Every country that desires air superiority wants to have the newest and most powerful fighter jets in its arsenal. Currently, the 5th generation models with the latest weapons, engines and stealth capabilities are the most advanced and desirable.
But many countries have already started developing 6th generation fighter jets, while 4th generation fighters remain the backbone of a majority of air forces around the world. Fourth-generation fighters can be upgraded with new technology to make them an effective fighting force on the modern battlefield. Such aircraft are often referred to as 4+ or 4++ generation fighter jets.
And now, many countries have already started developing so-called 6th generation fighter jets. In spite of this, 4th generation fighters remain the backbone of a majority of air forces around the world. 4th generation fighters have the flexibility to be outfitted with new technology that makes them even more effective on modern battlefields. For this reason, these aircraft are often referred to as 4+ or 4++
We’ll use these qualities to measure how advanced each fighter aircraft is:
The power and reliability of the engine. The best fighters are powered by some of the most powerful and advanced engines in the world.
Their newest and most advanced weapon systems: After all, a fighter is only as effective as its weapons.
High-performance avionics: This simply means the advanced flight control equipment that makes the plan smooth to handle.
All-aspect stealth: This allows an aircraft to remain invisible to enemy radars and detectors for as long as possible. Some are even outfitted in such a way that they’re hard to spot with the naked eye as well.
State-of-the-art radar: This allows the fighter to detect enemies and offers low probability of being intercepted;
Deeply integrated computer systems: Onboard computers allow tighter control of the aircraft and help communicate with other fighters and ground control.
Keeping these characteristics in mind, let’s take a look at some of our favorite advanced fighter jets.
The U.S. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
Some love it, some hate it, but nobody denies that the F-35 is one of the most capable fighter jets in service.
While its earlier variants had loads of problems out the door, the U.S. government spent billions of dollars improving and tweaking the plane. Today, numerous tests and training fights show that the F-35 can challenge nearly any other jet.
There are three distinct F-35 variants: F-35A is your basic conventional fighter; F-35B is a short take off and vertical landing model; F-35C is the carrier variant designed to replace the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 fighter.
The standout features of the F-35 include its incredible array of advanced sensors, stealth features, and electronic warfare and networking capabilities. In total, development of the plane cost over $1.5 trillion dollars - making it the most expensive weapon platform in history.
The Chinese Chengdu J-20
Also known as the Mighty Dragon, the J-20 is China’s most advanced fighter jet with state-of-the-art stealth technology.
It is also the second 5th generation fighter jet to enter service in the world, an achievement made even more impressive by the fact that China has just recently started developing its own advanced fighter aircraft.
It’s also notable for being the second 5th generation fighter to enter service - an achievement that’s even more impressive considering that China has only recently started developing advanced military aircraft.
The true capabilities of the J-20 are a closely guarded secret known only to Chinese military officials. In spite of this, we are aware that China regularly upgrades its fleet. Combined with the fact that newer, more powerful engines have been developed domestically, it’s likely we’ll be seeing even more advanced variants in the future.
The Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM
The Sukhoi Su-30SM is the latest iteration of the most populous fighter jet of the Russian Air Force, the Su-27.
An improvement in every aspect from the base model, the Su-30 is a 4+ generation fighter aircraft and features new radar, avionics, weapons systems, and more.
Many countries, including India, Vietnam, Armenia, and others use various spinoffs of the Su-30 to great success. The Su-30 SM improves on these advancements with even better radar, newer avionics, and its thrust-vectoring system - which allows it to rotate jet engine nozzles for peerless maneuverability. Because of these features, the Su-30SM is one of the most maneuverable aircraft and one of the most advanced fighters in any military.
And of course, we can’t forget out these two highly Advanced Fighter Jets from the United States
Boeing F-15EX
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is the most popular aircraft of the United States Air Force (USAF), and is used to great effect by many other air forces around the world. Nowadays the jet is built by Boeing - which developed many improvements for the aircraft. The F-15E Strike Eagle is the most current variant, and the F-15EX is an upgrade that gives it 4+ generation capability with updated control systems, advanced weapon capabilities, and more.
The plane is based on the F-15QA developed for Qatar Air Force, but many other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Israel and others have also upgraded their F-15s to modern standards. In early 2021, the United States approved the sale of the F-15EX to India as well.
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
The F-22 Raptor was the first fifth-generation fighter jet and remains the stealthiest fighter jet in operation. It also laid the groundwork for other aircraft that followed by introducing low radar visibility, super cruise, advanced sensor networks, and Supermaneuverability in a single unit.
Although production was discontinued in 2011 due to exceptionally high costs, it remains one of the deadliest fighter jets for beyond-visual-range combat. It’s even more intimidating thanks to its reputation for exceptional dogfighting capability. Despite lacking multirole capabilities found in many other fighter jets, the Raptor is still an effective air-to-air platform.
Other Advanced Fighter Jets Worth Mentioning
Sukhoi Su-57 - Russian
Shenyang FC-31 - Chinese
Dassault Rafale - French
F-17 Thunder / HAL Tejas - Pakistan and China
Eurofighter Typhoon - Used by: Great Britain, Germany, Qatar, Kuwait, Italy, and others
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