The most dangerous fighter jets on the planet.
In the race to dominate the skies, fighter jets are constantly being improved. Below are some of the most dangerous combat aircraft on the planet.
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| F-22 (USA)The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, twin-engine, single-seat stealth fighter jet. Initially designed for air superiority missions, the F-22 was later upgraded for ground attack. Due to its high production cost (approximately $350 million per aircraft), only 187 F-22s have been built for the US Air Force. |
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| Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 (USA)Designed and assembled by Lockheed Martin, the JSF program is intended to replace the F-15 and F-16, becoming the cornerstone of the US military's power in the future. It is the largest fighter jet development program in aviation history. |
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| The JSF program has faced much criticism for delays, technical glitches, and cost overruns. The JSF is being developed in three variants: the F-35A for the Air Force, the F-35C for the Navy, and the F-35B for the Marine Corps. |
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| Mig-31 (Russia)This is a long-range, heavy interceptor aircraft built during the Soviet era. The MiG-31 is the fastest fighter jet in the world currently in operation. It can reach a top speed of Mach 3.2 (approximately 3,900 km/h). Recently, the MiG-31 has been upgraded to be equipped with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile. |
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| Su-35 (Russia):This is the most modern 4++ generation fighter jet of the Russian Air Force. The Su-35 is equipped with a radar with a detection range of up to 400 km. It also features thrust vector control engines, providing superior maneuverability in close-range air combat. |
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| F/A-18 Hornet (USA)This is a twin-engine, supersonic, multirole jet capable of operating from aircraft carriers in all weather conditions, performing air combat and ground attack. The Hornet is currently the backbone of the US Navy. The F/A-18 has a combat radius of over 900 km with a speed of Mach 1.8 (620 m/s). |
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| Despite having a shorter range and lower speed compared to its rival, the Su-33, the F/A-18 can carry up to 8 tons of weapons on 11 pylons, while the Russian aircraft can only carry 6 tons of weapons on 12 pylons. |
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| F-15 (USA)For nearly 30 years, the F-15 Eagle fighter jet was considered the undisputed king of the skies for the United States Air Force. Before its successor, the F-22, appeared, the F-15 was always the top choice for air superiority missions for the US Air Force. |
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| The F-15 can reach an altitude of 19,800 meters in 122 seconds. When flying horizontally, the F-15 reaches a speed of Mach 2.5 (850 m/s). It was also the first fighter jet to surpass the speed of sound while flying vertically. The F-15 was the aircraft that initiated the series of 104 consecutive air-to-air victories by the US against Russian-made weapons such as the MiG-21, MiG-25, and MiG-29. |
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| J-20 (China)The J-20 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet manufactured by the Chengdu Defense Industrial Complex under contract with the People's Liberation Army Air Force of China. Chinese military planners expect it to be a pioneering weapon that will narrow the technological gap between Chinese military aviation and combat aircraft in the US Air Force. |
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| The J-20 is specifically designed for missions targeting the US Air Force's power projection capabilities in the western Pacific, as well as providing refueling support, airborne command and control, intelligence gathering, and even carrying long-range cruise missiles to attack US aircraft carriers. |
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| Dassault Rafale (France)As the only French name on this list, the Dassault Rafale can perform all the tasks of a fighter jet. Flexibly switching between different missions, a single Rafale can replace the operations of seven different aircraft types. |
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| The Rafale is designed to operate from all land bases and aircraft carriers of the French Navy. With Dassault's traditional delta wing design, the Rafale possesses exceptional maneuverability in the air. This is also the type of aircraft that carried out the airstrikes in Syria on April 14th. |
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| Eurofighter Typhoon (Europe)Similar to Airbus, the Eurofighter Typhoon marks a strong collaboration between European nations in the aviation sector. It is the only fighter aircraft produced on four different production lines by the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. The Eurofighter Typhoon's design is characteristic of the delta-wing multirole fighter, performing a range of missions from patrol, interception, air defense, air superiority, to ground attack. |
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| With a ceiling of 19,000 m, a range of 1,390 km, and a climb rate of 315 m/s, the Eurofighter Typhoon is expected to become a formidable competitor to modern Russian, and even American, fighter jets. |
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| Su-27 (Russia)Introduced into service with the Soviet Union's Air Force in 1985, the Sukhoi Su-27 remains one of the most successful fighter aircraft in history. Despite its age, the Su-27's combat capabilities are still incredibly formidable. It can reach speeds of Mach 2.35 (800 m/s) and carry eight air-to-air missiles along with a massive payload of bombs. |
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| In particular, the Su-27 is renowned for its close-range maneuverability, performing difficult aerobatic maneuvers such as the "Pugachev's Cobra" maneuver, or even abruptly shutting down its engines while diving. The Vietnamese Air Force currently possesses 12 Su-27s, along with 36 Su-30MK2s, an upgraded version of the Su-27. |
