WORLD AIR FORCES 2017 WORLD AIR FORCES 2017 IN ASSOCIATION WITH 1 | FlightGlobal WORLD AIR FORCES 2017 Ensuring mission success. The Dornier 228 Multirole. CONTENTS ANALYSIS 3 Worldwide top 10 active aircraft types 3 Worldwide active fleet per region 4 Fleet size for leading countries by role 5 WORLD AIR FORCES World air forces directory 6-18 The information contained in our databases and used in this presentation has been assembled from many sources, and whilst reasonable care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the information is supplied on the understanding that no legal liability whatsoever shall attach to FlightGlobal, its offices, or employees in respect of any error or omission that may have occurred. ©2016 FlightGlobal, part of Reed Business Information Ltd View video RUAG Aerospace Services GmbH | RUAG Aviation P.O. Box 1253 | Special Airfield Oberpfaffenhofen 82231 Wessling | Germany | Phone +49 8153 30-2011 2 | FlightGlobal [email protected] | www.dornier228.com Ins_World_Air_Forces_2017_197x267mm_(Kustwacht).indd 1 29.11.16 09:44 WORLD AIR FORCES WORLD AIR FORCES Directory WORLD AIR FORCESDirectory 2017 Global military fleet and training aircraft inventories, which have climbed by 512 and 369 units, respectively. Country Active fleet Share Also included are more than 4,600 aircraft 1 USA 13,764 26% that are the subject of firm orders, plus almost 2 Russia 3,792 7% 7,000 that are pending deals or covered by let- 3 China 2,955 6% ters of intent, including a potential 2,900 F-35s 4 India 2,104 4% for the USA and its allies. 5 Japan 1,594 3% The US military’s share of the total in-ser- 6 South Korea 1,477 3% vice fleet remains static year-on-year, at 26%. 7 France 1,305 2% Its fleet of just under 13,800 aircraft is bigger than the combined assets owned by our sec- 8 Egypt 1,137 2% ond- to seventh-ranked nations: Russia, China, 9 Turkey 1,018 2% India, Japan, South Korea and France. The 10 Pakistan 951 2% only movement in our top-10 operator listing Other 22,945 43% sees Pakistan enter in tenth place, where it re- Total 53,042 100% places North Korea. Islamabad’s 951-aircraft total represents just short of 2% of the total Chengdu J-20 stealth fighters: Beijing’s on-pa- global inventory. per rival to the US Air Force’s Lockheed F-22. Reflecting the overall increase to this year’s As is China’s intention, very little is known directory numbers, our map of the worldwide about the type’s true capabilities or intended active fleet (See P24) shows that all but one of Australia of Commonwealth role, but its development supports the nation’s the seven geographical regions have seen posi- Canada and Kuwait also want Super Hornets drive to highlight its regional supremacy by tive change, varying from a 1% rise in Europe developing air bases and other infrastructure to 5% in Africa. Having changed by only 35 Delhi’s earlier medium multi-role combat air- on disputed islands. Its anti-access, area-denial units over the course of the review period, craft requirement. strategy is a concern to numerous countries in North America’s total of almost 14,200 aircraft During the course of 2016, Kuwait signed REX/Shutterstock A US Air Force B-52 bomber flies in formation with F-16, Gripen and Typhoon fighters during the Baltops exercise, staged in June 2016 the region and to the USA. translates to a static performance. for a batch of 28 Italian-assembled Eurofighter Also on show in Zhuhai for the first time Across our six type categories, two – special Typhoons, and it is also close to securing US were the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s mission aircraft and transports – have seen de- authorisation to acquire 40 F/A-18E/F Super improved Chengdu J-10B fighter and upgraded clines, although these were by a modest 31 and Hornets from Boeing. Qatar, meanwhile, is Xian H-6H bomber, along with its recently de- nine units, respectively. close to finalising a major order for 72 Boe- livered Xian Y-20 strategic transport. Two of the ing F-15QAs. Powerful approach four-engined type have been delivered to date. TAKING ORDERS In late September, Romania joined the Lock- Totalling more than 64,000 aircraft, our an- While the number of combat aircraft in service heed F-16 operators club, taking a first batch of nual overview of the global military inventory around the globe edged up by only 87 units, to refurbished A/B-model examples from surplus A modest rise in the global military aircraft fleet over the year belies global tensions, from is powered by Flight Fleets Analyzer, which just over 14,600, the past few months have Portuguese stocks. And in a significant move, holds premium-quality data on more than brought considerable encouragement to the France’s navy retired its last Dassault Super Et- the Middle East to disputed territory in Asia, which could drive procurement programmes 360,000 aircraft, also including airliners, rotor- leading Western airframers vying for business. endards, leaving Argentina as the sole remain- craft and business jets. Building on a stellar 2015, during which ex- ing operator of the carrier-based strike asset. CRAIG HOYLE LONDON on their military capabilities and development This year’s directory details just over 53,000 port deals were signed with Egypt and Qatar, The F-35 made star appearances at the DATA COMPILED BY MARK KWIATKOWSKI, SANDRA LEWIS-RICE & JOHN MALONEY plans. In September, North Korea’s Wonsan aircraft that are in active service with militaries Dassault has tasted further success with its Ra- Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnbor- FLIGHT FLEETS ANALYZER LONDON Air Festival strove to encourage “peace and around the globe: an increase of 935, or almost fale, with India at last signing for 36 examples. ough air show in the UK during July, but suf- DATA ANALYSIS BY ANTOINE FAFARD FLIGHTGLOBAL LONDON friendship through aviation” for a small group 2%, from last year. This rise is largely the re- However, this is a much more modest total fered a recent setback as Justin Trudeau’s gov- of Western journalists and enthusiasts, barely sult of improved data on combat helicopter than the 126 originally expected under New ernment in Canada has kept to its pre-election ❯❯ f global instability is indeed the “new nor- One of the hottest topics for the coming year two weeks after Pyongyang had faced almost mal”, then the past 12 months brought will be to measure reality against the campaign universal condemnation for conducting its lat- more of the same, with major conflicts hav- promises of US President-elect Donald Trump, est test of a nuclear weapon. WORLDWIDE TOP 10 ACTIVE AIRCRAFT TYPES ing continued to involve military air arms who will take the keys to the White House in I in the skies above nations including Afghani- January. His administration’s foreign policy OLD AND NEW Combat aircraft Transport Combat helicopters stan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. stance, such as its willingness to remain in- The air show offered a rare opportunity to gauge Type Active fleet Share Type Active fleet Share Type Active fleet Share Tensions between the multiple countries volved in conflicts in the Middle East – plus the condition of North Korea’s aviation assets, 1 C-130/L-100 915 21% engaged in Syria’s civil war have eased since his posture towards the likes of China and Rus- the bulk of which are limited when compared 1 F-16 2,312 16% 1 S-70/SH/UH-60 3,794 19% early 2016, when the scale of Russia’s involve- sia – could drive procurement decisions, for with those of any potential adversary. Our new 2 F-18 1,071 7% 2 King Air 300 7% 2 Mi-8/17 2,815 14% ment – specifically its in-country basing of a example on the pace of the production ramp- directory shows its air force as having an active 3 Su-27/30 940 6% 3 C-17 282 7% 3 UH-1 1,401 7% large detachment of fighters and attack heli- up for the Lockheed Martin F-35. fleet of 944 aircraft, of which 572 are categorised 4 F-15 874 6% 4 C295/CN325 276 6% 4 AH-64 1,110 6% copters – was of concern to other participants, In the latter part of 2016, two of the USA’s as combat types. While this total includes sev- 5 MiG-29 829 6% 5 An-24/26 239 6% 5 Mi-24/35 918 5% notably the USA and Israel. Since then con- ideological adversaries partially lifted the veil eral relatively modern models, such as the RAC 6 MiG-21 547 4% 6 Il-76 175 4% 6 CH-47 896 4% cerns about the likelihood of a diplomatically MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-25, its inventory is dom- 7 Su-25 511 3% 7 An-30/32 143 3% 7 MD500/530 688 3% challenging in-flight incident involving their The US fleet of just under inated by aged Chinese-built Shenyang F-6 and 8 F-7 450 3% 8 Cessna 208 134 3% 8 AH-1 556 3% air forces appears to have diminished, while F-7 fighters, which would appear to be little 9 J-7 418 3% 9 C160 109 3% 9 OH-58 502 2% the parties continue to pursue different objec- 13,800 aircraft is bigger than more than combat curiosities in today’s opera- 10 F-5 416 3% 10 C212 91 2% 10 SA341/342 496 2% tives: either engaging the threat of the so-called the combined assets owned tional environment.