WORLD AIR FORCES IN ASSOCIATION WITH 1 | FlightGlobal 2019 WORLD AIR FORCES 2019 You count on availability. We provide reliable solutions. CONTENTS ANALYSIS 4 Worldwide top 10 active aircraft types 5 Worldwide active fleet per region 6-7 Fleet size for leading countries by role 8-9 WORLD AIR FORCES World air forces directory 10-34 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. ©2018 FlightGlobal, part of Reed Business Information Ltd RUAG Schweiz AG | RUAG Aviation | Military Aviation 6032 Emmen | Switzerland | Phone +41 41 268 41 11 2 | FlightGlobal FlightGlobal | 3 [email protected] | www.ruag.com/aviation Ins_World_Air_Forces_2019_197x267mm_GOV.indd 1 27.11.18 15:43 WORLD AIR FORCES WORLD AIR FORCES WDirectoryORLD AIR FORCES 2019 WORLD AIR FORCESDirectory 2019 WORLDWIDE TOP 10 ACTIVE AIRCRAFT TYPES Combat aircraft Combat helicopter Transport Gaining strength Type Active fleet Share Type Active fleet Share Type Active fleet Share 1 F-16 2,280 15% 1 S-70/SH/UH-60 3,862 19% 1 C-130/L-100 878 21% 2 F-18 1,090 7% 2 Mi-8/17 2,848 14% 2 King Air 284 7% With demands ranging from combat to humanitarian relief, air forces around the globe 3 Su-27/30 1,066 7% 3 UH-1 1,313 6% 3 C295/CN235 274 7% must always be ready for action. Our annual review details the worldwide military fleet 4 F-15 924 6% 4 AH-64 1,183 6% 4 C-17 274 7% 5 MiG-29 829 6% 5 Mi-24/35 942 5% 5 An-24/26 255 6% 6 Eurofighter Typhoon 490 3% 6 CH-47 882 4% 6 Il-76 186 4% CRAIG HOYLE LONDON campaign over Iraq and Syria show little sign Operational milestones during conflicts in 6 Su-25 485 3% 7 MD500/530 689 3% 7 An-30/32 140 3% DATA COMPILED BY MARK KWIATKOWSKI of abating. In addition to this, the prospect of 2018 included the Russian air force making a 8 J-7 418 3% 8 AH-1 573 3% 8 Cessna 208 134 3% & SANDRA LEWIS-RICE further personnel and equipment deploy- surprise first deployment of the Sukhoi Su-57 DATA ANALYSIS BY ANTOINE FAFARD ments to Afghanistan appears increasingly (previously referred to as the T-50). Moscow 9 F-5 396 3% 9 SA341/342 486 2% 9 Y-8 90 2% likely, particularly for the US armed forces. in February sent the type to Hmeimim air 10 Su-24 392 3% 10 H145 379 2% 10 C212 89 2% Also in the Middle East, a Saudi Arabian- base, in a clear statement of its continued Other 6,457 44% Other 7,115 36% Other 1,590 38% ilitaries around the globe have led coalition is continuing a lengthy offensive support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Total 14,827 100% Total 20,272 100% Total 4,194 100% been faced with a diverse mix of being mounted against opposition forces Introducing Russia’s fifth-generation fighter operational requirements over the within Yemen, with Riyadh’s activities being to Syrian airspace brought the Su-57 within the coalition allies France, the UK and the USA in tion to buy 34 A-model examples as replace- past 12 months, ranging from par- supported by allies including Jordan and the same operational area as combat types such as April launched cruise missile strikes against ments for its current Lockheed F-16s. Defeat- Mticipating in all-out conflict in parts of the United Arab Emirates. the US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22 alleged chemical weapons storage facilities ed rivals Dassault and the Eurofighter Middle East to providing humanitarian relief Raptor and Israel’s new Lockheed F-35I Adir. and the Syrian regime’s sophisticated anti- consortium are eyeing other opportunities after natural disasters within the Asia-Pacific Operational milestones In March, the Israeli air force announced aircraft air-defence infrastructure. Weapons with the Rafale and Typhoon, however, with region – all on top of performing their day-to- included the Russian air force that it had become the first service to use the employed included MBDA Scalp-EG/Storm Canada and Finland among their sales targets. day duties. stealthy Lightning II in anger, after it struck Shadow missiles carried by Dassault Rafale Qatar is now in the process of acquiring the After many years of regional instability, the making a surprise first undisclosed targets with a pair of Adirs flown and Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, plus Rafale, Typhoon and an advanced version of operational demands placed on Western air deployment of the Su-57 from Nevatim air base. Lockheed AGM-158 JASSM-ERs released by Boeing’s F-15, with confirmed orders for a forces taking part in an international coalition During a period of especially high tension, USAF Boeing B-1Bs. combined 96 units. Bahrain, meanwhile, is to add a new batch of 16 F-16Vs to its fleet of C/D- Beijing demonstrated its improved fighter SYRIAN THREAT model examples, and Kuwait has confirmed a credentials at Airshow China in Zhuhai, While the US Department of Defense at the time deal for 28 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. where J-20s revealed internal weapons estimated that al-Assad’s forces had “blindly” Also during the year, there were significant fired more than 40 surface-to-air missiles during developments affecting the future shape of the attack – and largely after incoming weapons Europe’s combat aircraft sector. France and Navy had struck their targets, the threat posed by its US Germany have entered a pact to explore a air-defence network was highlighted after- US Marine Corps’ F-35B made first strikes joint future combat air system, while the UK wards. In September, a Russian air force Ily- used July’s Farnborough air show to unveil its ushin Il-20 surveillance aircraft was shot down 2018 year has also included several notable Tempest concept for a sixth-generation strike while returning to an air base within the coun- procurement decisions, which look set to in- aircraft. With a looming exit from the EU try. It was inadvertently targeted as Damascus fluence the future buying choices of many air among factors limiting the chances of a repeat sought to strike Israeli combat aircraft taking forces, or safeguard the continued production of its past collaboration with other European part in a raid nearby. of other types. companies on the Tornado and Typhoon, Also in September, a US Marine Corps During a flurry of decisions made within London now views potential international F-35B operating from the amphibious assault several weeks in mid-year, the USAF and US partners on such a project as including Japan, ship USS Essex for the first time released Navy picked Boeing for a trio of requirements. Sweden and Turkey. weapons during action in the Middle East. Teamed with Saab, the company will produce As this report went to press, Boeing had yet at least 351 T-X aircraft to replace part of the to complete the long-delayed handover of its Global military fleet USAF’s Northrop T-38 trainer fleet: it has so first of 179 KC-46A Pegasus tankers to the far been contracted for an initial five, which USAF. The company will be hoping to make Country Active fleet Share will support the programme’s engineering, up for lost time and pursue international sales 1 USA 13,398 25% manufacturing and development phase. opportunities with the 767-based type, at a 2 Russia 4,078 8% Boeing also won the USAF’s Bell UH-1N time when Airbus Defence & Space continues 3 China 3,187 6% replacement contract, after offering an to add users for its A330 multi-role tanker 4 India 2,082 4% MH-139 development of Leonardo Helicop- transport: first deliveries have recently been 5 South Korea 1,614 3% ters’ AW139 for an 88-aircraft deal. The com- completed for Singapore and South Korea. 6 Japan 1,572 3% pany also enjoyed success in the USN’s un- Other highlights in 2018 have included 7 Pakistan 1,342 2% manned tanker competition, and will Saab conducting the first flight of its Global- 8 France 1,248 2% manufacture a batch of four MQ-25A Sting- Eye surveillance platform – a heavily adapted rays, to meet an initial operational capability Bombardier Global 6000 long-range business 9 Egypt 1,092 2% target during 2024. jet – for the UAE. 10 Turkey 1,067 2% Lockheed appears poised to add Belgium The UK in mid-November completed a first Other 23,273 43% to its confirmed customer list for the F-35, phase of testing with the F-35B aboard its new Imaginechina/REX/Shutterstock Total 53,953 100% after Brussels in October announced its inten- aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, and re- ❯❯ 32 | Flight International | 4-10 December 2018 flightglobal.com flightglobal.com 4-10 December 2018 | Flight International | 33 4 | FlightGlobal FlightGlobal | 5 FIN_041218_032-037.indd 32 28/11/2018 16:05 FIN_041218_032-037.indd 33 28/11/2018 16:05 WWORLDORLD AIR FORCESAIR FORCES 2019 WORLDWORLD AIRAIR FORCES FORCES 2019 Directory Directory Worldwide active Russia & CIS fleet by region % Year-on-year 4 fleet change Middle East Europe % North America % Year-on-year 1 fleet change % Year-on-year-1 fleet change Year-on-year 0 fleet change Asia-Pacific % Year-on-year 1 fleet change Africa % Our data provides the regional split in Latin America Year-on-year 1 active aircraft by type category, along fleet change with the year-on-year percentage shift % in air power fleets around the globe Year-on-year 2 fleet change North America Latin America Europe Africa Middle East Russia & CIS Asia-Pacific Combat aircraft 2,879 Combat aircraft 519 Combat aircraft 2,066 Combat aircraft 934 Combat aircraft 1,396 Combat aircraft