These NATO Countries Have the Most Attack Aircraft

Attack aircraft are some of the most lethal assets in NATO’s arsenal, providing for air superiority and power projection worldwide. Countries in NATO like the United States, Italy, and Germany, which are home to large fleets of these sophisticated aircraft, implying a significant financial investment. Attack or strike aircraft are generally some of the more expensive aircraft in any air force, and they also carry some of the most expensive payloads as well.

One of the newest additions to the U.S. Air Force, the B-21 Raider, is one of the most expensive and technologically advanced aircraft on the planet. Within the next decade, the B-21 Raider is expected to enter service to augment the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. It will be capable of carrying both conventional and precision-guided bombs, as well as nuclear-tipped bombs and missiles. So far 100 of these stealth bombers are on order, with test flights already having taken place within the past year. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the NATO countries with the most attack or strike aircraft.

To determine the NATO countries with the most attack or strike aircraft, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 military strength report from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. We ranked these countries according to which countries have the most of these aircraft. We included supplemental information regarding each country’s current air force, overall military strength ranking, and defense budget. Countries with no attack aircraft were excluded.

It should be noted that the classification of attack and strike aircraft generally refers to aircraft that are primarily designated for air-to-ground missions, meaning they primarily engage land and sea targets. These aircraft typically carry larger payloads than fighter or interceptor aircraft, and different armament as well. However, in recent years as aircraft have become more advanced, these lines between strike and fighter aircraft have become blurred because of the multirole capabilities that many of these jets possess. Again, 24/7 Wall St. is going off the primary designation of these aircraft according to Global Firepower.

Here is a look at the countries with the most attack or strike aircraft in NATO:

Why Are We Covering This?

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.

10. Denmark

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 4
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 31
• Total helicopters: 34
• Total attack helicopters: 0
• Total military aircraft: 117
• 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.

9. Bulgaria

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 5
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 10
• Total helicopters: 27
• Total attack helicopters: 4
• Total military aircraft: 65
• Military defense budget: $1,373,232,000 – #80 out of 145
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.2563 – #61 out of 145

In terms of its ground forces, Bulgaria has 4,914 military vehicles which include 90 tanks, 24 MLRS units, and 72 artillery units. Bulgaria has 37,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 6.783 million.

8. Spain

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 12
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 137
• Total helicopters: 153
• Total attack helicopters: 17
• Total military aircraft: 461
• 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.

7. Czechia

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 16
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 12
• Total helicopters: 42
• Total attack helicopters: 4
• Total military aircraft: 99
• 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.

6. United Kingdom

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 31
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 113
• Total helicopters: 266
• Total attack helicopters: 37
• Total military aircraft: 631
• 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.

5. Norway

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 32
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
• Total helicopters: 33
• Total attack helicopters: 0
• Total military aircraft: 97
• 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.

4. Poland

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 44
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 59
• Total helicopters: 216
• Total attack helicopters: 29
• Total military aircraft: 479
• 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.

3. Germany

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 63
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 129
• Total helicopters: 309
• Total attack helicopters: 54
• Total military aircraft: 584
• 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.

2. Italy

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 67
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 89
• Total helicopters: 392
• Total attack helicopters: 37
• Total military aircraft: 729
• 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.

1. United States

• Total strike and attack aircraft: 889
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 1,790
• Total helicopters: 5,843
• Total attack helicopters: 1,002
• Total military aircraft: 13,043
• 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 These NATO Countries Have the Most Attack Aircraft appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..