Military Expert Reveals Most DANGEROUS Fighter Jets

Air superiority sits right at the heart of modern warfare, but what's the real deal behind getting there? Start by loading up a bunch of seriously impressive next-gen fighter jets and staffing them with the absolute cream of the crop pilots. That's a solid kickoff, but what truly defines an outstanding aircraft? What attributes does it possess, and what kind of weaponry must it carry to establish aerial supremacy? We're here to talk about it today. Watch this video to discover how our military experts assessed some of the world's finest fighter jets. Maintaining the advantage in the skies is the primary mission of the fighter jet, although modern fighter jets are good at providing air support for ground forces as well. From dogfights to supporting the boots on the ground, these are some of the best aircraft in the world in fulfilling the mission of the fighter jet. Some of them are rather old but still get the job done, and some of them are top of the line. Which did we want to talk about? Let's dive in. 10. The F-16 Fighting Falcon Ukraine has badly wanted to get its hands on the F-16 ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. There is a reason why. This fourth-generation fighter jet may be venerable, having been first introduced in the 1970s, but its latest version, the Block 7072, still makes it competitive with the world's premier aircraft. It features a new radar system that gives pilots greater situational awareness than other fourth-generation aircraft. There is also a center pedestal display that shows the pilot high-resolution tactical images to provide even more intelligence of battlefield conditions. The newest F-16 even has an automatic ground collision avoidance system, which has saved multiple pilots and aircraft from accidents, injury, and fatalities. The F-16 is a single-seat, single-engine fighter. Like all other F-16 versions, the latest one has a flight range of 500 miles, can handle up to 9 Gs of force, and can reach maximum speeds of Mach 2 in flight. It has a ceiling of 55,000 feet. The F-16 can carry all of the most advanced air-delivered bombs and missiles. The F-16 also boasts a 20mm cannon for close-range dogfighting. The United States Air Force BRASS originally had plans to phase out the F-16 in 2025, but slower-than-expected delivery of the F-35 and recent modifications for the F-16 has extended its lifespan for the foreseeable future. Don't be surprised if we reach the middle of the century and many of these aircraft are still in the skies, a testament to the F-16's quality and adaptability. 9. The Shukhoi Su-27 This single-seat, twin-engine fighter was introduced in the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s and made its debut to the West at the 1989 Paris Air Show. The Shukhoi Su-27, known as the Flanker to NATO forces, was originally designed as a counter to the United States F-16 and F-15 fighter jets. This plane has had some notoriety of late since both sides in the war in Ukraine have used it against each other. The Su-27 has a maximum speed of Mach 2.1 and a flight ceiling of about 58,000 feet. Arguably, the Su-27's best feature is its large payload. The plane is capable of carrying up to a dozen air-to-air or air-to-surface missiles. The aircraft's high payload system means that any enemy planes encountering a squadron would find themselves on the opposite end of a volley of missiles. The Su-27 is also more than maneuverable enough to do close-quarters combat and is armed with a 30mm cannon for this purpose. The Su-27 is not a stealth fighter, however, it has a smaller cross-section than other jets of its generation. The plane's stealthy features include a rounded nose, dual-engine integration, and a mostly horizontal wing layout. The Su-27 has also been a popular jet for international export. Its buyer countries include China, Eritrea, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Ukraine, among others. In a curiosity, two Su-27s were delivered to the United States. A few years ago, the plane was seen patrolling Area 51 and dogfighting with an F-16 as part of a training exercise. That exercise might prove very important for the skies over Ukraine in the coming months. As the F-16 is set to arrive in Ukraine, with Ukrainian pilots now training on the long sought-after platform, the world may soon see the battle in the skies between East and West that never quite played out during the Cold War, a much more serious version of the Area 51 test. 8. Shukhoi Su-35 Russia's premier fourth-generation-plus fighter jet, the Su-35 also bears the NATO callsign Flanker. This plane is a modernized version of the Su-27. It is designed to better handle targets of all types with superior speed and maneuverability. Like its predecessor, it is also a single-seat, twin-engined aircraft. The Su-35 has a flight ceiling of about 59,000 feet and can reach a top speed of about Mach 2.2. The Su-35 comes equipped with a 30mm cannon for close dogfighting and can carry a mixture of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles for both air superiority and ground support missions. The Su-35 does have a drawback compared to other fourth-generation-plus fighters. Its radar system and avionics are not as advanced as its peers. The Su-35 has an effective range of only about 200 kilometers against most surface targets because of its lack of an AESA radar. Radar which has antenna with different components designed to transmit and receive signals in a coordinated and electronically controlled manner. The Su-35 also lacks sensor fusion technology. It is the only major fourth-generation-plus aircraft which does not have these capabilities. The lack of these features means that the Su-35 cannot as effectively accomplish close air support missions. This and its lack of an imaging IR seeker has led experts to conclude that it's not as capable as the other fourth-generation fighters, like the F-15 Eagle or the Dassault Rafale. Still, the Su-35's combination of speed, maneuverability, and flight ceiling makes it a serious threat to many other fourth-generation fighters. Recently, Russia announced it will be selling 24 Su-35 jets to Iran, although this deal has reportedly collapsed and none of the planes have yet been delivered as of July 2023. Despite all the flaws, the Su-35 is the second most advanced jet in Russia's air fleet, and it will continue to be a factor in NATO's strategic plan for the foreseeable future. 7. F-15 Eagle The world's premier fourth-generation jet fighter, the single-seat, twin-engine F-15 Eagle was first introduced to the United States Air Force in the 1970s. But despite its age, it remains one of the world's finest fighting aircraft. It has a flight ceiling of 65,000 feet and a top speed of Mach 2. The F-15's combination of speed, range, and payload capacity makes it a highly sought-after fighter jet internationally, and it has routinely demonstrated its mettle in conflicts around the world. Foreign users of the F-15 include Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. The upgraded F-15 Eagle comes equipped with an advanced, integrated avionics system that gives the pilot critical intelligence on a heads-up display. It also has highly sophisticated radar systems that can track high and low-flying targets. The radar is also sensitive enough to track those low-flying targets without ground clutter confusing it, making the Eagle a highly intelligent and discerning weapons platform. The F-15 can carry all of the most advanced missiles and bombs in the USAF arsenal, precision-guided bombs and also comes with a 20mm cannon for close dogfighting. The USAF brass had originally planned to completely replace the F-15 Eagle with the F-22 Raptor, but the latter's expense made those plans impossible to fulfill. Nevertheless, plans for phase-out of the venerable fighter continue. In March 2023, the USAF announced it was looking to cut the F-15 fleet in half by 2030. The F-15s set to be retired are the ones that use the older Pratt & Whitney F-100PW-220E turbofan engines, which can produce 23,500 pounds of thrust. The Eagles equipped with the more modern F-100PW-229 engines, which can produce 29,000 pounds of thrust, will be the only ones left standing in the fleet. Plans are for the F-35A to fill the gap being left by the retiring Eagles. Even so, the F-15 Eagle, despite being 50 years old, looks to play a prominent role in the air forces of the United States and some of its international allies for years to come. Many consider it the greatest fighter jet of all time because of its combination of features and longevity. 6. Dessault Rafale One of the less famous but most capable jet fighters in the world, France's fourth-generation plus Dessault Rafale has two versions of the plane. The first is a ground takeoff and landing fighter. The second is a naval version designed to be used on aircraft carriers. The Rafale was first introduced in 2001. This single-seat, twin-engine plane is not a fifth-generation fighter or a true stealth plane, but it nevertheless has a reduced radar exposure compared to most of its other fourth-generation contemporaries. The Rafale has recently been upgraded, getting the capability to carry the 2,200-pound armament Air Sole Modulaire AASM, a precision-guided bomb, as well as upgraded scanner and radar equipment. The Rafale is slow by the standards of modern jets, with a top speed of about Mach 1.8. Even so, it comes armed with a hefty payload of eight air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles. It can also carry precision bombs like the AASM and other models. The Rafale also carries a 30mm cannon for close-in dogfighting. It has a flight ceiling of about 50,000 feet, making it comparable to other fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. The Rafale also has advanced radar and avionics systems that make it more than a match for other fourth-generation fighters and targets on the ground. The Rafale is a popular jet for international sales. Some of the countries that have purchased it include India, which bought 36 of them in 2016, and Qatar, with sales pending to the Greek, Croatian, Indonesian, Colombian, and United Arab Emirates air forces. 5. The Eurofighter Typhoon This multinational fourth-generation-plus fighter jet was developed through a partnership between the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. France was originally part of the partnership, which began in the 1980s, but withdrew from the agreement to pursue its own interests, which eventually resulted in the development of the Rafale. The Typhoon is a multi-role jet that is comfortable dishing out damage to targets in the skies and on the ground. It finally entered service in 2003. Although it's not a stealth aircraft, it is harder for enemy planes to detect on radar thanks to the materials it is made of. It is composed of only 15% metal. The rest of the Typhoon consists of composite materials that are 30% lighter than traditional aircraft components. The Typhoon is a single-seat, twin-engine plane. Like the Rafale, the Typhoon has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8, but it has a higher flight ceiling than its French counterpart, about 55,000 feet. The Typhoon made its combat debut over the skies of Libya in 2011, and also saw service in Syria and Iraq in 2015 against ISIS targets during Britain's Operation Shader. The Typhoon has also played a big role in reinforcing NATO air defense networks in the Baltic Sea. It has often patrolled the skies in that area in response to growing aggression from Russia. The Typhoon can come armed with air-to-air or air-to-surface missiles, depending on the mission. It can also carry precision bombs. The Typhoon also features a 27mm Mauser cannon for close-quarters combat. Some estimates claim that the Typhoon is about half as combat effective as the F-22 Raptor, but more effective than the Rafale or the older fourth-generation aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, and Russia's Su-27 and Su-35. Upgrades were recently announced for the Typhoon, including a new radar. Initial tests for the upgrades are scheduled for 2023 and 2024. The upgrades signal that even though the F-35 has arrived on the scene, the countries of Europe will continue to rely on the Typhoon for years to come. 4. The Su-57 Felon Russia's first fifth-generation fighter jet, the single-seat, twin-engine Su-57 is Moscow's answer to the stealth fighter. The Su-57 features an internal weapons bay to hide the plane's radar cross-section. It is also made of stealthy materials, like polymer, fiberglass, and aluminum. However, the Su-57 is widely regarded as the least stealthy of the four fifth-generation fighters currently in the skies. The Su-57 is sneaky, but isn't quite as hard for radar to detect as its peers. Nevertheless, it is a big step up from Russia's earlier fourth-generation fighters the Su-27 and Su-35. The Su-57 is a multi-role fighter, at home with attacking targets both in the air and on the ground. It also has a 30mm cannon and thrust-vectoring engines that make the Felon a good plane for dogfights. It also has a fast jet, with a speed of Mach 2 without the use of afterburners, making it roughly comparable to the American F-22 Raptor, which set the benchmark for fifth-generation fighter jets. The Su-57 has a variant, the Su-57E, which is made for export. The Su-57 has advanced avionics and electronic warfare systems. But as one might expect, Russia is keeping the details closed off to outsiders. Russian media has reported, however, that the brass is working to make its newest aircraft capable of networking with its S-70 Okhotnik B-drone. However, the extent of the progress on this, like much other specific information about the Felon, is unknown. Recently, the Felon has gotten 3D-printed landing gear to reduce expenses and the plane's weight. The biggest problem for the Russians now is the limited number of Su-57s that they have in their fleets. Russia has been hesitant to use the aircraft in the skies over Ukraine for fear that they might be shot down or lost in another way. With crippling international sanctions in place, it's debatable whether Russia will be able to manufacture the plane and the component parts it requires in big numbers. Nevertheless, the Russian brass still plans to have a fleet of 24 of them ready by 2025. 3. Chengdu J-20 China's first fifth-generation fighter jet, the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon is a single-seat, twin-engine plane that entered service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 2017. The J-20 is a multi-roles stealth aircraft with an internal weapons bay. In design, it looks a little like the F-22 Raptor and may have been based on stolen American plans. Experts believe that the Mighty Dragon has a maximum speed of around Mach 2 and a range of about 700 miles with a flight ceiling of about 60,000 feet. These features make experts believe that the J-20 would lose to the F-22 in a dogfight. However, the J-20 has recently gotten a big upgrade. In the summer of 2023, China demonstrated that it had succeeded in its goal of creating the engines that would give the J-20 the flight capability it had been designed for, the new homegrown WS-15. Previously, the plane had used engines imported from Russia. The new engines make the J-20 more of a threat to the United States' two fifth-generation fighters, the F-22 and F-35. For example, these Chinese engines are capable of thrust vectoring, further closing the gap with America's fifth-generation jets. Additionally, China continues to make and upgrade more J-20s while the F-22 Raptor program ended in 2011. The Chinese are naturally staying mum about the full extent of the J-20's capabilities and comparatively little is known about the Mighty Dragon. However, as more of these planes get made and upgraded, there is no doubt that the J-20 will be a formidable presence in the Indo-Pacific region and aid China's foreign policy there. The United States and its allies will need to take the plane and its capabilities into consideration when making their own strategic plans in the most hotly contested region in the world. 2. F-35 Lightning II The F-35 Lightning II has a long, controversial, and tumultuous history. The single-seat, single-engine jet began in 2001 as the Joint Strike Fighter program. The F-35 was designed to replace all of the fourth-generation fighters in the U.S. Air Force and Navy inventories, as well as the A-10 close air support plane. However, the F-35 was notorious for suffering in development hell. The Lightning II finally started to come online in the mid-2010s after running $163 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule. The F-35 has a top speed of Mach 1.6, which makes it slower than one would expect. However, the platform provides the pilot with situational awareness unlike any other fighter jet. In some ways, the F-35 is a stealthy supercomputer in the sky. Its sensor array allows it to not only gather information in an exceptional way, but make sense of it and share it with other assets, allowing for a better combined armed approach over the battlespace. For example, the Air Force has shown that the F-22 and F-35 can link up to the experimental Valkyrie stealth drone, giving these planes even more options to harm the enemy. Like all fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the F-35 has stealth features in its design and manufacturing materials. It was not made specifically to be an air superiority fighter, however. It is an all-role fighter with missiles and bombs that can hit targets in the air or on the ground. It also comes with a 25mm cannon for dogfighting. Nevertheless, the Lightning II is at its best when it can work with other platforms to deliver pain. The F-35 comes in three variants. The conventional takeoff F-35A, made for the Air Force. The short takeoff and vertical landing capable F-35B, made for the Marine Corps. And the carrier-based F-35C, made for the United States Navy. The aircraft is expected to remain in service up to the year 2070. 1. F-22 Raptor The single-seat, twin-engine F-22 Raptor was the world's first fifth-generation fighter and set the benchmark for its generation of peers. It emphasized speed, maneuverability, and stealth. Making it vastly superior to the fourth-generation fighters that came before it, even the more advanced ones like the Rafale and the Typhoon. First introduced into service in 2005, it is still the world's premier air superiority fighter jet. But it is also well in its element when it comes to attacking targets on the ground. The F-22 Raptor can reach speeds of Mach 2 without the use of afterburners and has a flight ceiling of over 50,000 feet. It also comes with engines that feature 3D thrust vectoring that make it a more formidable threat in close-range dogfights. The Raptor has an internal weapons bay that can carry six longer-range air-to-air missiles and two lateral bays that can carry shorter-range missiles. It also has a 20mm cannon for close-quarters combat. The Raptor was deemed so important that the United States refuses to sell it or its parts to other countries. F-22 pilots are even barred from using its full capabilities in war games with close allies. Such is the fear in Washington that the Raptor's secrets will be exposed. This and its expense of delivery at about $143 million per plane, with a cost of about $40,000 for each hour in the air, limited the production of the F-22. Only 187 of the planes were built, and no new ones have been delivered for over a decade. As of 2022, only about 130 Raptors are operational, with an even lower amount of them being deemed combat-ready. Despite this shortfall in quantity, the F-22 more than makes up for it in quality. Its situational awareness and avionics systems are unparalleled. This combined with its physical attributes make the plane incredibly difficult for enemy aircraft to get a lock on, even not accounting for the Raptor's stealth qualities. Shooting an F-22 down would be a daunting proposition for any opponent. Although it's no longer being delivered to the Air Force, the F-22 Raptor is expected to remain operational until 2060, meaning it will continue its mission of air dominance for decades to come. So what do you think? Do you agree with our countdown, or would you change any of our proposed rankings? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more military analysis from Military Experts.