Military aircraft statistics at a glance
Military aircraft statistics are easiest to read when you group them by mission: air superiority, strike, transport, refueling, surveillance, and special operations. The numbers below show how different aircraft types trade speed, range, payload, altitude, and crew size to fit those missions (F-22 Raptor fact sheet; F-35A Lightning II fact sheet; C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet; B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet; KC-46A Pegasus fact sheet; KC-135 Stratotanker fact sheet; B-2 Spirit fact sheet; E-3 Sentry fact sheet; MQ-9 Reaper fact sheet; U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet; CV-22 Osprey fact sheet; A-10C Thunderbolt II fact sheet; B-1B Lancer fact sheet; AC-130J Ghostrider fact sheet; AC-130U fact sheet; WC-130J Hercules fact sheet; C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
These figures are not abstract. They describe what each aircraft can do, how many people it needs, how much it can carry, and how far it can go on a mission.
Table of contents
- Fast facts
- Fighter and strike aircraft
- Bombers and long-range strike
- Airlift and tanker numbers
- Surveillance, special operations, and support
- What the numbers say about design tradeoffs
Fast facts
- The F-22 Raptor force inventory is 183 aircraft, and it uses a crew of one (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
- The F-22 has a unit cost of $143 million, an internal fuel capacity of 18,000 pounds, and a maximum takeoff weight of 83,500 pounds (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
- The F-35A is a 9g-capable multirole fighter with a crew of one and a speed of Mach 1.6, about 1,200 mph (F-35A Lightning II fact sheet).
- The C-17 carries 164,900 pounds of payload and is flown by a crew of three (C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet).
- The B-52H uses a crew of five and has an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles (B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet).
- The KC-46A contract provides an inventory of 179 tankers, with fuel capacity of 212,299 pounds (KC-46A Pegasus fact sheet).
- The KC-135 inventory managed by Air Mobility Command is 375 aircraft, with 218 of those flown by the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard (KC-135 Stratotanker fact sheet).
- The B-2 inventory is 20 active aircraft plus 1 test aircraft, and the crew consists of two pilots (B-2 Spirit fact sheet).
- The U-2 active force inventory is 33 aircraft, and its ceiling is above 70,000 feet (U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet).
- The C-130J can carry 6 pallets or 90 combat troops or 64 paratroopers, while the C-130J-30 can carry 8 pallets or 128 combat troops or 92 paratroopers (C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
Fighter and strike aircraft
The fighter category makes the clearest case for how mission design changes the numbers.
F-22 Raptor
The F-22 Raptor combines low crew demand, high speed, and a focused internal weapons load. It has a total force inventory of 183 aircraft and a crew of one (F-22 Raptor fact sheet). That one-seat design matters because it keeps the aircraft optimized for a pilot-centered combat role rather than a multi-crew management model.
A few of the most important figures make the F-22 easy to place on the spectrum of fighter capability:
- Unit cost: $143 million (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
- Maximum takeoff weight: 83,500 pounds (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
- Internal fuel capacity: 18,000 pounds (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
- Fuel with two external wing tanks: 26,000 pounds (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
- Ferry range: more than 1,850 miles with two external tanks (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
- Ceiling: above 50,000 feet (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
The F-22 also carries a built-in gun, with one M61A2 20-millimeter cannon and 480 rounds (F-22 Raptor fact sheet). Its internal main weapon bays can carry six AIM-120 missiles, and its internal side bays can carry two AIM-9 missiles (F-22 Raptor fact sheet). For air-to-ground work, the listed loadout is two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAMs and two AIM-120 missiles (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
The design takeaway is straightforward: the aircraft is built to balance range, altitude, and stealth-oriented internal carriage while keeping the crew count at one (F-22 Raptor fact sheet).
F-35A Lightning II
The F-35A is also a one-seat fighter, but its stats point to a different emphasis. It is a 9g-capable multirole fighter, has a crew of one, and reaches Mach 1.6, about 1,200 mph (F-35A Lightning II fact sheet). The phrase multirole is important because the aircraft is presented as a flexible platform rather than a specialist air-superiority-only design.
Compared with the F-22, the F-35A’s listed speed is lower, but the key statistic is its mission flexibility. In a statistics-only view, the comparison shows two distinct fighter design choices: one aircraft is optimized for high-performance air combat characteristics, while the other is presented as a multirole fighter with a broad operational purpose (F-22 Raptor fact sheet; F-35A Lightning II fact sheet).
A-10C Thunderbolt II
The A-10 is a different kind of combat aircraft again. It has an inventory of approximately 281 aircraft, a speed of 420 mph, or Mach 0.56, a ceiling of 45,000 feet, a maximum takeoff weight of 51,000 pounds, a range of 800 miles, and a maximum mixed-ordnance load of 16,000 pounds (A-10C Thunderbolt II fact sheet).
Those figures show a subsonic aircraft with a large payload relative to its speed. The A-10 is not trying to compete with the F-22 or F-35A on speed. Instead, the numbers show a platform built around endurance, altitude sufficient for its mission, and a heavy ordnance load relative to its size and speed class (A-10C Thunderbolt II fact sheet).
Bombers and long-range strike
Bomber statistics are where range and payload become the defining metrics.
B-52H Stratofortress
The B-52H is one of the clearest examples of long-life aircraft design. It has a crew of five, an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles, and a delivery history that stretches back decades: the first B-52A flew in 1954, the B-52 first entered service in 1955, the first of 102 B-52H aircraft was delivered in May 1961, and the last B-52 delivered was in October 1962 (B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet).
The raw production and service timeline matters because it frames the operational endurance of the platform. The aircraft has a total of 744 built, which is a large number by strategic bomber standards, and the B-52 is expected to remain in service through 2050 (B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet).
Its weapons capacity is also notable: the B-52H can carry up to 20 air-launched cruise missiles (B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet). In statistics terms, this aircraft stands out for a combination of large historical production, long service life, long range, multi-crew operation, and significant weapons carriage.
B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit
The B-1B Lancer has a crew of four and carries the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory (B-1B Lancer fact sheet). That single payload statistic places it in a distinct role within the bomber set: it is framed less by crew size or speed figures here and more by carriage capacity (B-1B Lancer fact sheet).
The B-2 Spirit inventory is 20 active aircraft plus 1 test aircraft, the crew consists of two pilots, and the ceiling is 50,000 feet (B-2 Spirit fact sheet). The inventory number is especially important because it signals how small and specialized the fleet is relative to some other aircraft families in this set (B-2 Spirit fact sheet).
Quick comparison table
| Aircraft | Inventory / Fleet | Crew | Speed or Range | Payload / Weapons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-22 Raptor | 183 total force inventory | 1 | Ferry range more than 1,850 miles; ceiling above 50,000 feet | 6 AIM-120, 2 AIM-9, or 2 GBU-32 JDAMs plus 2 AIM-120 (F-22 Raptor fact sheet) |
| F-35A Lightning II | Not listed in the statistics row | 1 | Mach 1.6, about 1,200 mph | Multirole fighter; 9g-capable (F-35A Lightning II fact sheet) |
| A-10C Thunderbolt II | Approximately 281 aircraft | Not listed in the statistics row | 420 mph; range 800 miles; ceiling 45,000 feet | Up to 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance (A-10C Thunderbolt II fact sheet) |
| B-1B Lancer | Not listed in the statistics row | 4 | Not listed in the statistics row | Largest conventional payload of guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory (B-1B Lancer fact sheet) |
| B-2 Spirit | 20 active plus 1 test aircraft | 2 | Ceiling 50,000 feet | Not listed in the statistics row (B-2 Spirit fact sheet) |
| B-52H Stratofortress | 744 built; 102 B-52H delivered | 5 | Unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles | Up to 20 air-launched cruise missiles (B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet) |
The table shows that “best” depends on what you measure. Inventory favors scale, range favors endurance, payload favors strike power, and crew size reflects how much operational complexity the platform expects the mission to tolerate.
Airlift and tanker numbers
Transport and refueling aircraft are defined less by speed than by capacity, range, and fleet size.
C-17 Globemaster III
The C-17 has a payload of 164,900 pounds, an unrefueled range of about 2,400 nautical miles, and a crew of three (C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet). It cruises initially at 28,000 feet, is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers, and can carry a 69-ton M1 Abrams tank (C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet).
The inventory breakdown also matters. The C-17 inventory includes 146 active-duty aircraft, 50 Air National Guard aircraft, and 26 Air Force Reserve aircraft (C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet). That split gives a useful picture of how the fleet is distributed across components.
The C-17 stats are a clean example of a heavy-lift platform where payload, troop-carrying ability, and fleet distribution all show up in the numbers at the same time (C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet).
KC-46A Pegasus
The KC-46A contract provides an inventory of 179 tankers, and the fuel capacity is 212,299 pounds (KC-46A Pegasus fact sheet). It is designed to refuel most fixed-wing receiver-capable aircraft at full operational capability (KC-46A Pegasus fact sheet).
This is a classic tanker statistic set: a large planned fleet, a very large fuel capacity figure, and a role defined by compatibility with other aircraft rather than by combat payload. The key number here is fuel capacity, because that is the most direct measure of how much refueling support the platform can provide in a mission cycle (KC-46A Pegasus fact sheet).
KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender
The KC-135 inventory managed by Air Mobility Command is 375 aircraft, and Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard fly 218 of those aircraft (KC-135 Stratotanker fact sheet). It can carry up to 83,000 pounds of cargo depending on fuel storage configuration (KC-135 Stratotanker fact sheet).
The KC-10 Extender has 59 active force aircraft, can transport up to 75 people, can carry nearly 170,000 pounds of cargo unrefueled, and can carry more than 356,000 pounds of fuel across six tanks (KC-10 Extender fact sheet).
Those two tanker sets illustrate different ends of the tanker spectrum. The KC-135 data emphasize fleet size and broad service use, while the KC-10 data emphasize cargo and fuel volume in the same platform (KC-135 Stratotanker fact sheet; KC-10 Extender fact sheet).
Mobility snapshot
- C-17 payload: 164,900 pounds (C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet).
- KC-46A fuel capacity: 212,299 pounds (KC-46A Pegasus fact sheet).
- KC-135 managed inventory: 375 aircraft (KC-135 Stratotanker fact sheet).
- KC-10 fuel across six tanks: more than 356,000 pounds (KC-10 Extender fact sheet).
Surveillance, special operations, and support
Not every aircraft in the list is built to carry the largest load or fly the fastest. Some are built to stay high, stay long, or stay flexible.
E-3 Sentry
The E-3 inventory is 31 aircraft in the U.S. inventory, its radar has a range of more than 250 miles, and its ceiling is above 29,000 feet (E-3 Sentry fact sheet). That set of numbers shows a platform defined by detection reach and operating altitude rather than payload or speed.
MQ-9 Reaper
The MQ-9 inventory includes 50 aircraft in AFSOC service, and its basic crew consists of one pilot and one enlisted aircrew member (MQ-9 Reaper fact sheet). The crew count is a useful reminder that not all combat aircraft are crewed like fighters or bombers. The MQ-9 is designed around a smaller operating team and a mission profile that does not require the same onboard manning as a manned strike aircraft (MQ-9 Reaper fact sheet).
U-2S/TU-2S
The U-2 active force inventory is 33 aircraft, including two-seat trainers and NASA ER-2s, the speed is 410 mph, the range is more than 7,000 miles, and the ceiling is above 70,000 feet (U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet).
That ceiling figure is one of the most distinctive statistics in the whole set. It places the U-2 in a category where altitude itself is the defining performance metric (U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet).
CV-22 Osprey
The CV-22 rotorcraft has a program of record of 56 aircraft by the end of 2025, a combat radius of 500 nautical miles with one internal auxiliary fuel tank, a crew of 2 pilots plus 2 special mission aviators, and capacity for 24 seated personnel, 32 floor-loaded personnel, or 10,000 pounds of cargo (CV-22 Osprey fact sheet).
This is one of the most balanced stat sets in the list because it includes fleet planning, crew structure, range, and multiple load configurations. The numbers show why the aircraft is useful as a flexible special operations platform: it can move people or cargo and still keep the crew small relative to the mission complexity (CV-22 Osprey fact sheet).
WC-130J Hercules and C-130 variants
The WC-130J inventory includes 10 aircraft in reserve service (WC-130 Hercules fact sheet). For the C-130 family, the C-130E/H maximum takeoff weight is 155,000 pounds; the C-130J and C-130J-30 maximum takeoff weight is 164,000 pounds; the C-130J maximum allowable payload is 42,000 pounds; the C-130J-30 maximum allowable payload is 44,000 pounds; the C-130E maximum normal payload is 36,500 pounds; and the C-130J maximum normal payload is 34,000 pounds (C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
The range and load comparisons are just as useful:
- C-130J range at maximum normal payload: 2,071 miles (C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
- C-130J-30 range at maximum normal payload: 1,956 miles (C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
- C-130J can carry 6 pallets or 90 combat troops or 64 paratroopers (C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
- C-130J-30 can carry 8 pallets or 128 combat troops or 92 paratroopers (C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
These numbers show a family optimized for modular utility. The extended fuselage variant trades some range at maximum normal payload for more carrying capacity, which is exactly the kind of tradeoff that matters in airlift planning (C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
What the numbers say about design tradeoffs
The most useful way to read military aircraft statistics is to compare what each aircraft is asked to maximize.
- Speed and altitude dominate the F-22, F-35A, and U-2, but each does so differently: the F-22 emphasizes high-performance combat capability, the F-35A emphasizes multirole versatility, and the U-2 emphasizes extreme altitude and long range (F-22 Raptor fact sheet; F-35A Lightning II fact sheet; U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet).
- Payload dominates the C-17, B-1B, B-52H, KC-10, and C-130 family, but the payload types vary from troops and tanks to cruise missiles and fuel (C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet; B-1B Lancer fact sheet; B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet; KC-10 Extender fact sheet; C-130 Hercules fact sheet).
- Crew size gives another clue. One-seat fighters, two-pilot bombers, three-person airlifters, and multi-role special operations aircraft each reflect a different approach to workload and mission design (F-22 Raptor fact sheet; B-2 Spirit fact sheet; C-17 Globemaster III fact sheet; CV-22 Osprey fact sheet).
- Fleet size matters as much as platform performance. The KC-135 fleet at 375 aircraft, the F-22 force inventory at 183 aircraft, the B-52 total built at 744, and the U-2 active force inventory at 33 aircraft all tell different stories about scale and specialization (KC-135 Stratotanker fact sheet; F-22 Raptor fact sheet; B-52H Stratofortress fact sheet; U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet).
Taken together, these statistics show that military aircraft are best understood as mission-specific tools. Some numbers favor speed, some favor endurance, some favor payload, and some favor the ability to support other aircraft.
When you compare them side by side, the pattern is clear: aircraft design is a set of tradeoffs, and the numbers tell you which tradeoff each platform was built to win.