SPECIAL REPORT
WORL WO RLD D AI AIR R FO FORC RCES ES
2015
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WORLD AIR FORC FORCES ES 2015
CONTENTS ANALYSIS
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Worldwide active fleet per region
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Worldwide top 10 active aircraft type types s
8
Fleet size for leading countries by role
9
WORLD AIR FORCES
World air forces director directoryy
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The information contained in our datab ases and used in this presentation has been assembled fr om 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 ofces, or employees in respect of any error or omission that may have occur red. © 2014 FLIGHTGLOBAL, PART OF REED BUSINESS INFORMATION LTD.
Flightglobal Insight | 3
WORLD AIR FORCES 2015
CRAIG HOYLE LONDON DATA COMPILED BY SANDRA LEWIS-RICE, JOHN MALONEY & MARC-ANTONY PAYNE
Allied intervention in Syria has seen the USAF perform its first offensive acts with the F-22
FLIGHTGLOBAL ASCEND FLEETS & MILICAS LONDON DATA ANALYSIS BY
ANTOINE FAFARD
FLIGHTGLOBAL INSIGHT LONDON
A
FIGHTING ON MANY FRONTS New unrest in the Middle East has meant little respite for air arms expecting a break from combat duties post-Afghanistan. We evaluate the global eet impact |
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e s n e f e D f o t n e m t r a p e D S U
fter a more than decade-long involvement in Afghanistan, the air wings of multiple nations had expected some respite from years of combat activity by late 2014, as the NATO-led mission completes its transition of control to the authorities in Kabul. World events do not tend to follow such established military plans, however, and the end of the conict with the Taliban has instead overlapped with a resurgence of violence and renewed coalition involvement in the Middle East. Led by the USA, a large number of nations are now involved in a campaign intended to degrade the ghting capacity and also target the leadership of the Islamic State militant movement. Launched by Washington in late September, the ongoing action in Iraq has been expanded to include air strikes by combat aircraft from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the UK, while Iranian McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms are reported to have been separately involved. In Syria, the USA has been supported by its Gulf allies in conducting strikes on Islamic State targets, with aircraft from Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates having been involved to date. This widespread coalition – which also involves other nations not participating in direct combat – is a continuation of the alliance formed by many involved in the Afghanistan mission, plus others that had supported the NATO-directed campaign to protect Libyan civilians in 2011. In hardware terms, the allied intervention has provided an opportunity for the US Air Force to perform its rst offensive acts using the Lockheed Martin F-22, with Raptors involved as the activity intensied against threats inside Syria. Having already been involved in performing air drops of humanitarian supplies in northern Iraq, the Royal Australian Air Force sent a detachment of Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets to conduct strikes from Al Minhad air base in the UAE. Support is provided by lone examples of the service’s Airbus A330/KC-30A tanker and Boeing 737-based E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft, with both making their operational debuts. Australia’s involvement capitalises on its recent training experience during a Pitch Black-series exercise, in which it hosted mul-
WORLD AIR FORCES 2015
tiple aircraft from Singapore, Thailand, the UAE and the USA. It also illustrates a commitment to deploy its forces over a strategic range – a capability that looks set to be strengthened through its planned addition of between two and four more Boeing C-17 transports to its existing six-aircraft eet. For the UK, the battle with the Islamic State movement has provided a new operating arena for some of the Royal Air Force’s remotely-piloted General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reapers, and also prompted a rethink on the planned run-down of its versatile Panavia Tornado GR4 strike and reconnaissance eet. Beyond the situation inside Iraq and Syria, 2014 saw another bloody conict erupt in the same region, with Israel engaging Hamas militants inside Gaza from the air, and also later with ground forces. Starting in early July, the Protective Edge operation was mounted in response to rockets being red into Israel and resulted in hundreds of missions being own. Heightened border tensions also saw Israel shoot down a Syrian unmanned air vehicle and one of its Sukhoi Su-24 strike aircraft, which it says had entered its airspace. The high nancial cost of Israel’s latest engagement in Gaza has put pressure on its na-
More coalition aircraft have been positioned at Siauliai air base in Lithuania to sustain the Baltic Air Policing mission
GLOBAL MILITARY FLEET Country
Active fleet
Share
1
USA
13,902
27%
2
Russia
3,429
7%
3
China
2,860
6%
4
India
1,905
4%
5
Japan
1,612
3%
6
South Korea
1,412
3%
7
France
1,264
2%
8
Egypt
1,107
2%
9
Turkey
1,020
2%
10
North Korea
940
2%
Other
22,234
43%
TOTAL
51,685
100%
tional budget, and drawn internal opposition to major planned aircraft acquisitions. A proposed follow-on deal that was to increase its future eet of Lockheed Martin F-35As from 19 to 44 aircraft has been reduced by 11 aircraft, while its air force’s aspiration to introduce six Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotors has been blocked entirely so far. In Europe, fears of a new Cold War situation took hold, after rst rhetoric and then sanctions followed Moscow’s support for proRussian militants in Ukraine and then over its annexation of the nation’s Crimea region. The conict has taken a heavy toll on Ukrainian forces, with multiple aircraft having been shot down or destroyed on the ground. Our records show that its military inventory has been slashed from 400 active aircraft to just 222 within the 12 month directory period.
The unrest in Ukraine also gained global exposure in July, when Malaysia Airlines ight MH17 was brought down over the east of the country. Investigations continue, but the use of a surface-to-air missile operated by pro-Russian separatists is suspected to have caused the Boeing 777-200ER to disintegrate while ying at 33,000ft, killing 298 people. Russia’s muscle-exing also has involved an increased frequency of long-range ights with assets including Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, which continue to test the response of NATO allies. Increased numbers of coalition aircraft have been positioned at Siauliai air base in Lithuania to sustain the long-running Baltic Air Policing mission, with others located at Amari air base in Estonia. An increased presence has also been made in Poland and Romania. Listing the military equipment inventories of 160 nations, this year’s World Air Forces directory includes information on almost 52,000 aircraft recorded as being in active service. This represents a reduction of 459 aircraft – or roughly 0.9% – from the total reported in our 2014 directory. The bulk of the change can be attributed to improved data on Russian-produced aircraft, and the attrition encountered in Ukraine. Ongoing eet renewals also led to some notable retirements, including that of the French air force’s nal Dassault Mirage F1s. The act leaves just 32 combat examples and four trainers as operational in Gabon, Iran, Libya and Morocco. Oman also during 2014 ceased operations with the Sepecat Jaguar, leaving ❯❯
a i l a r t s u A f o h t l a e w n o m m o C
Kabul’s fledgling armed forces have assumed responsibility for national security, as a coalition of NATO nations has left Afghanistan |
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Flightglobal Insight | 5
WORLD AIR FORCES 2015
WORLDWIDE ACTIVE FLEET PER REGION
NORTH AMERICA Combat aircraft
2,861
Special mission
775
Tanker
597
Transport
1,139
Combat helicopter
6,001
Training aircraft/helicopters
2,949
NORTH AMERICA
-2% Year-on-year fleet change
EUROPE Combat aircraft
2,145
Special mission
244
Tanker
50
Transport
3,411
Training aircraft/helicopters
2,049
LATIN AMERICA
LATIN AMERICA Combat aircraft
580
Special mission
145
Tanker
9
Transport
479
Combat helicopter Training aircraft/helicopters
1,212 769
NOTE: CIS countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belrarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan SOURCE: Ascend Fleets and MIliCAS from Flightglobal
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-4% Year-on-year fleet change
687
Combat helicopter
EUROPE
-5% Year-on-year fleet change
