United Kingdom military

Global rank #5

NATO

The United Kingdom ranks #5 of 24 in the 2026 Military Atlas Index. It spends $89.0B on defense (2.4% of GDP) and has 141K active personnel.

Key statistics

~260 total; ~40 deployed at sea on Vanguard SSBN. Trident II D5 SLBM. Sea-based deterrent only.

Sources: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database (2025), World Bank (2025), FAS Status of World Nuclear Forces (2026), IISS The Military Balance (2025), Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), citing FlightGlobal World Air Forces (2026), Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) (2026), CSIS Missile Threat (2026).

Equipment inventory

No equipment found.

United Kingdom: Aircraft (21)

Eurofighter TyphoonFighter Jet · United Kingdom139confirmedEurofighter TyphoonFighter Jet · United Kingdom103confirmedF-35A/BFighter Jet · United States38confirmedHawk T2Transport Aircraft · United Kingdom28confirmedG120TP (Affinity)Transport Aircraft · Germany23confirmedA400MTransport Aircraft · Multi-national22confirmedMQ-9 ReaperUAV / Drone · United States16confirmedT-6C (Affinity)Transport Aircraft · United States14confirmedWatchkeeperUAV / Drone · United Kingdom12confirmedMQ-9 ReaperUAV / Drone · United States10confirmedA330 MRTTTransport Aircraft · Spain9confirmedP-8A PoseidonMaritime Patrol Aircraft · United States9confirmedC-17Transport Aircraft · United States8confirmedE-7A (AEW)Transport Aircraft · United States6confirmedKing Air 200/350 (C-12)Transport Aircraft · United States6confirmedC-130HTransport Aircraft · United States3confirmedRC-135S/U/V/W (ELINT)Transport Aircraft · United States3confirmed737 (C-40A)Transport Aircraft · United States2confirmedKC-130T HerculesTransport Aircraft · United States2confirmedC-130JTransport Aircraft · United States1confirmedMQ-9B Sky Guardian (Protector RG Mk1)UAV / Drone · United States1confirmed

United Kingdom: Helicopters (3)

AH-64EHelicopter · United States44confirmedH135Helicopter · France29confirmedH145 (UH-72A/B)Helicopter · Germany7confirmed

United Kingdom: Land (39)

FV430 BulldogArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom409confirmedFoxhoundArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom398confirmedFV510 Warrior seriesArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom388confirmedPanther CLVArmored Vehicle · Italy380confirmedL16A1Artillery System · United Kingdom360confirmedMastiff (6x6)Armored Vehicle · United States256confirmedChallenger 2Tank · United Kingdom227 in serviceconfirmedJackalArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom197confirmedRidgbackArmored Vehicle · United States140confirmedJackal 2AArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom130confirmedL118 Light GunArtillery System · United Kingdom114confirmedJackal 2Armored Vehicle · United Kingdom110confirmedFV512 WarriorArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom105confirmedFV103 SpartanArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom97confirmedChallenger ARRVArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom80confirmedAardvarkEngineering Vehicle · United Kingdom64confirmedAjaxArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom59confirmedTerrierEngineering Vehicle · United Kingdom56confirmedAresArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom41confirmedFV513 WarriorArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom41confirmedAS90Artillery System · United Kingdom39confirmedTitanEngineering Vehicle · United Kingdom33confirmedTrojanEngineering Vehicle · United Kingdom32confirmedM3Armored Vehicle27confirmedAthenaArmored Vehicle26confirmedM270 MLRSArtillery System · United States26confirmedApolloArmored Vehicle21confirmedFV105 Sultan (CP)Armored Vehicle · United Kingdom21confirmedAtlasArmored Vehicle19confirmedSpartan Mk2Armored Vehicle · United Kingdom17confirmedArgusArmored Vehicle16confirmedArcherArtillery System · Sweden14confirmedFV106 SamsonArmored Vehicle · United Kingdom12confirmedTPz-1 Fuchs NBCArmored Vehicle · Germany8confirmedSamson Mk2Armored Vehicle · Israel5confirmedBoxerArmored Vehicle · Germany4confirmedSultan Mk2Armored Vehicle · United Kingdom4confirmedCarl GustafArtillery System · Sweden—confirmedL16Artillery System · United Kingdom—confirmed

United Kingdom: Naval (23)

Sea-class workboatSurvey Ship4,039confirmedArcher-class patrol vesselPatrol Boat16confirmedLCVP Mk5BLanding Craft · United Kingdom16confirmedLCU 1610Landing Craft · United States10confirmedDukeFrigate · United Kingdom8confirmedAstute-class SubmarineSubmarine · United Kingdom7 (all 7 planned in service or building)confirmedHuntMine Countermeasures Vessel · United Kingdom6confirmedAstute-class SubmarineSubmarine · United Kingdom5confirmedRiver Batch 2Patrol Craft · United Kingdom5confirmedPointCargo Ship · United Kingdom4confirmedTideReplenishment Oiler · United Kingdom4confirmedVanguard-class SSBNSubmarine · United Kingdom4 SSBNs, 1 on CASD patrol at all timesconfirmedBay-classLanding Ship · United Kingdom3confirmedRamped Craft LogisticLanding Craft · United Kingdom3confirmedRiver Batch 1Offshore Patrol Vessel · United Kingdom3confirmedCutlassPatrol Boat · United Kingdom2confirmedQueen Elizabeth-class CarrierAircraft Carrier · United KingdomHMS Queen Elizabeth + HMS Prince of WalesconfirmedSandownMine Countermeasures Vessel · United Kingdom1confirmedTrafalgarSubmarine · United Kingdom1confirmedProject CetusSubmarine—confirmedQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrierAircraft Carrier—confirmedXV MadfoxAuxiliary Ship—confirmedXV Patrick BlackettAuxiliary Ship—confirmed

United Kingdom: Missile (9)

FV4333 Stormer with StarstreakMissile System · United Kingdom38confirmedCAMM (Land Ceptor)Missile System · United Kingdom12confirmedFGM-148 JavelinMissile System · United States—confirmedLightweight Multirole MissileMissile System · United Kingdom—confirmedNLAWMissile System · United Kingdom—confirmedPereh (Spike-NLOS)Missile System · Israel—confirmedSpike-LR/MR/ERMissile System · Israel—confirmedStarstreak (LML)Missile System · United Kingdom—confirmedTrident II (D5)Missile System · United StatesDrawn from a shared US–UK missile pool; carried by Vanguard-class submarinesconfirmed

United Kingdom: Nuclear (3)

Vanguard-class SSBNSubmarine · United Kingdom4 SSBNs, 1 on CASD patrol at all timesconfirmedDreadnought-class SSBNSubmarine · United Kingdomunder construction, IOC ~2031confirmedTrident II (D5)Missile System · United StatesDrawn from a shared US–UK missile pool; carried by Vanguard-class submarinesconfirmed

United Kingdom: In development (2)

Dreadnought-class SSBNSubmarine · United Kingdomunder construction, IOC ~2031confirmedGCAP Tempest (6th Generation Fighter)Fighter Jet · United Kingdomdevelopment, IOC ~2035confirmed

Each row is labeled Confirmed, Estimated or Alleged. A dash means no count is published.

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