British Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
United Kingdom has 158 fighter and attack jets in service across 2 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 712 military aircraft and 24 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
158 active · 27 on order
| Combat share of the fleet | 22% (158 of 712) |
| Median fighter design entry | 2008 |
| Cold War designs | 0 of 2 fighter types |
| Oldest design | Typhoon 2003 |
| Newest design | F-35 Lightning II 2013 |
Military Helicopters
254 active · 37 on order
AW159
Active62 BranchArmy +1 Service entry2014
AW101
Active58 BranchNavy Service entry1999
AH-64 Apache
Active47 BranchArmy Service entry1984
CH-47 Chinook
Active45 +14 BranchAir Force Service entry1962
H135M / EC365
Active29 BranchAir Force Service entry1996
H145M / EC645
Active13 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry2002
AW149
ActiveOn order BranchAir Force Service entry2014Transport & Tanker Aircraft
51 active
Special Mission Aircraft
23 active · 1 on order
Trainers
173 active
Unmanned Aircraft
53 active · 8 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 the United Kingdom have in 2026?
The United Kingdom has 158 fighter and attack jets in service across 2 types as of 2026, the Eurofighter Typhoon being the most numerous with 111 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 Kingdom air force page.
How many aircraft does the British military operate in 2026?
United Kingdom operates 712 aircraft across 24 distinct types as of 2026, split between 3 service branches.
Which British service branch has the most aircraft?
The Royal Air Force operates the largest fleet with 494 active airframes across 20 types.
What is the most numerous British military aircraft?
The Eurofighter Typhoon is the single most numerous airframe in United Kingdom's inventory, with 111 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.