Current US military combat aircraft strength

I thought SD posters would find interest in a current analysis of US military combat aircraft strength. Here goes:

The US Navy and US Marines currently operate the following combat aircraft:

F/A-18C/D: 645
F/A-18E/F: 490
E/A-18G: 102
E/A-6D: 72
E-2C/D: 67
E-6: 16
A/V-8B: 118
F-35C: 4
F-35B: 22
P-3C: 142
P-8A: 12

That's a total of 1,705 aircraft.

The US Air Force operates the following active combat aircraft (does not include reserve or storage):

F-22: 195
F-15: 254
F-15E:219
F-16: 1003
F-35A: 25
A-10: 343
AC-130: 37
B-1B: 66
B-2A: 20
B-52: 76
E-3: 32
E-8: 16
EC-130: 21
MC-130: 51
U-2: 31

That's 2,370 aircraft.

This does not include the hundreds of cargo aircraft, hundreds of tankers, or the 4,684 helicopters the US Air Force and US Army operate, or the 1,223 helicopters the US Navy and US Marines operate.

It also does not include the almost 900 (and rapidly growing UAVs and UCAVs) operated by all branches of the US Military, or any of the estimated 150+ "black" aircraft operated by the NRO, CIA, and completely classified special operation groups.

Add to this A number of Foreign types including Mi17, AN26, C-212 Aviocar, CN-235, M28 Skytruck older American Types like the C4 and Huey used admitted part of that Black Fleet.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Add to this A number of Foreign types including Mi17, AN26, C-212 Aviocar, CN-235, M28 Skytruck older American Types like the C4 and Huey used admitted part of that Black Fleet.

Click to expand...

The US probably has well over another 2,000 very good military aircraft in the following cargo, trainers, refueler aircraft that I did not count:

C-130
C-141
C-17
C-5
CV-22
MV-22
T-6
T-45
T-38
KC-10
KC-130
KC-135

I'll have to do a study to see how many of those there are...but here are a lot. I know the Navy has well over 200 T-45 Goshawk trainers, and the Airforce over 500 T-38 Talon trainers alone.

Jeff Head said:

The US probably has well over another 2,000 very good military aircraft in the following cargo, trainers, refueler aircraft that I did not count:

C-130
C-141
C-17
C-5
CV-22
MV-22
T-6
T-45
T-38
KC-10
KC-130
KC-135

I'll have to do a study to see how any of those there are...but here are a lot. I know the Navy has well over 200 T-45 Goshawk trainers, and the Airforce over 500 T-38 Talon trainers alone.

Click to expand...

Jeff, you forgot the AMARG (309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group)! ... located right behind Davis Monthan AFB affectionately known as the 'boneyard'. I would say at least 500 aircraft (10%) out of the 4 or 5 thousand there of many different types can be brought back to flying condition with relative ease in case of serious emergency.

Most folks think it's all scrap and junk there but a small portion of the aircraft are there on 'permanent' storage w/o parts being cannibalized or scrap. They can be brought back to flying condition within a week or two easily.

Of course if that ever happens something really serious has happened in this world so let's hope these planes don't get recalled prematurely and enjoy their well deserved retirement basking in sunny weather lol





These F-16s can be put back into active duty in less than 14 days.

kwaigonegin said:

Jeff, you forgot the AMARG (309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group)! ... located right behind Davis Monthan AFB affectionately known as the 'boneyard'. I would say at least 500 aircraft (10%) out of the 4 or 5 thousand there of many different types can be brought back to flying condition with relative ease in case of serious emergency.

Click to expand...

Agreed...but not forgotten. In my first post I specifically mention that the number do not include aircraft in storage. The aircraft listed in my last post are also not in storage.

Yes, though, we certainly have 600-700 more aircraft that can be brought out of such storage.

Jeff your look is good, total for all US services : about 4000 combats aircrafts with force multipliers ( AEW, EW, Tanker ), RCN, without UAV armed or RQ-4.

For comparison, with air and naval services, about : China get 2800 ( with J-6 UAV ), Russia 1500, India 800.

But China get many old J-7, A-5 and first J-8 : about 1000, which 28 J-7 Rgts x about 30.

For UAV, big, i have :
96 MQ-9
152 MQ-1B Predator
and 37 ? RQ-4 Gl Hawk which 18 Bl 30 sometimes remove or remains ?
I have a total of 66 RQ-4 delivered/ordered
If anyone can help me ?

So, I did some research on cargo aircraft, tankers and trainers and got the numbers for those and thought I would just add them to the whole. They add over 2,300 more aircraft.

Here's how it looks with them in there:

Total Active US Navy, US Marine and US Air Force Combat and Support Aircraft

The US Navy and US Marines:

Fighters and Attack:

F/A-18C/D: 645
F/A-18E/F: 490
E/A-18G: 102
A/V-8B: 118
F-35C: 4
F-35B: 22

Electronics:

E/A-6D: 72
E-2C/D: 67
E-6: 16

Patrol:

P-3C: 142
P-8A: 12

Transport, Cargo and Tankers:

MV-22: 126
C-2A: 34
C-130: 19
KC-130: 81

Trainers:

T-6: 61
T-44: 52
T-45: 218

That's a total of 2,296 aircraft.

The US Air Force:

Fighters and Attack:

F-22: 195
F-15: 254
F-15E:219
F-16: 1003
F-35A: 25
A-10: 343
AC-130: 37

Bombers:

B-1B: 66
B-2A: 20
B-52: 76

Electronics:

E-3: 32
E-8: 16
EC-130: 21

Patrol/Surveillance:

U-2: 31
C-130: 278

Transport, Cargo, and Tankers:

MC-130: 51
C-130J: 89
C-17: 223
C-5: 77
CV-22: 17
KC-10: 59
KC-130:
KC-135: 417
WC130: 20 (Weather)

Trainers:

T-6: 446
T-38: 508

That's 4,104 aircraft.

Altogether, the US Navy, US Marines, and US Air Force operate 6,400 aircraft for combat and support.

This does not include the hundreds of aircraft in maintained storage, the 4,700 helicopters the US Air Force and US Army operate, the 1,200 helicopters the US Navy and US Marines operate, or the hundreds of fixed wing UAVs and UCAVs the US military operates (I may add those in at a later date), or any of the estimated 150+ "black" fixed wing aircraft operated by the NRO, CIA, and completely classified special operation groups.

FORBIN said:

and 37 ? RQ-4 Gl Hawk which 18 Bl 30 sometimes remove or remains ?
I have a total of 66 RQ-4 delivered/ordered
If anyone can help me ?

Click to expand...

I have found here
42 Block 10/20 delivered or soon , 18 Block 30 are canceled, after Block 40 build.

For P-8 a lot ! all 117 for 2019, about 15/year !

03/2016

US Air Force combat aircrafts with gunships and armed drones
Rounding

Fighter-bombers : 1900
F-22 : 190
F-15C/D : 240
F-15E : 220
F-16 : 970
A-10: 280

Bombers : 141
B-1B: 63
B-2A: 20
B-52: 76

Gunships : 40
AC-130 U/W/J: 40

TOTAL : 2081

Only Air Force of 1st rank coz can provide all missions with a big number of aircrafts, behind Chinese lack heavy Cargos, Tankers same for Russia.


Armed UAV : 260
MQ-9 : 150
MQ-1B : 110

I'll just post these graphics of U.S states air Power for all the services.

This is ALOT of aircraft power!!!! Not including Drones (I think) and black budget aircraft.. I like to fantasize there are another 100+ super high-tech F-22's hidden away in underground bunker bases.

The Air Force Fighter Inventory

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Combat A/C Refuelers

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U.S Marine Corps

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U.S Army

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