Flight Insight, the research division of the Flight Group has broken down the leading military fast jet aircraft and military helicopters in service in Europe today in its milicas and helicas databases.
The milicas survey identifies the F-16 as being the most numerous fighter/attack aircraft type in service in Europe today, with the 593 aircraft representing 22% of the 2,674 aircraft total. With 461 aircraft in use (17%), the trinational Tornado takes second place. Other aircraft dating from the 1970s include the F/A-18 (6%), the Mirage 2000 (10%) and the Mirage F1 (5%).
There are also still large numbers of much older aircraft – with the 300 F-4s still in service representing 11% of the total, and the F-5 adding another 5%. These aircraft are rapidly disappearing from service, however, and one can expect the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale numbers (now just 3% and 2% of the total) to increase. With 176 aircraft in use, the Gripen is the most numerous of the 4th generation fighters in service.
The re-equipment cycle for helicopters is differently paced, and older types dominate the helicas chart of active military helicopters. With 13% of the market, the Gazelle is the most widely used type, while the Vietnam-era UH-1 takes 11% (with the Agusta-built AB205 accounting for a further 5%, and the AB212 another 4%).
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Source: Flight Daily News