French Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
France has 274 fighter and attack jets in service across 3 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 992 military aircraft and 45 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
274 active · 45 on order
Military Helicopters
408 active · 186 on order
NH90 / Caiman
Active91 +17 BranchArmy +1 Service entry2004
SA340 Gazelle
Active80 BranchArmy Service entry1971
EC665 Tiger
Active67 BranchArmy Service entry2002
H125M / AS550 Fennec
Active58 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1990
AS565 Panther
Active36 BranchNavy Service entry1986
H215M / AS532 Cougar
Active27 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1978
H225M / EC725 Caracal
Active27 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry2005
SA330 Puma
Active16 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1968
H160M Guépard
Active6 +169 BranchNavy +2 Service entry2021Transport & Tanker Aircraft
172 active · 38 on order
EMB 121 Xingu
Active30 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1977
CN-235
Active27 BranchAir Force Service entry1988
A400M Atlas
Active25 +25 BranchAir Force Service entry2013
Socata TBM
Active25 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry1990
C-130 Hercules
Active14 BranchAir Force Service entry1956
Airbus A330 MRTT
Active13 BranchAir Force Service entry2011
Falcon 50
Active8 BranchNavy Service entry1979
Falcon 10
Active6 BranchNavy Service entry1971
DHC-6 Twin Otter
Active5 BranchAir Force Service entry1966
PC-6 Porter
Active5 BranchArmy Service entry1960
Falcon 900
Active4 BranchAir Force Service entry1986
Airbus A330
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry1994
Falcon 20
Active3 BranchNavy Service entry1965
Falcon 2000
Active2 +10 BranchNavy Service entry1995
Falcon 7X
Active2 BranchAir Force Service entry2007
Falcon 8X
ActiveOn order BranchAir Force Service entry2016Special Mission Aircraft
55 active · 6 on order
ATL-2 Atlantique
Active21 BranchNavy Service entry1991
Cirrus SR-20
Active14 BranchAir Force Service entry1999
Cirrus SR22
Active9 BranchAir Force Service entry2001
E-3 Sentry AWACS
Active4 BranchAir Force Service entry1977
E-2 Hawkeye
Active3 +3 BranchNavy Service entry1964
KC-130 Hercules
Active2 BranchAir Force Service entry1962
King Air 350
Active2 +1 BranchAir Force Service entry1990
GlobalEye
ActiveOn order BranchAir Force Service entry2020Trainers
52 active · 23 on order
Unmanned Aircraft
31 active · 23 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 France have in 2026?
France has 274 fighter and attack jets in service across 3 types as of 2026, the Dassault Rafale being the most numerous with 153 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 France air force page.
How many aircraft does the French military operate in 2026?
France operates 992 aircraft across 45 distinct types as of 2026, split between 3 service branches.
Which French service branch has the most aircraft?
The French Air and Space Force operates the largest fleet with 520 active airframes across 30 types.
What is the most numerous French military aircraft?
The Dassault Rafale is the single most numerous airframe in France's inventory, with 153 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.