List of active United Kingdom military aircraft

This is a list of military aircraft currently in service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.

For RAF aircraft no longer in service, see List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force. For aircraft expected to enter service with the RAF in the future, see Future of the Royal Air Force.

Tri-service badge of the United Kingdom's armed forces.

Royal Air Force

Main article: Royal Air Force

Type	Origin	Class	Role	Introduced	In service	Total	Notes
Airbus A400M Atlas C1	Europe	Propeller	Transport	2014	20	20	[1] Two on order expected to be delivered in the early 2020s[2]
Airbus Voyager	Europe	Jet	Tanker / Transport	2011	9	9	[1] Five additional aircraft available upon request from AirTanker Services for a total of 14
Beechcraft Shadow R1	United States	Propeller	ISTAR	2009	6	6	Expected OSD 2030.[3] A further two aircraft are to be added in 2023 along with an upgrade to the current aircraft[4]
Bell Griffin HAR2	Canada	Rotorcraft	Utility	2003	3	3[5]	[1] Supplied and maintained by Cobham but operated by military aircrew. Used for SAR, fire fighting and ISTAR duties amongst others in RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus
Boeing Airseeker R1	USA	Jet	SIGINT	2013	3	3	[1]
Boeing Chinook	USA	Rotorcraft	Transport	1980	60	60	[1]
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III	USA	Jet	Transport	2001	8	8	[1]
Boeing Sentry AEW1	USA	Jet	AEW&C	1991	4	6	[1] Two were withdrawn in March 2019 in preparation for the future transition to the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail [6]
Boeing P-8 Poseidon	USA	Jet	ASW	2019	2	2	[7] A further seven are on order
Britten-Norman Defender	UK	Propeller	Patrol	2003	9	9	[1] Will be jointly operated by Army and RAF during transition period [8]
Britten-Norman Islander	UK	Propeller	Patrol	1997	3	6	[1] Will be jointed operated by Army and RAF during transition period [8]
British Aerospace 146	UK	Jet	Transport	1986 2012	4	6	[1] Expected OSD 31 March 2022.[9] They have also been put up for sale[10]
British Aerospace Hawk T1	UK	Jet	Trainer	1976	56[lower-alpha 1]	76[lower-alpha 2]	[1] Used in the aggressor role by 100 squadron and the Red Arrows
British Aerospace Hawk T2	UK	Jet	Trainer	2009	28	28	[1] Used as the advanced fast jet lead-in trainer
Eurofighter Typhoon	Europe	Jet	Multi-role	2007	142[11]	157[12][lower-alpha 3]	[1] Of the 22 two seat trainer aircraft[13] 16 Tranche 1s are currently being progressively scrapped under the RTP (reduce to produce) requirement[14] which started in late 2016[15][11]
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper	USA	UAV	ISR / Attack	2007	10	10	[1] Expected OSD 2024; to be replaced by Protector UAV[16][17]
Grob Tutor T1	Germany	Propeller	Trainer	1999	91	119	[1] To be replaced as part of the new Ascent UK Military Flight Training System detailed below[18]
Grob Viking TX1	Germany	Glider	Trainer	1990	52	60	[1]
Leonardo AW109SP	Italy	Rotorcraft	Transport	2016	1	1	[1] Used for transportation of senior military commanders or government ministers
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules	USA	Propeller	Transport	2000	14	14	[1] All but one shorter C5 variant being withdrawn as part of SDSR 2015 to leave one C5 and 13 C4 variant after one C4 was lost in Iraq[19]
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning	USA	Jet	Multi-role	2013	18	18[20]	Jointly operated with Fleet Air Arm. Total of 138 aircraft to be procured[21][22]
Raytheon Sentinel R1	Canada / USA	Jet	ISTAR	2008	4[23]	5	[1] Expected OSD 2021[24]
Westland Puma HC2	UK	Rotorcraft	Transport	1971	23	24	[1]

RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Main article: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Type	Origin	Class	Role	Introduced	In service	Total	Notes
Avro Lancaster (PA474)	UK	Propeller	Bomber	1942	1		1 B.I
De Havilland Canada Chipmunk	UK	Propeller	Trainer	1946	2	753	2 T.10
Douglas Dakota	USA	Propeller	Transport	1942	1		1 C.3
Hawker Hurricane	UK	Propeller	Fighter	1937	2	14533	2 Mk IIc
Supermarine Spitfire	UK	Propeller	Fighter	1938	6	20341	1 Mk IIa, 1 Mk Vb, 1 LF.IXe, 1 LF.XVIe, 2 PR.XIX

Fleet Air Arm

Main article: Fleet Air Arm

Type	Origin	Class	Role	Introduced	In service	Total	Notes
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2	UK	Rotorcraft	Attack	2014	28	28	[1]
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2	UK	Rotorcraft	ASW	2000	30	30	[1] Maritime helicopter; out of service date is 2029[25]
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk3i/4	UK	Rotorcraft	Transport	2000	25	25	[1] Troop carrying aircraft used to support the Royal Marines The Mk4/4A are undergoing a capability upgrade and will be fully delivered by 2021[26][27] All Mk3 have now been upgraded to Mk4 with just the Mk3i remaining; out of service date is 2030.[28][29]
British Aerospace Hawk T1	UK	Jet	Trainer	1994	14	14[30]	[1] Used in the aggressor role by 736 Naval Air Squadron
Beechcraft Avenger	USA	Propeller	Trainer	2011	4	4	[1] Used for RN potential aircrew Flying Grading
Grob Tutor T1	Germany	Propeller	Trainer	2002	5	5	[1] To be replaced as part of the new Ascent UK Military Flight Training System detailed below
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning	USA	Jet	Multi-role	2013	-	-	Jointly operated with Royal Air Force. Initial Operational Capability (Maritime) in 2020[20]

Army Air Corps

Main article: Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)

Type	Origin	Class	Role	Introduced	In service	Total	Notes
AgustaWestland Apache AH1	UK	Rotorcraft	Attack	2004	50	67	[1] To be replaced by the AH-64E Apache Guardian in 2024[31]
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat	UK	Rotorcraft	Utility	2014	34	34	[1]
Bell 212	Canada	Rotorcraft	Utility	1995	5	5	[1] Used by No. 7 Flight AAC and No. 25 Flight AAC in Brunei and Kenya in support of TTB and BATUK
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II	France	Rotorcraft	SAS	2009	5	5
Thales Watchkeeper WK450	UK	UAV	ISR	2014	49	50	[1]
Westland Gazelle	UK	Rotorcraft	Patrol	1974	32	36	[1] Expected OSD 2025. The two additional units are currently undergoing work to bring them back into service[32]

UK Military Flying Training System

The contractors providing the new UK Military Flying Training System will eventually operate 38 fixed wing aircraft and 32 helicopters on the military register, but the aircraft are initially civilian-registered.

Type	Origin	Class	Role	Introduced	In service	Total	Notes
Grob Prefect T1	Germany	Propeller	Trainer	2018	23	23	[1]
Beechcraft Texan T1	USA	Propeller	Trainer	2018	10	10	[1]
Embraer Phenom 100	Brazil	Jet	Trainer	2018	5	5	[1]
Airbus H135 Juno	Germany	Rotorcraft	Trainer	2018	29	29	[1]
Airbus H145 Jupiter	Germany	Rotorcraft	Trainer	2018	3	3	[1] A further 4 aircraft to be procured[33]

Empire Test Pilots' School

Main article: Empire Test Pilots' School

Type	Origin	Class	Role	Introduced	In service	Total	Notes
British Aerospace Hawk	UK	Jet	Trainer / experimental		2	2	[34] Operated for the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine

Ministry of Defence

As well as the military services, a number of defence contractors operate military aircraft on behalf of or leased from the Ministry of Defence.

Type	Origin	Class	Role	Introduced	In service	Total	Notes
Agusta AW109	Italy	Rotorcraft	Utility		1	1	QinetiQ, Boscombe Down
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II	France	Rotorcraft	Utility	1999	2	2	[1] Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training. Operated by British International Helicopters under MRCOA[lower-alpha 4] [35]
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil	France	Rotorcraft	Trainer		3	3	Cobham Helicopter Academy, Newquay under CFAOS[lower-alpha 5]
Eurofighter Typhoon	UK	Jet	Multi-role		3	3	BAE Systems, Warton[lower-alpha 6]
Hawker Hunter	UK	Jet	Fighter		3	3[36]	Hawker Hunter Aviation, RAF Scampton
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning II	USA	Jet	Multi-role	2013	3	3	Lockheed Martin, United States[21]
Westland Sea King	UK	Rotorcraft	Trainer		2	2	HeliOperations under CFAOS[lower-alpha 7]

See also

• British Armed Forces
• List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
• Future of the Royal Air Force

Notes

1. Not including the 14 operated by 736 NAS
2. Not including the 14 operated by 736 NAS
3. Not including the 3 instrumented production aircraft operated by BAE Systems, Warton noted below
4. Military Registered Civil Owned Aircraft
5. leased from the Ministry of Defence and operated on the military register under the Contractor Flying Approved Organisation Scheme {CFAOS)
6. IPA 1, IPA 5, IPA 6
7. leased from the Ministry of Defence and operated on the military register under the Contractor Flying Approved Organisation Scheme {CFAOS)

References

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External links

• United Kingdom Defence Statistics - 2014 (gov.uk)
• United Kingdom Defence Statistics - 2013 (dasa.mod.uk)