Thousands of brand new fighter jets are on their way to these countries

VaselineAugust 28, 2024

0 5 minutes read

24/7 Wall St. Perspectives

We used data from the World Air Force 2024 report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website.
One of the most popular aircraft ordered by NATO member states is the F-35 Lightning II.
Also, Discover the “Next NVIDIA”

After the end of World War II, a peacetime multinational military alliance was formed. Its purpose was to promote democracy and provide a common defense for each member nation. There are currently 32 members, most recently including Sweden. The military assets of each nation are available to the group if an attack is made on one of them.

With the addition of Sweden, the alliance became stronger, allowing Sweden’s navy and other military assets to be available to NATO. While naval power is an important facet of NATO’s forces, the combined air forces of these member nations are monumental.

Logistic aircraft such as transports and tanks may be common among NATO aircraft, but fighter jets and helicopters make up a large part of its ranks. The United States military may have the most aircraft in the world, but other NATO member nations also have sizable fleets and are getting bigger.

Here at 24/7 Wall St. looks at NATO members who buy the most military aircraft. To determine whether NATO countries are buying the most military aircraft, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the World Air Forces 2024 report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. We ranked these countries according to the countries that ordered the most military aircraft in total. We’ve included additional information from GlobalFirePower regarding each country’s current air force and overall military strength rankings. We have excluded countries that are not in the process of ordering military aircraft.

One of the most popular aircraft ordered by NATO member states is the F-35 Lightning II, produced by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Hundreds of these planes are on order as NATO members look to acquire the next generation of fighter jets.

Operationally, the F-35 is one of the most versatile aircraft on the market. It can act as an interceptor or strike fighter and can perform covert reconnaissance missions with its advanced stealth technology. While the Lightning II is just one of the aircraft that NATO forces are buying, there are hundreds of other aircraft that will fill a number of roles within the military forces of any NATO country.

Why is this important?

Thousands of brand new fighter jets are on their way to these countries

As a member of NATO, the United States and other countries are required to contribute 2 percent of their national income to defense. In 2024, 23 of the countries are expected to meet this goal, up from three in 2014. The US contributes 16% of NATO’s budget, which has been a source of contention on the political scene, and even more so now that national elections are coming up.

Here’s a look at the NATO countries that buy the most military aircraft.