1970s Military Aircraft

Overview

Military aircrafts that first flew in the 1970s. This collection covers fighters, bombers, helicopters, transport planes, and UAVs from this decade in aviation history, with detailed technical specifications, development stories, and operational deployment records.

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✈️ Category	All • Combat • Bomber • Helicopter • Training • Transport • UAV • Special
🗓️ Decade	All time • 1940 • 1950 • 1960 • 1970 • 1980 • 1990 • 2000 • 2010 • 2020
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Country	Model	Manufacturer	Year	Produced	Description
🇬🇧 🇮🇹	AW109	AgustaWestland	1971	124	Italian multipurpose helicopter, notable for its use in law enforcement, air ambulance and military roles since the late 1970s.
🇬🇧	Hawk	British Aerospace	1974	1000	British trainer jet, distinguished in Red Arrows aerobatic team, extensively operational since the 1970s worldwide.
🇬🇧	Short 330	Short Brothers	1974	141	British regional airliner, developed in the late 1970s, notably used in Europe and America for short-haul flights.
🇬🇧	T-67 Firefly	Slingsby	1974	250	British aerobatic aircraft, renowned in the 1980s, used extensively for military training worldwide.
🇩🇪 🇬🇧 🇮🇹	Tornado	Panavia	1974	990	European multirole combat aircraft, renowned for operational history in Gulf War and Balkans conflict.
🇬🇧	WG-13 Lynx	Westland	1971	450	British multi-purpose military helicopter, notable for naval, combat, utility roles, significantly deployed in the Falklands War.
🇺🇸	404 Titan	Cessna	1975	396	American light, twin-engined transport aircraft, prominent during the late 20th century, extensively used in passenger and cargo service.
🇺🇸	441 Conquest II	Cessna	1975	362	American turboprop aircraft, known for general aviation use and commercial services, with comprehensive operational history since the late 20th century.
🇺🇸	A-10 Thunderbolt II	Fairchild Republic	1972	716	American close air support aircraft, renowned for service in the Gulf War with distinctive tank-destroying capabilities.
🇺🇸	AH-64 Apache	Boeing	1975	2400	American attack helicopter, developed during the Cold War, most famous for significant deployments in Gulf War and Afghanistan conflict.
🇬🇧 🇺🇸	AV-8B Harrier II	McDonnell Douglas/BAe	1971	337	British-American ground-attack aircraft, infamously deployed in numerous conflicts including the Gulf War with unique vertical takeoff/landing capabilities.
🇺🇸	B-1A	Rockwell	1974	104	American strategic bomber, conceived during the Cold War, canceled after four prototypes, resurrected in the advanced B-1B version.
🇺🇸	Cessna 340	Cessna	1970	1351	American twin-piston engine aircraft, widely deployed in general aviation during the 1970s and 1980s.
🇺🇸	DC-10	McDonnell Douglas	1970	386	American wide-body airliner, recognized for wide deployment in commercial and cargo flights from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
🇺🇸	E-3 Sentry AWACS	Boeing	1972	68	American airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, principally used in NATO, UK, France, and Saudi Arabia since the Cold War.
🇺🇸	EF-111 Raven	General Dynamics/Grumman	1977	42	American electronic warfare aircraft, extensively deployed in Gulf War, notable for radar jamming and deception operations.
🇺🇸	F-14 Tomcat	Grumman	1970	712	American supersonic, twin-engine fighter jet, dominant during the Cold War, extensively deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
🇺🇸	F-15 Eagle	McDonnell Douglas	1972	1198	American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter, prominent during Cold War, deployed extensively in Middle East conflicts.
🇺🇸	F-16 Fighting Falcon	General Dynamics	1974	4604	American multirole fighter, famed in late Cold War conflicts, renowned for performance in precision daytime strikes and defensive counter air operations.
🇺🇸	F-5E Tiger II	Northrop	1972	1399	American fighter jet, used in the Cold War era, notable for its worldwide military deployments, including operation Desert Storm.
🇺🇸	F/A-18 Hornet	McDonnell Douglas	1978	1480	American carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, designed in the late 20th century, deployed extensively in a variety of combat roles.
🇺🇸	Gulfstream III	Gulfstream	1979	202	American business jet, primarily used in the 1980s for private, business, and military transport purposes.
🇺🇸	Hawker 400	Beechcraft	1978	951	American business jet, renowned for its versatility, extensively used in various industries, including charter and private aviation.