Italian Fighter Jets & Military Aircraft in Service (2026)
Italy has 197 fighter and attack jets in service across 4 types as of 2026, within a fleet of 801 military aircraft and 37 types: bombers, helicopters, transports, trainers and unmanned systems, all listed below.
Fighters & Combat Aircraft
197 active · 99 on order
| Combat share of the fleet | 25% (197 of 801) |
| Median fighter design entry | 1993 |
| Cold War designs | 2 of 4 fighter types |
| Oldest design | Tornado 1980 |
| Newest design | F-35 Lightning II 2013 |
Military Helicopters
388 active · 48 on order
NH90 / Caiman
Active114 BranchArmy +1 Service entry2004
UH-1N Twin Huey
Active47 BranchArmy +1 Service entry1970
A129 Mangusta
Active37 BranchArmy Service entry1990
MD-500
Active37 BranchAir Force Service entry1967
AW139
Active35 BranchAir Force +1 Service entry2003
AW101
Active34 BranchNavy +1 Service entry1999
UH-1 Iroquois "Huey"
Active34 BranchArmy Service entry1959
206 JetRanger
Active29 BranchArmy Service entry1967
CH-47 Chinook
Active21 BranchArmy Service entry1962
AW249 Fenice
ActiveOn order BranchArmy Service entry—Transport & Tanker Aircraft
43 active · 6 on order
C-27J Spartan
Active10 BranchAir Force Service entry2006
C-130 Hercules
Active9 BranchAir Force Service entry1956
Gulfstream G550
Active5 BranchAir Force Service entry2004
ATR-72
Active4 BranchAir Force Service entry1989
KC-767
Active4 BranchAir Force Service entry2011
Airbus A319 CJ
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry1995
Do 228
Active3 BranchArmy Service entry1982
Falcon 900
Active3 BranchAir Force Service entry1986
Gulfstream G650
Active2 BranchAir Force Service entry2012
Airbus A330 MRTT
ActiveOn order BranchAir Force Service entry2011Special Mission Aircraft
5 active · 2 on order
Trainers
136 active · 29 on order
MB-339
Active35 BranchAir Force Service entry1979
P180 Avanti
Active29 BranchAir Force +2 Service entry1990
SIAI-Marchetti SF-260
Active29 BranchAir Force Service entry1966
M-346 Master
Active27 BranchAir Force Service entry2015
Aermacchi M-345
Active9 +9 BranchAir Force Service entry2020
AW169
Active7 +20 BranchArmy Service entry2015Unmanned Aircraft
32 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 Italy have in 2026?
Italy has 197 fighter and attack jets in service across 4 types as of 2026, the Eurofighter Typhoon being the most numerous with 93 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 Italy air force page.
How many aircraft does the Italian military operate in 2026?
Italy operates 801 aircraft across 37 distinct types as of 2026, split between 3 service branches.
Which Italian service branch has the most aircraft?
The Italian Air Force operates the largest fleet with 430 active airframes across 24 types.
What is the most numerous Italian military aircraft?
The NHIndustries NH90 / Caiman is the single most numerous airframe in Italy's inventory, with 114 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.