Inside NATO’s 889-Plane Special-Mission Fleet: U.S. Dominates, France Trails

Special mission aircraft are some of the most expensive and technologically advanced assets within NATO’s arsenal. EWACS and ISR aircraft stand at the front of this fleet, each performing necessary roles to achieve NATO’s operational objectives. The United States maintains the lion’s share of these special mission aircraft, but allies like the United Kingdom, France, […] The post Inside NATO’s 889-Plane Special-Mission Fleet: U.S. Dominates, France Trails appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Jun 15, 2025 - 16:26

Inside NATO’s 889-Plane Special-Mission Fleet: U.S. Dominates, France Trails

Key Points

Special mission aircraft are some of the most expensive and technologically advanced assets within NATO’s arsenal
The United States maintains the lion’s share of these special mission aircraft, but allies like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have also invested heavily in these aircraft as well
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Special mission aircraft are some of the most expensive and technologically advanced assets within NATO’s arsenal. EWACS and ISR aircraft stand at the front of this fleet, each performing necessary roles to achieve NATO’s operational objectives. The United States maintains the lion’s share of these special mission aircraft, but allies like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have also invested heavily in building out their fleets with these aircraft as well. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at NATO and which countries have the most special mission aircraft.

To determine the countries with the most special-mission aircraft in NATO, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation’s theoretical conventional fighting capability is. We ranked these countries based on special-mission aircraft. We also included supplemental information regarding fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, and helicopters, as well as each country’s overall military strength ranking and defense budget. Countries with no special-mission aircraft were excluded.

Here is a look at the countries with the most special-mission aircraft in NATO:

Why Are We Covering This?

Nato national Flag textile cloth fabric waving on the top

Understanding NATO’s military dynamics is important when looking at the state of global security. Since its inception, NATO has played a pivotal role in shaping international relations through its collective defense and security framework. As geopolitical tensions continue to rise and new threats emerge, knowing and understanding NATO’s military capabilities is important for getting a clearer picture of the world stage. Not to mention, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, among others, contribute significantly to NATO’s military strength, influencing global power balances and regional stability.

18. Finland

Finland+military+aircraft | Hornet On The Wing

Total special-mission aircraft: 1
Total military aircraft: 163
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 54
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 27
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 11
Military defense budget: $6,779,661,000 – #42 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.8437 – #48 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Finland has 11,704 military vehicles which include 200 tanks, 76 MLRS units, and 774 artillery units. Finland has 24,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.626 million.

17. Slovakia

Slovakia+military+aircraft | JAS-39 Gripen Czechia

Total special-mission aircraft: 1
Total military aircraft: 41
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 2
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 22
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 7
Military defense budget: $2,656,000,000 – #64 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 1.3978 – #71 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Slovakia has 3,074 military vehicles which include 45 tanks, 25 MLRS units, and 44 artillery units. Slovakia has 19,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.564 million.

16. Czechia

Total special-mission aircraft: 2
Total military aircraft: 99
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 12
Total strike and attack aircraft: 16
Total helicopters: 42
Total attack helicopters: 4
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 10
Military defense budget: $6,750,000,000 – #43 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.9994 – #53 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Czechia has 6,340 military vehicles which include 43 tanks, 16 MLRS units, and 50 artillery units. Czechia has 28,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.84 million.

15. Romania

Romania+military+aircraft | Pride of the sky

Total special-mission aircraft: 2
Total military aircraft: 140
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 21
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 65
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 14
Military defense budget: $9,700,000,000 – #33 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.8984 – #51 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Romania has 10,774 military vehicles which include 328 tanks, 243 MLRS units, and 720 artillery units. Romania has 81,300 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 18.15 million.

14. Denmark

Denmark+F-16 | Luke AFB Aerial Shoot with a Lockheed Martin F-35A-2B "Lightning II" (JSF) (s/n 12-5056) and a General Dynamics F-16C Block 42A "Fighting Falcon" (s/n 87-0360)

Total special-mission aircraft: 3
Total military aircraft: 117
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 31
Total strike and attack aircraft: 4
Total helicopters: 34
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 4
Military defense budget: $7,225,466,250 – #40 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.8109 – #45 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Denmark has 3,856 military vehicles which include 44 tanks, 8 MLRS units, and 19 artillery units. Denmark has 20,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.973 million.

13. Norway

Norway+F-35 | Norwegian F-35 pair. 2019 BodÃÂ¸ Airshow

Total special-mission aircraft: 5
Total military aircraft: 97
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
Total strike and attack aircraft: 32
Total helicopters: 33
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 4
Military defense budget: $9,710,000,000 – #32 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.6811 – #38 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Norway has 6,552 military vehicles which include 44 tanks and 42 artillery units. Norway has 23,250 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.510 million.

12. Sweden

Sweden+Gripen-E | Gripen E/F Test Aircraft

Total special-mission aircraft: 5
Total military aircraft: 169
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 71
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 53
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 1
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 6
Military defense budget: $13,000,000,000 – #28 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.4835 – #27 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Sweden has 6,795 military vehicles which include 110 tanks and 26 artillery units. Sweden has 24,400 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.59 million.

11. Greece

Total special-mission aircraft: 8
Total military aircraft: 558
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 178
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 293
Total attack helicopters: 29
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 15
Military defense budget: $6,500,000,000 – #44 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.5337 – #30 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Greece has 61,888 military vehicles which include 1,344 tanks, 152 MLRS units, and 1287 artillery units. Greece has 142,700 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.46 million.

10. Spain

Spain+military+aircraft | F-18 Hornet

Total special-mission aircraft: 8
Total military aircraft: 461
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 137
Total strike and attack aircraft: 12
Total helicopters: 153
Total attack helicopters: 17
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 51
Military defense budget: $23,397,000,000 – #22 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.3242 – #17 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Spain has 17,626 military vehicles which include 317 tanks and 382 artillery units. Spain has 133,282 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 47.28 million.

9. Poland

Total special-mission aircraft: 11
Total military aircraft: 479
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 59
Total strike and attack aircraft: 44
Total helicopters: 216
Total attack helicopters: 29
Total tanker aircraft: 0
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 49
Military defense budget: $48,700,000,000 – #12 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.3776 – #22 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Poland has 23,138 military vehicles which include 614 tanks, 196 MLRS units, and 677 artillery units. Poland has 202,100 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 38.75 million.

8. Portugal

Portugal+F-16 | Lockheed Martin F-16 AM of the Portuguese Air Force

Total special-mission aircraft: 14
Total military aircraft: 115
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 28
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 31
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 3
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 19
Military defense budget: $4,627,000,000 – #52 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.6856 – #39 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Portugal has 10,828 military vehicles which include 34 tanks and 139 artillery units. Portugal has 24,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.64 million.

7. Italy

Total special-mission aircraft: 23
Total military aircraft: 729
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 89
Total strike and attack aircraft: 67
Total helicopters: 392
Total attack helicopters: 37
Total tanker aircraft: 8
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 30
Military defense budget: $30,890,000,000 – #16 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.2164 – #10 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Italy has 73,480 military vehicles which include 200 tanks, 21 MLRS units, and 172 artillery units. Italy has 165,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 60.96 million.

6. Germany

Total special-mission aircraft: 26
Total military aircraft: 584
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 129
Total strike and attack aircraft: 63
Total helicopters: 309
Total attack helicopters: 54
Total tanker aircraft: 3
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 50
Military defense budget: $50,000,000,000 – #11 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.2601 – #14 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Germany has 83,260 military vehicles which include 296 tanks, 33 MLRS units, and 134 artillery units. Germany has 181,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 84.12 million.

5. Turkey

Total special-mission aircraft: 28
Total military aircraft: 1,083
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 201
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 508
Total attack helicopters: 111
Total tanker aircraft: 7
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 84
Military defense budget: $47,000,000,000 – #13 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.1902 – #9 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Turkey has 61,173 military vehicles which include 2,238 tanks, 296 MLRS units, and 2,745 artillery units. Turkey has 355,200 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 84.12 million.

4. United Kingdom

United+Kingdom+attack+aircraft | Two Eurofighter "Typhoon FGR4 (FGR.Mk 4)" aircraft, flown by 29 (R) Squadron from RAF Coningsby.

Total special-mission aircraft: 28
Total military aircraft: 631
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 113
Total strike and attack aircraft: 31
Total helicopters: 266
Total attack helicopters: 37
Total tanker aircraft: 9
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 29
Military defense budget: $71,500,540,000 – #6 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.1785 – #6 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, the United Kingdom has 38,200 military vehicles which include 227 tanks, 29 MLRS units, and 197 artillery units. The United Kingdom has 184,860 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.46 million.

3. Canada

Total special-mission aircraft: 33
Total military aircraft: 351
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 66
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 145
Total attack helicopters: 0
Total tanker aircraft: 6
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 28
Military defense budget: $41,000,000,000 – #15 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.5179 – #28 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Canada has 21,704 military vehicles which include 74 tanks. Canada has 68,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 38.79 million.

2. France

Total special-mission aircraft: 44
Total military aircraft: 976
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 226
Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
Total helicopters: 448
Total attack helicopters: 68
Total tanker aircraft: 16
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 119
Military defense budget: $55,000,000,000 – #9 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.1878 – #8 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, France has 110,932 military vehicles which include 215 tanks, 9 MLRS units, and 96 artillery units. France has 200,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.37 million.

1. United States

Total special-mission aircraft: 647
Total military aircraft: 13,043
Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 1,790
Total strike and attack aircraft: 889
Total helicopters: 5,843
Total attack helicopters: 1,002
Total tanker aircraft: 605
Total transport (fixed-wing) aircraft: 918
Military defense budget: $895,000,000,000 – #1 out of 145
Military strength score and world rank: 0.0744 – #1 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, the United States has 391,963 military vehicles which include 4,640 tanks, 641 MLRS units, and 1,883 artillery units. The United States has 1,328,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 341.96 million.

The post Inside NATO’s 889-Plane Special-Mission Fleet: U.S. Dominates, France Trails appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..