1980s Military Aircrafts

Overview

Military aircraft that first flew in the 1980s. This collection covers fighters, bombers, helicopters, transport planes, and UAVs from this significant decade in aviation history, with detailed technical specifications, development stories, and operational deployment records.

Country Model Manufacturer Year Produced Description
🇬🇧 Jetstream 31 British Aerospace 1980
386
British regional airliner, widely used during the 1980s and 90s, known for versatility in short-haul routes and on smaller airfields.
🇬🇧 Short 360 Short Brothers 1981
165
British commuter aircraft, recognized for its mid-1980s production, routinely seen for passenger and freight operations globally.
🇬🇧 🇺🇸 T-45 Goshawk McDonnell Douglas/BAe 1988
221
British-American trainer jet, integral to U.S. Navy pilot training, operational since the late 20th century.
🇺🇸 208 Caravan Cessna 1982
3000
American utility aircraft, primarily deployed for passenger and cargo transportation, known for its operational history since the 1980s.
🇺🇸 757 Boeing 1982
1050
American narrow-body jet airliner, commercially operational since the 1980s, extensively deployed for transcontinental and transatlantic routes.
🇺🇸 767 Boeing 1981
1288
American wide-body jet airliner, widely known for its extensive use in commercial aviation since the 1980s.
🇺🇸 AT-500 Air Tractor 1986
470
Taiwanese trainer aircraft, utilized for basic flight training during the late 20th-century.
🇺🇸 B-1B Lancer Rockwell 1983
104
American strategic bomber, designed during the Cold War, notably deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan for long-range heavy bombing.
🇺🇸 B-2 Spirit Northrop 1989
21
American stealth bomber, operational since the late 20th century, notably deployed in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq conflicts.
🇺🇸 Beechcraft 1900 Beechliner Beechcraft 1982
695
American regional airliner, extensively deployed domestically and internationally since the 1980s for passenger and freight transportation.
🇺🇸 E-4 NOAC Boeing 1980
4
American advanced airborne command post, launched during the Cold War, extensively employed for national emergency operations.
🇺🇸 E-6 Mercury TACAMO Boeing 1987
16
American command-and-control aircraft, operative during the Cold War era, kept primarily for communications with U.S. nuclear forces.
🇺🇸 Enstrom 480 Enstrom 1989
142
American light utility helicopter, notable for its efficiency in policing, surveillance, and training missions since the 1980s.
🇺🇸 F-117 Nighthawk Lockheed 1981
64
American stealth attack aircraft, prominent in 1980s-2000s, notorious for service in Gulf War and Operation Allied Force.
🇺🇸 F-15E Strike Eagle McDonnell Douglas 1986
525
American all-weather multirole strike fighter, prominent in the Gulf War for precision strike and deep interdiction missions.
🇺🇸 Gulfstream G100 Gulfstream 1984
265
Israeli-American mid-size business jet, recognized for transcontinental range, introduced in the late 20th century.
🇺🇸 Gulfstream IV Gulfstream 1985
900
American business jet from the late 20th century, recognized for its widespread use in corporate and private aviation.