Significant combat action that has taken place around the globe over the past 12 months has had a material effect on the global fleet of military aircraft.
After years of conflict, then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled in early December 2024. Expanding on the actions of anti-government rebels, air strikes were conducted by Israeli and US forces to prevent aircraft and weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
In the largest single alteration to our annual World Air Forces directory since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, the entire Syrian air force inventory – which totalled 414 aircraft in our previous report – has been removed from our listing. That figure had included 225 Mikoyan/RAC MiG- and Sukhoi-produced combat aircraft, and 153 combat helicopters, 60% of which were also of Russian origin.
Combat action during 2025 included Israel’s war against the Hamas terrorist organisation in Gaza. That campaign also saw its air force perform strikes against Iran and Yemen, along with targeting Hamas personnel inside Qatar.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Meanwhile, multiple air forces cooperated in mid-2025 to drop humanitarian relief supplies into Gaza, using tactical and strategic transport platforms.
In May, a brief cross-border clash between India and Pakistan also grabbed the headlines. Exact details of the engagement remain murky, but involved beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile engagements with PL-15 weapons carried by Islamabad’s Chinese-produced Chengdu J-10C fighters.
While Pakistan says it shot down several Indian air force jets during the exchanges, the difficulty of verifying its claims means that we have only classed one of New Delhi’s Dassault Aviation Rafales as having been lost, after reviewing online images reporting to show its wreckage.
A month later, the USA launched an unprecedented series of attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Dubbed ‘Midnight Hammer’, the mission involved more than 125 aircraft, the US Air Force (USAF) says.
That total included seven Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers, which completed a nonstop 36h round-trip from Whiteman AFB in Missouri. They deployed 75 precision-guided weapons, including 14 of the 13,600kg (30,000lb) GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
July saw cross-border exchanges between the militaries of Cambodia and Thailand, with the latter’s air force making offensive use of its Lockheed Martin F-16 and Saab Gripen C/D fighters.
SPIDER WEB
Meanwhile, the fourth year of the war between Russia and Ukraine saw one of the most audacious actions of the conflict: Kyiv’s ‘Spider web’ operation, which targeted strategic bombers parked at bases deep inside Russian territory.
Conducted using explosive-laden drones launched from concealed truck compartments, this damaged multiple Tupolev Tu-22M3, Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, and at least one Ilyushin Il-76-based A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform.
Due to the difficulty of verifying individual airframe losses inside a conflict zone, our fleet listings for those types are likely to be higher than reality.
Several NATO nations – France, Germany and the UK among them – also bolstered defensive activities along the alliance’s eastern flank, in the wake of multiple Russian drone incursions into the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
Notably, aviation analytics company Cirium – our data partner for the directory – records the Ukrainian air force as now having 25 donated F-16s in active use. The service is also believed to have fielded a pair of Saab 340-based AEW&C assets donated by Sweden.
We do not, however, include the Dassault Mirage 2000-5 as among its inventory, since it is unclear how many ex-French air force examples have been transferred to Kyiv.
Ukraine is listed as having 347 military aircraft – up 23 from last year – while Russia’s count has been reduced to 4,237 (down 55).
Our new directory details a total of 52,231 aircraft in active use with the armed forces of 161 nations. While Syria no longer appears, Somalia has returned to our listing. With six combat helicopters in its fleet, the African nation had most recently appeared in our 2008 report.
This year’s fleet total marks a year-on-year net reduction of 1%, or 411 aircraft. This would have been greater but for another of FlightGlobal’s changes: this time concerning China’s fleet of Chengdu J-20s.
Multiple sources indicate that around 300 of the fifth-generation fighters have now been produced, so our estimate has been set at 250 operational examples; up from only 19 previously. The advanced type is among numerous major concerns facing the USA and Asia-Pacific nations as Beijing continues its massive military build-up.
China’s listing shows a total strength of 3,529 aircraft, which equates to 7% of the global military fleet. However, we have yet to add the aircraft carrier-based Shenyang J-35 or its air force-variant A-model, amid a lack of confirmed details about the type’s operational status.
Our new report shows net increases for two regions: each of 1%. The total for Africa climbed by 27 units, to 4,257, while Asia-Pacific nations’ fleets grew to a combined 14,681 (up 98).
There has been no year-on-year percentage-scale change for both Europe (7,782; up 22) and North America (13,387; down seven).
The other three regions each experienced net decreases. Those range in scale from -1% for Latin America (2,920; down 36) and -2% for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (5,018; down 106), to a massive -9% shift for the Middle East (4,186 aircraft; down 409) due to the regime change in Damascus.
Syria had been ranked fifth in the region last time in terms of fleet size, behind Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Notable fleet activity in Africa included Namibia taking delivery of two Shaanxi Y-9E tactical transports in December 2024.
STEALTHY MOVE
And in a significant move, Algeria emerged as the first export customer for the Su-57, placing an order for 14 of the fifth-generation Russian type.
Adjustments to Angola’s fleet, meanwhile, saw its Su-25 combat aircraft and Aero Vodochody L-29 trainers leave use.
Asia-Pacific-region developments included the Royal Australian Air Force in December 2024 taking its final Lockheed F-35As from a 72-unit commitment – although it retains options to grow that to 100.
New Zealand completed its five-strong fleet of Lockheed C-130J tactical transports, with the type replacing its last H-model Hercules, retired in January 2025.
India’s air force will receive a future additional batch of 12 Hindustan Aeronautics-built Su-30MKI strike aircraft, along with a new order for 97 Tejas Mk1A fighters.
Japan picked Beechcraft’s T-6 Texan II to replace its aged Fuji T-7 basic trainers, with a procurement likely to total up to 36 of the US-built type.
Also on the procurement front, New Zealand will replace its Boeing 757 transports with two Airbus A321XLRs, and plans to acquire five Sikorsky MH-60R maritime rotorcraft.
South Korea awarded an L3Harris-led consortium a roughly $2.6 billion contract to supply four Bombardier Global 6500-based AEW&C aircraft. And Thailand in August 2025 signed for its first four of a planned 12 Gripen E/F fighters, to be delivered from 2029.
Retirements in the region included India’s vintage MiG-21s, Japan’s Kawasaki C-1 transports, North Korea’s obsolete Su-7s, and the Philippines’ Rockwell OV-10 light-attack aircraft and Bell AH-1 attack helicopters. Taiwan stood down its last Northrop F-5s, while South Korea also significantly reduced its fleet of the type, removing 73 from use.
In Europe, January 2025 saw Greece complete its 24-strong fleet of Rafale DG/EG fighters. And in late-October, the Swedish air force fielded the first two of its 60 on-order Gripen Es.
Austria in December 2024 confirmed a plan to buy 12 Leonardo M-346FA light combat aircraft.
Babcock France will provide 22 Pilatus PC-7 MKX primary/basic trainers for use by the French military, while Paris in mid-June also announced its intention to buy two of Saab’s Global 6500-based GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, along with options to double that number.
Portugal became the first customer for Embraer’s NATO-standard A-29N trainer/light-attack aircraft, signing for 12 examples – the first is already in testing.
Embraer also maintained its European sales momentum with the C/KC-390, with Sweden in early October signing for four of the airlifters. With a trio already in use, Portugal converted an option for a sixth, and Lithuania and Slovakia each announced plans to acquire three of the type.
The Eurofighter programme also benefited from fresh sales during our review period, with Italy and Spain confirming follow-on orders in December 2024, for 24 and 25 respectively. Germany and Turkey each signed for 20 examples in October 2025.
HURJET BET
Spain also intends to order 45 Turkish Aerospace Hurjet advanced jet trainers, as replacements for its now-retired CASA C-101s.
Other departures of note included France’s last Boeing C-135 tankers, and the UK Royal Air Force’s Puma HC2 transport helicopters. And the final examples of two Cold War-era Russian-built types – the MiG-21 and Su-22 – were respectively waved off by Croatia and Poland.
One of the most significant developments in North America since our last report was the USAF’s selection of Boeing to meet its Next Generation Air Dominance requirement. The airframer is expected to produce a minimum of 185 sixth-generation F-47s to replace the service’s Lockheed F-22s.
The USAF is progressively phasing out of its Beechjet T-1A jet trainers (54, down 44), and the US Navy retired its Lockheed EP-3E Aries II electronic intelligence-gathering aircraft, removing six from use.
No notable activity has been recorded among Latin American nations, although Colombia in April 2025 announced its selection of the Gripen E/F, for an expected 18-aircraft need.
CIS member Kazakhstan in December 2024 took delivery of its first of two A400M tactical transports, with Airbus Defence & Space due to ship the other during 2026. And we record Astana as having retired its entire fleet of MiG-series combat aircraft, across the -23, -27 and -29 models.
Meanwhile, FlightGlobal has adjusted its estimate for Russia’s likely fleet of active Aero Vodochody L-39 jet trainers to 100 examples, versus 182 last time.
In the Middle East, Qatar in April 2025 completed its 48-strong fleet of Boeing F-15QA combat aircraft.
Israel, meanwhile, is to acquire 25 new F-15IAs – an enhanced configuration evolved from the USAF’s EX-model Eagle II version – via a deal announced in November 2024.
REGIONAL BALANCE
In terms of regional balance, the Asia-Pacific’s combined 14,681 aircraft position it above the 13,387 in North America (97% of which are US-owned) by 1,294: 105 more than a year ago.
The USA has 25% of all operational military aircraft, and heads all six equipment categories in our directory. Its numerical advantage ranges from having 19% of all combat aircraft and 28% of combat helicopters to 33% of special mission assets and 75% of all tankers.
Its total of 13,033 aircraft is more than the combined strength of second- to sixth-ranked Russia, China, India, South Korea and Japan. Those nations, plus Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, are the only ones in our listing with a fleet size above 1,000.
Our annual fleet review excludes those aircraft that are recorded by Cirium as not in day-to-day use, such as assets that are listed as being in storage, or undergoing upgrade.
Also omitted are platforms permanently assigned to performing VIP or government transport duties, including with paramilitary/reserve organisations.
We also do not include specialist categories such as calibration, firefighting, satellite tracking, skydiving, target towing, and weather reconnaissance, and exclude assets dedicated to experimental or research and development tasks.
Where identified, we also have removed training aircraft permanently assigned for use by national aerobatic display teams.
Our directory – the initial data for which was drawn on 1 October – also includes information about firm orders for almost 4,500 aircraft, and letters of intent or options for over 5,400 more: the latter are denoted by an asterisk next to a figure in the Ordered column.
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Significant combat action that has taken place around the globe over the past 12 months has had a material effect on the global fleet of military aircraft.
After years of conflict, then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled in early December 2024. Expanding on the actions of anti-government rebels, air strikes were conducted by Israeli and US forces to prevent aircraft and weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
In the largest single alteration to our annual World Air Forces directory since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, the entire Syrian air force inventory – which totalled 414 aircraft in our previous report – has been removed from our listing. That figure had included 225 Mikoyan/RAC MiG- and Sukhoi-produced combat aircraft, and 153 combat helicopters, 60% of which were also of Russian origin.
Combat action during 2025 included Israel’s war against the Hamas terrorist organisation in Gaza. That campaign also saw its air force perform strikes against Iran and Yemen, along with targeting Hamas personnel inside Qatar.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Meanwhile, multiple air forces cooperated in mid-2025 to drop humanitarian relief supplies into Gaza, using tactical and strategic transport platforms.
In May, a brief cross-border clash between India and Pakistan also grabbed the headlines. Exact details of the engagement remain murky, but involved beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile engagements with PL-15 weapons carried by Islamabad’s Chinese-produced Chengdu J-10C fighters.
While Pakistan says it shot down several Indian air force jets during the exchanges, the difficulty of verifying its claims means that we have only classed one of New Delhi’s Dassault Aviation Rafales as having been lost, after reviewing online images reporting to show its wreckage.
A month later, the USA launched an unprecedented series of attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Dubbed ‘Midnight Hammer’, the mission involved more than 125 aircraft, the US Air Force (USAF) says.
That total included seven Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers, which completed a nonstop 36h round-trip from Whiteman AFB in Missouri. They deployed 75 precision-guided weapons, including 14 of the 13,600kg (30,000lb) GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
July saw cross-border exchanges between the militaries of Cambodia and Thailand, with the latter’s air force making offensive use of its Lockheed Martin F-16 and Saab Gripen C/D fighters.
SPIDER WEB
Meanwhile, the fourth year of the war between Russia and Ukraine saw one of the most audacious actions of the conflict: Kyiv’s ‘Spider web’ operation, which targeted strategic bombers parked at bases deep inside Russian territory.
Conducted using explosive-laden drones launched from concealed truck compartments, this damaged multiple Tupolev Tu-22M3, Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, and at least one Ilyushin Il-76-based A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform.
Due to the difficulty of verifying individual airframe losses inside a conflict zone, our fleet listings for those types are likely to be higher than reality.
Several NATO nations – France, Germany and the UK among them – also bolstered defensive activities along the alliance’s eastern flank, in the wake of multiple Russian drone incursions into the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
Notably, aviation analytics company Cirium – our data partner for the directory – records the Ukrainian air force as now having 25 donated F-16s in active use. The service is also believed to have fielded a pair of Saab 340-based AEW&C assets donated by Sweden.
We do not, however, include the Dassault Mirage 2000-5 as among its inventory, since it is unclear how many ex-French air force examples have been transferred to Kyiv.
Ukraine is listed as having 347 military aircraft – up 23 from last year – while Russia’s count has been reduced to 4,237 (down 55).
Our new directory details a total of 52,231 aircraft in active use with the armed forces of 161 nations. While Syria no longer appears, Somalia has returned to our listing. With six combat helicopters in its fleet, the African nation had most recently appeared in our 2008 report.
This year’s fleet total marks a year-on-year net reduction of 1%, or 411 aircraft. This would have been greater but for another of FlightGlobal’s changes: this time concerning China’s fleet of Chengdu J-20s.
Multiple sources indicate that around 300 of the fifth-generation fighters have now been produced, so our estimate has been set at 250 operational examples; up from only 19 previously. The advanced type is among numerous major concerns facing the USA and Asia-Pacific nations as Beijing continues its massive military build-up.
China’s listing shows a total strength of 3,529 aircraft, which equates to 7% of the global military fleet. However, we have yet to add the aircraft carrier-based Shenyang J-35 or its air force-variant A-model, amid a lack of confirmed details about the type’s operational status.
Our new report shows net increases for two regions: each of 1%. The total for Africa climbed by 27 units, to 4,257, while Asia-Pacific nations’ fleets grew to a combined 14,681 (up 98).
There has been no year-on-year percentage-scale change for both Europe (7,782; up 22) and North America (13,387; down seven).
The other three regions each experienced net decreases. Those range in scale from -1% for Latin America (2,920; down 36) and -2% for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (5,018; down 106), to a massive -9% shift for the Middle East (4,186 aircraft; down 409) due to the regime change in Damascus.
Syria had been ranked fifth in the region last time in terms of fleet size, behind Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Notable fleet activity in Africa included Namibia taking delivery of two Shaanxi Y-9E tactical transports in December 2024.
STEALTHY MOVE
And in a significant move, Algeria emerged as the first export customer for the Su-57, placing an order for 14 of the fifth-generation Russian type.
Adjustments to Angola’s fleet, meanwhile, saw its Su-25 combat aircraft and Aero Vodochody L-29 trainers leave use.
Asia-Pacific-region developments included the Royal Australian Air Force in December 2024 taking its final Lockheed F-35As from a 72-unit commitment – although it retains options to grow that to 100.
New Zealand completed its five-strong fleet of Lockheed C-130J tactical transports, with the type replacing its last H-model Hercules, retired in January 2025.
India’s air force will receive a future additional batch of 12 Hindustan Aeronautics-built Su-30MKI strike aircraft, along with a new order for 97 Tejas Mk1A fighters.
Japan picked Beechcraft’s T-6 Texan II to replace its aged Fuji T-7 basic trainers, with a procurement likely to total up to 36 of the US-built type.
Also on the procurement front, New Zealand will replace its Boeing 757 transports with two Airbus A321XLRs, and plans to acquire five Sikorsky MH-60R maritime rotorcraft.
South Korea awarded an L3Harris-led consortium a roughly $2.6 billion contract to supply four Bombardier Global 6500-based AEW&C aircraft. And Thailand in August 2025 signed for its first four of a planned 12 Gripen E/F fighters, to be delivered from 2029.
Retirements in the region included India’s vintage MiG-21s, Japan’s Kawasaki C-1 transports, North Korea’s obsolete Su-7s, and the Philippines’ Rockwell OV-10 light-attack aircraft and Bell AH-1 attack helicopters. Taiwan stood down its last Northrop F-5s, while South Korea also significantly reduced its fleet of the type, removing 73 from use.
In Europe, January 2025 saw Greece complete its 24-strong fleet of Rafale DG/EG fighters. And in late-October, the Swedish air force fielded the first two of its 60 on-order Gripen Es.
Austria in December 2024 confirmed a plan to buy 12 Leonardo M-346FA light combat aircraft.
Babcock France will provide 22 Pilatus PC-7 MKX primary/basic trainers for use by the French military, while Paris in mid-June also announced its intention to buy two of Saab’s Global 6500-based GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, along with options to double that number.
Portugal became the first customer for Embraer’s NATO-standard A-29N trainer/light-attack aircraft, signing for 12 examples – the first is already in testing.
Embraer also maintained its European sales momentum with the C/KC-390, with Sweden in early October signing for four of the airlifters. With a trio already in use, Portugal converted an option for a sixth, and Lithuania and Slovakia each announced plans to acquire three of the type.
The Eurofighter programme also benefited from fresh sales during our review period, with Italy and Spain confirming follow-on orders in December 2024, for 24 and 25 respectively. Germany and Turkey each signed for 20 examples in October 2025.
HURJET BET
Spain also intends to order 45 Turkish Aerospace Hurjet advanced jet trainers, as replacements for its now-retired CASA C-101s.
Other departures of note included France’s last Boeing C-135 tankers, and the UK Royal Air Force’s Puma HC2 transport helicopters. And the final examples of two Cold War-era Russian-built types – the MiG-21 and Su-22 – were respectively waved off by Croatia and Poland.
One of the most significant developments in North America since our last report was the USAF’s selection of Boeing to meet its Next Generation Air Dominance requirement. The airframer is expected to produce a minimum of 185 sixth-generation F-47s to replace the service’s Lockheed F-22s.
The USAF is progressively phasing out of its Beechjet T-1A jet trainers (54, down 44), and the US Navy retired its Lockheed EP-3E Aries II electronic intelligence-gathering aircraft, removing six from use.
No notable activity has been recorded among Latin American nations, although Colombia in April 2025 announced its selection of the Gripen E/F, for an expected 18-aircraft need.
CIS member Kazakhstan in December 2024 took delivery of its first of two A400M tactical transports, with Airbus Defence & Space due to ship the other during 2026. And we record Astana as having retired its entire fleet of MiG-series combat aircraft, across the -23, -27 and -29 models.
Meanwhile, FlightGlobal has adjusted its estimate for Russia’s likely fleet of active Aero Vodochody L-39 jet trainers to 100 examples, versus 182 last time.
In the Middle East, Qatar in April 2025 completed its 48-strong fleet of Boeing F-15QA combat aircraft.
Israel, meanwhile, is to acquire 25 new F-15IAs – an enhanced configuration evolved from the USAF’s EX-model Eagle II version – via a deal announced in November 2024.
REGIONAL BALANCE
In terms of regional balance, the Asia-Pacific’s combined 14,681 aircraft position it above the 13,387 in North America (97% of which are US-owned) by 1,294: 105 more than a year ago.
The USA has 25% of all operational military aircraft, and heads all six equipment categories in our directory. Its numerical advantage ranges from having 19% of all combat aircraft and 28% of combat helicopters to 33% of special mission assets and 75% of all tankers.
Its total of 13,033 aircraft is more than the combined strength of second- to sixth-ranked Russia, China, India, South Korea and Japan. Those nations, plus Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, are the only ones in our listing with a fleet size above 1,000.
Our annual fleet review excludes those aircraft that are recorded by Cirium as not in day-to-day use, such as assets that are listed as being in storage, or undergoing upgrade.
Also omitted are platforms permanently assigned to performing VIP or government transport duties, including with paramilitary/reserve organisations.
We also do not include specialist categories such as calibration, firefighting, satellite tracking, skydiving, target towing, and weather reconnaissance, and exclude assets dedicated to experimental or research and development tasks.
Where identified, we also have removed training aircraft permanently assigned for use by national aerobatic display teams.
Our directory – the initial data for which was drawn on 1 October – also includes information about firm orders for almost 4,500 aircraft, and letters of intent or options for over 5,400 more: the latter are denoted by an asterisk next to a figure in the Ordered column.
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