List of active United Kingdom military aircraft

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

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

Royal Air Force

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Leonardo AW109SPItalyRotorcraftTransport201611[1] Used for transportation of senior military commanders or government ministers
Airbus A400M AtlasSpainPropellerTransport20142020[2][3][2]Two on order
Airbus VoyagerSpainJetTanker / Transport201199[4]
Qinetiq ZephyrUKSolarISTAR201737
Beechcraft Shadow R1USAPropellerISTAR200945[2]
Bell Griffin HAR2CanadaRotorcraftUtility200333[2] Used for SAR duties in Akrotiri Cyprus
Boeing ChinookUSARotorcraftTransport19804160[2]
Boeing C‑17A Globemaster IIIUSAJetTransport200188[2]
Boeing Sentry AEW1USAJetAEW&C199146[2]
Boeing Airseeker R1USAJetSIGINT201323[2]
British Aerospace 146UKJetTransport199544[2]
British Aerospace Hawk T1UKJetTrainer19763968[2] Used in the aggressor role by 100 squadron and the Red Arrows
British Aerospace Hawk T2UKJetTrainer20092028[2] Used as an advanced fast jet lead-in trainer
Eurofighter TyphoonUKJetMulti-role2007137149[5][2] Of the 22 two seat trainer aircraft[6] 16 Tranche 1's are to be scrapped under the RTP (reduce to produce) requirement[7] which started in late 2016[8]
General Atomics MQ-9 ReaperUSAUAVISR / attack2007710[2]
Grob Tutor T1GermanyPropellerBasic Trainer19999091[2] To be replaced as part of the new Ascent UK Military Flight Training System detailed below [9]
Grob Viking TX1GermanyGliderTrainer19906060[2]
Lockheed C‑130J HerculesUSAPropellerTransport20001718[10][2] All but one shorter C5 variant being withdrawn as part of SDSR 2015 to leave one C5 and 13 C4 variant after one C4 was lost after a mission against ISIS[11]
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning IIUSAJetMulti-role20131522Joint operated with Fleet Air Arm. Total of 138 aircraft to be procured. [12][13]
Panavia Tornado GR4UKJetAttack19792941[2] OSD Q1 2019
Raytheon Sentinel R1Canada / USAJetISTAR20084[14]5[2]
Short Tucano T1UKPropellerTrainer19895151[2] To be replaced as part of the new Ascent UK Military Flight Training System detailed below
Westland Puma HC2UKRotorcraftTransport19711623[2]

RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Avro Lancaster (PA474)UKPropellerBomber194211 B.I
De Havilland Canada ChipmunkUKPropellerTrainer194627532 T.10
Douglas DakotaUSAPropellerTransport194211 C.3
Hawker HurricaneUKPropellerFighter19372145332 Mk IIc
Supermarine SpitfireUKPropellerFighter19386203411 Mk IIa, 1 Mk Vb, 1 LF.IXe, 1 LF.XVIe, 2 PR.XIX

Fleet Air Arm

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat HMA2UKRotorcraftAttack20142228[2]
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM2UKRotorcraftTransport20001930Maritime helicopter
AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin Mk3/4UKRotorcraftTransport20001425[2] The Mk4/4A are undergoing a capability upgrade and will be fully delivered by 2020[15] Troop carrying aircraft used to support the Royal Marines
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin IIFranceRotorcraftUtility199922[2] Used as transport of instructors as part of FOST training
British Aerospace Hawk T1UKJetTrainer19941414[16] Used in the aggressor role by 736 squadron
Beechcraft AvengerUSAPropellerTrainer201133[2] Used for RN potential aircrew Flying Grading.
Grob Tutor T1 (Heron)GermanyPropellerBasic Trainer200255[2] To be replaced as part of the new Ascent UK Military Flight Training System detailed below
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning IIUSAJetMulti-role2013--To be Jointly operated with Royal Air Force

Royal Navy Historic Flight

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
de Havilland ChipmunkUKPropellerTrainer194611 T.10
Fairey SwordfishUKPropellerTorpedo-bomber193622 Mk.I/II
Hawker Sea FuryUKPropellerFighter-bomber194511 FB11
Hawker Sea HawkUKJetFighter-bomber195311 FGA6

Army Air Corps

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
AgustaWestland ApacheUKRotorcraftAttack20044250[2]
AgustaWestland AW159 WildcatUKRotorcraftAttack20142434[2]
Bell 212CanadaRotorcraftAttack199555Used by No.7 Flight and No.25 Flight AAC in Brunei and Kenya in support of TTB and BATUK[2]
Britten-Norman DefenderUKPropellerPatrol200399To be transferred to the Royal Air Force by 2021[2]
Britten-Norman IslanderUKPropellerPatrol199733To be transferred to the Royal Air Force by 2021[2]
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin IIFranceRotorcraftSAS200955
Thales Watchkeeper WK450UKUAVISR20145050[2]
Westland GazelleUKRotorcraftPatrol19741934to be retired in 2025.[17] The two additional units are currently undergoing work to bring them back into service[17]

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.

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Grob Prefect T1GermanyPropellerBasic Trainer201821[18]23ISD expected early 2019[19]
Beechcraft Texan T1USAPropellerTrainer20184[18]10ISD expected early 2019[19]
Embraer Phenom 100BrazilJetTrainer20183[18]5ISD expected mid 2018[19]
Airbus H135 JunoGermanyRotorcraftTrainer201829[20]29ISD 1 April 2018[20]
Airbus H145 JupiterGermanyRotorcraftTrainer20183[20]3ISD 1 April 2018[20]

Empire Test Pilots' School

Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service No. Notes
Agusta AW109ItalyRotorcraftUtility2[21]
Avro RJUKJetTransport2[21]
British Aerospace HawkUKJetTrainer / experimental3[21]
JAS 39 GripenSwedenJetTrainer1[22]
Short Tucano T1UKPropellerTrainer2

Ministry of Defence

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

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Agusta AW109ItalyRotorcraftUtility1QinetiQ Boscombe Down.
Eurofighter TyphoonUKJetMulti-role2BAE Systems, Warton.
Hawker HunterUKJetFighter3Hawker Hunter Aviation.
Lockheed Martin F‑35B Lightning IIUSAJetMulti-role201333Lockheed Martin, United States.[12]
Panavia TornadoUKJetAttack2BAE Systems, Warton.
Westland Sea KingUKRotorcraftUtility1QinetiQ Boscombe Down.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Leonardo GrandNew A109SP". Official RAF website. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 "UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations 2018". Gov.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "British RAF opens new £70m hangar for Atlas aircraft - Airforce Technology". 2 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "The Voyager family is complete at RAF Brize Norton". Royal Air Force. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "Data" (PDF). www.airbus.com.
  6. ↑ "UK Typhoon Fleet by Block « Articles « Fast Air Photography". www.fast-air.co.uk.
  7. ↑ "RAF to scrap twin-seat Typhoons - Jane's 360". www.janes.com.
  8. ↑ "Scrapped: Eurofighter Typhoon ZJ815 Sent for RTP - Urban Ghosts". 12 December 2016.
  9. ↑ 28 Tutors have been sold to the Finnish Air Force as of 2018 "Five More ex-UK Grob Tutors Delivered to Finnish Air Force". Royal Air Force. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "RAF lost C-130J in Iraq - Jane's 360". www.janes.com.
  11. ↑ https://www.janes.com/article/82290/raf-revises-hercules-plans-to-reflect-iraq-loss
  12. 1 2 Delivering Carrier Strike. National Audit Office. 10 March 2017. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-78604-110-4. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "Written question HL867: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem 17-07-2017". UK Parliament.
  14. ↑ "RAF Sentinel R1 hunting IS again - Jane's 360". www.janes.com.
  15. ↑ "Farnborough 2018: More Merlin magic for the UK (video) - DH - Defence Helicopter - Shephard Media". www.shephardmedia.com.
  16. ↑ "Navy Hawks get new boss - Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk.
  17. 1 2 "Farnborough 2018: UK helicopters in Transition". DH – Defence Helicopter. Shephard Media.
  18. 1 2 3 "Affinity hails UK Phenom, Prefect training milestones". Flight global. 18 May 2018.
  19. 1 2 3 "£1.1 billion investment by MOD in future military flying training". UK Government.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Pictures: Juno and Jupiter helicopters arrive at RAF Shawbury". Flight global. 29 March 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 Empire Test Pilots' School - Our Fleet and Facilities Archived 19 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine., etps.qinetiq.com
  22. ↑ ETPS Saab Gripen

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