1980s Military Aircraft

Overview

Military aircrafts that first flew in the 1980s. 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
🌎 Country	All • 🇦🇷 🇦🇺 🇦🇹 🇧🇷 🇨🇦 🇨🇱 🇨🇳 🇨🇿 🇪🇺 🇨🇳 🇳🇱 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇮🇳 🇮🇩 🇮🇷 🇮🇱 🇮🇹 🇯🇵 🇳🇱 🇳🇿 🇵🇰 🇵🇱 🇷🇴 🇷🇺 🇷🇸 🇿🇦 🇰🇷 🇪🇸 🇸🇪 🇨🇭 🇹🇼 🇹🇷 🇺🇦 🇦🇪 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

Country	Model		Manufacturer	Produced	Description
🇦🇷	IA-63 Pampa		FMA	32	Argentinian advanced trainer jet, designed in the '80s, predominantly used for instruction and aerobatic displays.
🇧🇷 🇮🇹	AMX		Alenia/Aermacchi/Embraer	200	Italian-Brazilian ground-attack aircraft, notable for its deployments during the Kosovo War and ongoing use in the Brazilian Air Force.
🇧🇷	EMB 312 Tucano		Embraer	624	Brazilian military trainer aircraft, utilized heavily in the 1980s, known for participation in the Iran–Iraq war.
🇨🇦	DHC-8 Dash 8		De Havilland Canada	1258	Canadian turboprop-powered regional airliner, widely adopted globally for short-haul commuter flights throughout the late 20th century.
🇨🇱	T-35 Pillan		Enaer	154	Chilean trainer aircraft, popular in the late 20th century, extensively utilized for military pilot training worldwide.
🇨🇳	JH-7 Flounder		Xian	270	Chinese fighter-bomber, developed during the Cold War era, extensively utilized in training, maritime strike and air-intercept roles.
🇨🇳	Y-12		Harbin	71	Chinese twin-engine light utility aircraft, recognized from its 1980s development, frequently used for passenger and cargo transportation.
🇨🇳	Z-9 Haitun		Harbin	200	Chinese utility helicopter, widely deployed for anti-submarine and SAR missions since the late 20th century.
🇪🇺	A321		Airbus	2917	European narrow-body commercial passenger jet, recognized for global use since 1990s, employed extensively by major airlines.
🇨🇳	An-124 Condor		Antonov	55	Soviet heavy transport aircraft, employed globally in strategic airlift operations during the Cold War era.

Country	Model		Manufacturer	Produced	Description
🇺🇦 🇨🇳	An-225 Cossack		Antonov	1	Soviet strategic airlifter, renowned for its size, primarily deployed in heavy transport and humanitarian aid operations globally.
🇨🇳	Il-78 Midas		Ilyushin	53	Soviet aerial refueling tanker, developed in the 1980s, widely involved in strategic, long-range force projection missions.
🇨🇳	Il-80		Ilyushin	4	Soviet airborne command post, designed during the Cold War, most notably deployed in strategic air command scenarios.
🇨🇳	Il-96		Ilyushin	30	Russian long-haul widebody airliner, developed during the late cold war, mainly utilized by Aeroflot and Cubana airlines.
🇨🇳	Ka-50 Hokum "Black Shark"		Kamov	19	Soviet attack helicopter, distinctive for service during the Chechen conflicts, primarily used for reconnaissance and direct fire support.
🇨🇳	Mi-28 Havoc		Mil	126	Russian attack helicopter, noted for operations in Chechnya, Syria, and Iraq, purposed for anti-armor, anti-aircraft, and combat roles.
🇨🇳	Mi-34 Hermit		Mil	27	Russian light utility helicopter, operational in training and civilian applications since the late 20th century.
🇨🇳	Su-30 Flanker-C		Sukhoi	630	Russian multirole fighter, renowned for deployments since the 1990s, widely used in diverse combat operations worldwide.
🇨🇳	Tu-160 Blackjack		Tupolev	37	Soviet strategic bomber, operational during the Cold War era, known for its supersonic speed and nuclear deterrence flights.
🇨🇳	Yak-141 Freestyle		Yakovlev	4	Soviet supersonic VTOL fighter, developed during late Cold War conditions, unused militarily despite ambitious testing regimen.

Country	Model		Manufacturer	Produced	Description
🇫🇷	AS565 Panther		Airbus Helicopters	—	French multipurpose military helicopter, used extensively in combat search and rescue, antisubmarine warfare, and transport tasks since the 1980s.
🇫🇷	ATL-2 Atlantique		Breguet Aviation	215	French maritime patrol aircraft, operational since the late 20th century, primarily deployed for anti-submarine warfare and surveillance.
🇫🇷 🇮🇹	ATR-42		ATR	497	French-Italian regional airliner, noteworthy for operations throughout 1980s-2000s with more than 100 operators worldwide.
🇫🇷 🇮🇹	ATR-72		ATR	1000	French-Italian regional turboprop, notable for its extensive use in civil and commercial aviation since the late 1980s.
🇫🇷	F406 Caravan II		Reims-Cessna	99	French civilian utility aircraft, operational since the 1980s, frequently used for surveillance, cargo transport, and passenger services.
🇫🇷	Rafale		Dassault	239	French twin-engine multirole fighter, known for its versatility, advanced avionics, and high maneuverability.
🇫🇷	TBM		Socata	1000	French business aircraft, deployed globally since the late 20th century for corporate and private use.
🇩🇪	Do 128		Dornier	11	German utility aircraft, employed mainly for environmental research and maritime patrol during the late 20th century.
🇩🇪	Do 228		Dornier	370	German utility-transport aircraft, mainly used for regional air services and maritime surveillance since the 1980s.
🇩🇪	G-115		Grob	204	German training aircraft, extensively utilized for United Kingdom's Royal Air Force Cadets and military aviation worldwide since the 1980s.

Country	Model		Manufacturer	Produced	Description
🇪🇸 🇮🇩	CN-235		CASA	354	Spanish-Indonesian transport aircraft, widespread use in the civil sector, military services, and humanitarian aid, developed during the late 20th century.
🇮🇱	IAI Harpy		IAI	—	Israeli loitering munition, developed in the late 1980s, designed for the suppression of enemy air defenses by attacking radar systems.
🇮🇹	A129 Mangusta		Agusta	60	Italian attack helicopter, designed in the 1980s, extensively deployed for reconnaissance, fire support, and anti-armour operations.
🇧🇷 🇮🇹	AMX		Alenia/Aermacchi/Embraer	200	Italian-Brazilian ground-attack aircraft, notable for its deployments during the Kosovo War and ongoing use in the Brazilian Air Force.
🇫🇷 🇮🇹	ATR-42		ATR	497	French-Italian regional airliner, noteworthy for operations throughout 1980s-2000s with more than 100 operators worldwide.
🇫🇷 🇮🇹	ATR-72		ATR	1000	French-Italian regional turboprop, notable for its extensive use in civil and commercial aviation since the late 1980s.
🇮🇹	P180 Avanti		Piaggio	246	Italian turboprop business aircraft, renowned for its unusual design, extensively utilized for executive transport since the 1980s.
🇮🇹	S-211		Aermacchi	60	Italian jet trainer, utilized from the 1980s, widely deployed for military roles like ground attack and reconnaissance.
🇯🇵	T-4		Kawasaki	200	Japanese training jet from the late 20th century, primarily used by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force for pilot instruction.
🇳🇱	Fokker F50		Fokker	213	Dutch turboprop airliner, production from 1980s-2010s, globally adopted for regional flights and maritime patrol duties.

Country	Model		Manufacturer	Produced	Description
🇵🇱	PZL-130 Orlik		PZL	59	Polish turboprop trainer aircraft, renowned for its operational role in the Polish Air Force since the late 1980s.
🇷🇴	IAR-99 Șoim		Avioane Craiova	28	Romanian jet trainer, noteworthy for its use in the Romanian Air Force since the late 20th century.
🇷🇺	Tu-214 Mogul		Tupolev	89	Russian regional jet, operated mostly by domestic airlines, with notable use in special purpose and government roles.
🇷🇸	Lasta-95		UTVA	37	Serbian training aircraft, operational from the late 20th century, utilized by Iraq and Serbia for military pilot training.
🇿🇦	Cheetah		Atlas	38	South African jet fighter, evolved in the Cold War era, extensively deployed for air defence and aerial refuelling missions.
🇪🇸 🇮🇩	CN-235		CASA	354	Spanish-Indonesian transport aircraft, widespread use in the civil sector, military services, and humanitarian aid, developed during the late 20th century.
🇸🇪	JAS 39 Gripen		Saab	300	Swedish multirole fighter, developed during the Cold War, widely deployed in NATO operations and diverse global air forces.
🇨🇭	PC-9		Pilatus	265	Swiss trainer aircraft, renowned for its use in aerobatics, globally employed for military flight training since the 1980s.
🇹🇼	AT-3 Tsu Chiang		AIDC	62	Taiwanese advanced jet trainer, deployed in the 1980s, renowned for its service in the Republic of China Air Force.
🇹🇼	F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo		AIDC	137	Taiwanese multirole fighter, operational since the 1990s, combat proven during cross-strait tensions with China.

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