Modern US Military Aircraft

AAI Corporation RQ-7 Shadow 200 Tactical
The AAI Corporation RQ-7 Shadow is an unarmed tactical reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle currently in active service with the United States Army ...

Aeritalia G.222
The G.222 was a medium transport produced by the Aeritalia corporation that saw some modest successes. The aircraft was designed to fit the need for s...

Aerospatiale / Eurocopter AS350 / AS355 / Astar
The AS350 was originally designed to replace the aging Sud Aviation / Aerospatiale Alouette II light utility helicopter series. The AS350 appeared fir...

Aerospatiale / Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin
The HH-65 Dolphin replaced the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guards then in service with the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The HH-65 is based on the French-...

Aerospatiale SA 316 / SA 319 Alouette III
The Aérospatiale Alouette III, is French for Skylark having a single-engine and to be used as a light utility helicopter and was developed by Sud Avia...

AgustaWestland MH-68A Stingray / AW109 / A109
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Antonov An-32 (Cline)
The An-32 "Cline" was offered up by the Antonov bureau as an improved An-26 model. In essence, the system was quite similar to the preceding An-26 wit...

BAe / Boeing T-45 Goshawk
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Beechcraft Bonanza
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Beechcraft C-12 Huron
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Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
The T-34 Mentor series served the United States Air Force and United States Navy well in training generations of aviators in the years following the c...

Bell 206 JetRanger
The Bell 206 was derived from the unsuccessful OH-4 bid by the Bell company to fulfill a US Army need for a light-weight, turbine-powered, four-seat o...

Bell AH-1 SuperCobra
The AH-1W and AH-1J SuperCobra series of helicopters are an updated and slightly modified version of the AH-1 HueyCobra (or simply "Cobra") detailed e...

Bell ARH-70 (Arapaho)
The Bell ARH-70 helicopter was developed for the US Army as a possible direct replacement to the successful but aged Kiowa Warrior series of light arm...

Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
The tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey helicopter was designed form the Bell-produced XV-15 demonstrator, a design looking to produce the next generation in helic...

Bell Eagle Eye (Model 918)
The Bell Eagle Eye (company Model 918) is/was an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) developed to compete in the US Navy's "Vertical Take-off - Unmanned Aeri...

Bell OH-58 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior was a further development of the successful Bell OH-58 Kiowa. Intended to be fielded alongside the Apache Longbow and pr...

Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Hughes AH-64 Apache / Apache Longbow
Originally a Hughes-based design, the YAH-64 faced off against a Bell YAH-63 system in the United States Army's search for an advanced attack helicopt...

Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Northrop F/A-18 Hornet
The F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine carrier-based attack fighter currently in frontline service with a variety of forces worldwide. Derived from the fa...

Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Northrop F/A-18 Super Hornet
The Super Hornet is the latest, and most likely the ultimate, evolution in the F/A-18 Hornet series of precision strike aircraft covering carrierborne...

Boeing / Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
The RAH-66 Comanche helicopter was to be the next generation answer for the United States Army in replacing its aging series of UH-1, AH-1 Cobra, OH-6...

Boeing 707
The 707 model series for The Boeing Company proved to be the catalyst for their commercial market successes to come. The 707 introduced a model design...

Boeing 727
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Boeing 737
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Boeing 747
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Boeing 757
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Boeing 767
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Boeing 777
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Boeing 787 (Dreamliner)
The 787 "Dreamliner" represents Boeing's latest foray into the world of commercial passenger air travel. To this point, the project represents an adva...

Boeing A160 Hummingbird
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Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The B-52 has been the preeminent American heavy bomber of the last 54 years. The large aircraft served throughout the heightened periods of the Cold W...

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing-produced C-17 Globemaster III represents one of the latest additions to the United States Air Force mobile airlift fleet. On the modern bat...

Boeing CT-43 / T-43A
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Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS
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Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post
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Boeing P-8 Poseidon
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) is currently in development and on order for the United States Navy and represents a repl...

Boeing ScanEagle
The ScanEagle is a joint production UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) by The Boeing Company and The Insitu Group. As a whole, the program is based highly ...

Boeing VC-25 (Air Force One)
The VC-25 is used to usher the President of the United States and his staff on various journeys around the globe. The VC-25 is essentially a highly-mo...

Boeing X-32
The X-32 STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) technology demonstrator was the Boeing Company's response to the Department of Defense's "Joint S...

E-6A Mercury TACAMO
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Elbit Hermes 450
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Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano / A-29
The EMB 314 "Super Tucano" (also "A-29") represents a locally-produced Brazilian aircraft product falling under the then-government run EMBRAER banner...

Eurocopter / Aerospatiale AS365 Panther
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Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota
The UH-72 Lakota was accepted into service with US forces in late 2006 and will form a major portion of the United States Army National Guard's air ar...

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog)
The A-10 Thunderbolt II was designed exclusively to fulfill the Close-Air Support (CAS) role from the outset, perhaps matched only in scope by the Sov...

FalconJet HU-25 Guardian
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General Atomics Avenger (Predator C)
The General Atomics Avenger (formerly marked as the "Predator C") is one of the newer UAV systems to come online with the United States military, show...

General Atomics MQ-1 / RQ-1 Predator (Predator A)
At a cost of about $40 million dollars per system, the RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator is a pricey yet integral part of US Air Force operations in Iraq and Afghani...

General Atomics MQ-1C Sky Warrior
The remotely-piloted General Atomics MQ-1C "Sky Warrior" is part of the ever-growing breed of armed UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) systems that are be...

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B)
The MQ-9 "Reaper" ("M" = multirole; "Q" = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; "9" = series designation) offers the United States Air Force a high-level, remotely...

General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-16 Fighting Falcon can officially go down as one of the most successful aircraft designs of the Cold War. The system was designed in a head-to-h...

Grumman / Northrop C-2 Greyhound
The Grumman C-2 Greyhound was developed from the successful Grumman E-2 Hawkeye. Whereas the latter was a dedicated carrier-based Airborne Early Warni...

Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
The E-2 Hawkeye series serves carrier battle groups (principally in the United States Navy) and is called upon as an all-weather airborne command and ...

Gulfstream II / III / C-20 / SRA-1
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Hughes / MD Helicopters AH-6 / MH-6 Little Bird
The AH-6/MH-6 "Little Bird" forms an oft-overlook yet wholly vital part of American Special Operations services. This highly maneuverable and diminuti...

Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach)
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IAI / TRW RQ-5 Hunter
The Hunter is a large Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and was first introduced in 1996 in limited numbers with the United States Army. The system perfor...

IAI Heron
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IAI Kfir / F-21A
The Kfir (translated to "Lion Cub") was a semi-indigenous Israeli fighter development designed to fulfill an IAF (Israeli Air Force) requirement for a...

IAI RQ-2 Pioneer
The RQ-2 Pioneer series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) was one of the first operational entries into the United States Military family of UAVs. In ...

Ilyushin IL-76 (Candid)
The Ilyushin IL-76 heavy transport was debuted in the early 1970s, entered service in the mid-1970s and is still operating today - some 36 years after...

Kaman K-1200 K-Max
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Kaman SH-2 Seasprite / Super Seasprite
The Kaman SH-2 Seasprite helicopter has served a lengthy and respected career in the navies of several nations across the globe though most notably th...

Lockheed / Vought S-3 Viking
The S-3 Viking series of carrier-borne aircraft was a joint production effort from the Lockheed and Vought aircraft firms. Selected from no fewer than...

Lockheed AC-130H Spectre / AC-130U Spooky
Since the advent of the airplane as an instrument of war, warplanners have relied on the power of mobile aerial attacks to keep an enemy on its toes. ...

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
At one time the Lockheed-built C-5 Galaxy was the largest aircraft ever produced, being able to field a compliment of 350 troops, 10 LAV-type systems,...

Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call
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Lockheed F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter development of the United States that incorporates new and learned stealth technology and...

Lockheed HC-130 Hercules
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Lockheed Martin / Boeing F-22 Raptor
The F-22 Raptor series of aircraft reportedly represents the most advanced aircraft design in the world to date. The system utilizes technology, desig...

Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion
The P-3 Orion aircraft is a product of Lockheed Martin, designed and accepted at a time when Lockheed could do little wrong in the way of earning gove...

Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady
The U-2 spyplane was a pivotal player during the peak years of the Cold War between the United States of America and the Soviet Union, charged with ph...

Lockheed MC-130 Combat Shadow
The MC-130 platform has served special forces operations since the Vietnam War and is based on the successful Lockheed C-130 cargo aircraft platform. ...

McDonnell / BAE QF-4 (Phantom II)
The QF-4 represents a full-size unmanned target drone version of the successful Cold War-era F-4 Phantom II aircraft. QF-4's are operated by the 82nd ...

McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) / BAe Systems AV-8B Harrier II
While the original Hawker Siddeley Harrier proved revolutionary for its time, and the follow-up BAe Systems Sea Harrier bettered the type's original d...

McDonnell Douglas / Boeing F-15 Eagle
For a time, the F-15 Eagle series was the pinnacle of American air superiority incorporating technolgy and design that produced a highly manuervable a...

McDonnell Douglas / Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle
The F-15E "Strike Eagle" is a dual-role version of the highly successful base F-15 air superiority fighter. The Strike Eagle is intended to fulfill bo...

McDonnell Douglas / Boeing MD-11
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McDonnell Douglas / General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II
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McDonnell Douglas EA-18G Growler
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McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender
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Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Flogger)
The Mach 2-capable MiG-23 "Flogger" became the first "swing-wing" fighter to enter service with the Soviet Union and went on to become a primary mount...

Mil Mi-24 / Mi-25 / Mi-35 (Hind)
The Mil-produced series of "Hind" helicopters was a favorite Cold War-relic and continues (albeit modernized) in many of today's armies including Russ...

Mil Mi-8 (Hip)
Numbering well over 12,000 production examples, the Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name of "Hip") can be viewed as one of the most successful helicopter des...

North American / Boeing T-2 Buckeye
The North American (now Boeing) T-2 Buckeye was responsible for the training of thousands of American naval aviators from 1959 onwards. The system was...

North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco
The Bronco was developed through the United States Marine Corps Light Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (LARA) program to provide the service branch with ...

Northrop Grumman / Ryan Aeronautical RQ-4 Global Hawk
The Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle utilized by the United States Air Force and Navy for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance of enemy ...

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (Stealth Bomber)
The B-2 Spirit (generically known as the "Stealth Bomber") was the pinnacle of tail-less flight designs beginning in the mind of Jack Northrop, founde...

Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS (JSTARS)
A product of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, the E-8 "Joint Stars" series of aircraft provides the United States Air Force with electronic "eyes" ov...

Northrop Grumman KC-45
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Northrop Grumman YF-23 Black Widow II
The YF-23 Black Widow II was Northrop Grumman's (along with McDonnell Douglas Corporation) answer to the American ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter chall...

Northrop T-38 Talon
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Raytheon T-6 Texan II
Based on the Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, the Raytheon-built T-6 Texan II series was the product of a Department of Defense initiative to consolidate pilot ...

Rockwell / Boeing B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer series was a variable sweep wing low-altitude penetration aircraft capable of delivering nuclear free-fall bombs at high speed...

Saab J 35 Draken (Dragon / Kite)
The Saab J 35 Draken (translated in English to "Dragon" but carrying the meaning of "Kite" based on the aircraft's angular resemblance to a kite) was ...

Sikorsky CH-53 Super Stallion
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Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe / Erickson S-64 Skycrane
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Sikorsky HH-3 Pelican
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Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk
The HH-60 Pave Hawk series of all-weather day/night transport helicopters is an Air Force version of the successful UH-60 Black Hawk series. The HH-60...

Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk
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Sikorsky MH-53 (Pave Low)
The MH-53 was a series of large transport helicopters operated by the United States Air Force in the special operations role. The MH-53 designation br...

Sikorsky MH-60 (Knighthawk)
The MH-60S Knighthawk is the United States Navy's newest multi-mission helicopter. Originally designated as the CH-60S to signify its primary vertical...

Sikorsky SH-60 Sea Hawk
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Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk has become a workhorse for the United States and other military forces the world over. Its capabilities have increased h...

Sikorsky VH-60 Whitehawk
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Sud Aviation / Aerospatiale SA 330 Puma
The Puma began life as a product of Sud Aviation designed to meet an French Army requirement for an all-weather, medium-lift, multi-purpose utility he...

Sukhoi Su-27 (Flanker)
The Su-27 "Flanker" series of aircraft is regarded by most airplane aficionados as the ultimate in Russian fighter design. The Su-27 first appeared in...