Spanish Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
Spain has 178 fighter and attack jets in service across 4 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 524 military aircraft and 34 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
178 active · 45 on order
| Combat share of the fleet | 34% (178 of 524) |
| Median fighter design entry | 1983 |
| Cold War designs | 3 of 4 fighter types |
| Oldest design | F-5 Freedom Fighter 1965 |
| Newest design | Typhoon 2003 |
Military Helicopters
188 active · 124 on order
H215M / AS532 Cougar
Active43 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1978
H135M / EC365
Active34 +13 BranchArmy +2 Service entry1996
NH90 / Caiman
Active29 +46 BranchArmy +2 Service entry2004
EC665 Tiger
Active18 BranchArmy Service entry2002
SH-60 Seahawk
Active18 +8 BranchNavy Service entry1984
CH-47 Chinook
Active17 +1 BranchArmy Service entry1962
H120 / EC120 Colibri
Active15 BranchAir Force Service entry1998
S-76 Spirit
Active8 BranchAir Force Service entry1979
UH-1N Twin Huey
Active6 BranchArmy Service entry1970
H145M / EC645
ActiveOn order BranchArmy Service entry2002
H175
ActiveOn order BranchAir Force Service entry2014Transport & Tanker Aircraft
77 active · 47 on order
CN-235
Active15 BranchAir Force Service entry1988
A400M Atlas
Active14 +13 BranchAir Force Service entry2013
C-295 Persuader
Active14 +33 BranchAir Force Service entry2001
CL-215 Scooper
Active10 BranchAir Force Service entry1969
C-212 Aviocar
Active7 BranchAir Force Service entry1974
500 Citation I
Active6 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1971
Falcon 900
Active5 BranchAir Force Service entry1986
CL-415 Super Scooper
Active4 BranchAir Force Service entry1994
Airbus A330 MRTT
Active2 +1 BranchAir Force Service entry2011Special Mission Aircraft
3 active
Trainers
55 active · 37 on order
Unmanned Aircraft
23 active · 39 on order
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 Spain have in 2026?
Spain has 178 fighter and attack jets in service across 4 types as of 2026, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet being the most numerous with 81 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 Spain air force page.
How many aircraft does the Spanish military operate in 2026?
Spain operates 524 aircraft across 34 distinct types as of 2026, split between 3 service branches.
Which Spanish service branch has the most aircraft?
The Spanish Air Force operates the largest fleet with 357 active airframes across 26 types.
What is the most numerous Spanish military aircraft?
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is the single most numerous airframe in Spain's inventory, with 81 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.