. Chuter, Andrew (17 February 2016). "British MoD Acquires Solar-Powered Zephyr UAV". Defense News.
  37. "Airbus, UK MoD cites Zephyr trials success on path to 'operationalising pseudo satellite'". Janes.com.
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