That is, unsurprisingly, the largest aircraft fleet in the world, followed by Russia, with approximately 4,000 aircraft. The largest category of U.S. Military aircraft is classified as “airlift/cargo/utility,” which includes more than 4,000 aircraft utilized by the Air Force, Army, and Navy. These usually feature enormous planes intended to transport supplies, civil and military officials, and anything else that won’t fit in the backseat of an F-35.
Then, there are the other U.S. classifications of military aircraft. In order of fleet size, they include trainers, attack helicopters, ISR/Scout/C4, anti-surface/submarine, air refueling, special operations forces, long-range strikes, and combat search and rescue. These numbers are always changing to meet the changing global military landscape. According to Defense News, the U.S. Air Force is seeking to modernize its fleet and is asking Congress for an additional 72 fighters every year. Assuming they keep some older ones around, 3,400 will likely keep growing.
