Emirati Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
United Arab Emirates has 175 fighter and attack jets in service across 6 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 625 military aircraft and 41 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
175 active · 144 on order
| Combat share of the fleet | 28% (175 of 625) |
| Median fighter design entry | 1996 |
| Cold War designs | 2 of 6 fighter types |
| Oldest design | F-16 Fighting Falcon 1978 |
| Newest design | Calidus B250 2018 |
Military Helicopters
250 active · 10 on order
UH-60 Black Hawk
Active80 Service entry1979
Bell 407
Active43 Service entry1996
AH-64 Apache
Active30 +10 Service entry1984
CH-47 Chinook
Active28 Service entry1962
H125M / AS550 Fennec
Active18 Service entry1990
505 Jet Ranger X
Active12 Service entry2017
AS565 Panther
Active12 Service entry1986
AW139
Active12 Service entry2003
H215M / AS532 Cougar
Active8 Service entry1978
Bell 412
Active4 Service entry1981
H145M / EC645
Active3 Service entry2002Transport & Tanker Aircraft
58 active · 10 on order
208 Caravan
Active13 Service entry1984
DHC-6 Twin Otter
Active11 Service entry1966
C-130 Hercules
Active8 Service entry1956
C-17 Globemaster III
Active8 Service entry1993
C-295 Persuader
Active7 Service entry2001
Airbus A330 MRTT
Active5 Service entry2011
BD-700 Global Express
Active2 Service entry1999
CL-600 Challenger
Active2 Service entry1980
Pacific Aerospace P750
Active1 Service entry2001
Quest Kodiak
Active1 Service entry2008
C-390 Millennium
ActiveOn order Service entry2019Special Mission Aircraft
8 active
Trainers
90 active · 6 on order
Unmanned Aircraft
44 active
Other National Fleets
- 🇺🇸 United States · all-time
- 🇷🇺 Russia · all-time
- 🇨🇳 China · all-time
- 🇮🇳 India · all-time
- 🇰🇷 South Korea · all-time
- 🇯🇵 Japan · all-time
- 🇵🇰 Pakistan · all-time
- 🇰🇵 North Korea · all-time
- 🇪🇬 Egypt · all-time
- 🇹🇷 Turkey · all-time
- 🇫🇷 France · all-time
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · all-time
- 🇮🇹 Italy · all-time
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan · all-time
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · all-time
- 🇮🇷 Iran · all-time
- 🇬🇷 Greece · all-time
- 🇩🇿 Algeria · all-time
- 🇩🇪 Germany · all-time
- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates · all-time
- 🇮🇱 Israel · all-time
- 🇧🇷 Brazil · all-time
- 🇪🇸 Spain · all-time
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia · all-time
- 🇵🇱 Poland · all-time
- 🇮🇶 Iraq · all-time
- 🇦🇺 Australia · all-time
- 🇨🇦 Canada · all-time
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine · all-time
- 🇦🇷 Argentina · all-time
Frequently Asked Questions
How many fighter jets does the United Arab Emirates have in 2026?
The United Arab Emirates has 175 fighter and attack jets in service across 6 types as of 2026, the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon being the most numerous with 76 airframes. The figure counts combat aircraft only; bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and drones are listed further down this page, and the full inventory with yearly history is on the United Arab Emirates air force page.
How many aircraft does the Emirati military operate in 2026?
United Arab Emirates operates 625 aircraft across 41 distinct types as of 2026, split between 1 service branch.
What is the most numerous Emirati military aircraft?
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is the single most numerous airframe in United Arab Emirates's inventory, with 80 active units.
Does this page include retired or stored aircraft?
No. Counts reflect airframes on active inventory in the most recent fleet snapshot, across every service that flies them: air force, army aviation and naval aviation alike. Retired, stored and test-only aircraft are excluded; a type on order but not yet delivered is shown as such.