The Most Advanced Fifth-Generation Fighter, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the fifth-generation fighter you think is the most advanced!

Updated on Apr 26, 2024 06:16

In an era where technological advancements in military aviation significantly impact global defense strategies, understanding the capabilities of fifth-generation fighters is crucial. These aircraft are at the forefront of aerospace technology, featuring stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and superior aerial combat features. Ranking these fighters helps enthusiasts and experts alike gauge their effectiveness and technological sophistication. By participating in the ranking, users contribute to a broader community discussion, sharing insights and preferences regarding fighter aircraft. This dynamic ranking offers an engaging way for users to express their views and understand others' opinions on these top-tier military assets. Through collective engagement, the ranking evolves, reflecting the most admired and respected fighters in the field.

What Is the Most Advanced Fifth-generation Fighter?

1

73
votes
U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes · Public domain

F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin

This is currently the most advanced fifth-generation fighter in the world. It has advanced stealth capabilities, superior situational awareness, and the latest sensor technologies. It is also highly versatile, with the ability to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters designed for ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions. It is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which aimed to develop a cost-effective and highly capable aircraft for multiple branches of the military.

Top Speed: 1,200 mph (1,930 km/h, Mach 1.6)

Range: 1,350 miles (2,220 km)

Service Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,240 meters)

Unit Cost: $77.9 million - $101.3 million (depending on the variant)

Armament: Gun, missiles, and bombs (internal and external)
F-35 Lightning II in other rankings
- Position 1 of 10 in Most advanced military technology
- Position 1 of 10 in Most advanced planes
- Position 1 of 10 in Most overrated plane
- Position 1 of 10 in Most difficult plane to fly
- Position 7 of 10 in Most advanced plane in War Thunder
2

28
votes
Su-57

Russia's Su-57 fighter is also considered to be one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighters. It has advanced stealth capabilities, a high degree of maneuverability, and advanced avionics. It is also capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The Su-57 is a fifth-generation multirole fighter jet designed and manufactured by the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi. It is also known as the T-50 and PAK FA. The Su-57 is intended to be a direct competitor to the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

Maximum speed: 2,441 km/h

Range: 3,500 km

Ceiling: 20,000 m

Thrust vectoring: Yes

First flight: 29 January 2010
3

25
votes
J-20

China's J-20 fighter is also considered to be one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighters. It has a high degree of stealth, advanced avionics, and is highly maneuverable. It is also capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The J-20 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet developed by the People's Republic of China. It is also known as the Chengdu J-20 and is designed for long-range air superiority missions.

Length: 20.3 meters

Wingspan: 13.5 meters

Height: 4.45 meters

Maximum Speed: Mach 2.25

Service Ceiling: 20,000 meters
4

20
votes
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dan T. Le/Released) · Public domain

F-22 Raptor

Lockheed Martin

The F-22 Raptor was the first fifth-generation fighter to enter service. It has advanced stealth capabilities, a high degree of maneuverability, and advanced avionics. However, it is primarily designed for air-to-air combat.
The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter jet built for air superiority. It is designed to have stealth capabilities and advanced avionics to defeat modern air defense systems.

Max speed: 1,500 mph

Ceiling: 65,000 ft

Range: 1,840 miles

Thrust: 35,000 lbf

Length: 62 ft
F-22 Raptor in other rankings
- Position 2 of 10 in Most difficult plane to fly
- Position 3 of 10 in Most advanced planes
- Position 5 of 10 in Most advanced plane in War Thunder
- Position 5 of 10 in Most beautiful aircraft ever built
5

10
votes
Johnxxx9 at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

HAL AMCA

India's HAL AMCA is currently under development and is poised to become one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighters in the world. It will have advanced stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and will be highly maneuverable. It is also expected to be capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The HAL AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of India. It is designed to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy.

Role: Multirole stealth fighter

Generation: Fifth-generation

Crew: Single-seat

Max speed: Mach 2

Range: More than 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles)
6

14
votes
KF-X

South Korea's KF-X is also under development and is expected to be one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighters. It will have advanced stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and will be highly maneuverable. It is also expected to be capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The KF-X, which stands for Korean Fighter Experimental, is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft under development by South Korea. It is a multirole fighter jet designed to replace the aging fleet of F-4D/E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft in the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). The KF-X is intended to be a platform with advanced stealth capabilities, superior maneuverability, and state-of-the-art avionics.

Role: Multirole fighter

Stealth Capability: Low observable design features

Engines: Two General Electric F414-GE-400K turbofan engines

Maximum Speed: Mach 2.1 (approximately 2,660 km/h or 1,655 mph)

Range: 2,900 km (1,800 mi)
7

10
votes
FC-31

China's FC-31 is another advanced fifth-generation fighter currently under development. It will have advanced stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and will be highly maneuverable. It is also expected to be capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The FC-31 is a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter aircraft.

Max speed: Mach 1.8

Range: 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles)

Service Ceiling: ~16,000 meters (52,000 feet)

Thrust: 2 × RD-93 or WS-13 afterburning turbofans, each providing 83 kN (18,596 lbf) of thrust

Armament: Internal and external hardpoints for carrying missiles, bombs, and other air-to-ground munitions
8

11
votes
TFX

Turkey's TFX is a fifth-generation fighter currently under development. It will have advanced stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and will be highly maneuverable. It is also expected to be capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The TFX, also known as the Turkish Fighter Experimental, is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft currently under development. It is being created by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in collaboration with the defense contractor BAE Systems.

Length: 19 meters

Wingspan: 13 meters

Maximum Speed: Mach 2

Range: 2,222 kilometers

Combat Radius: 1,852 kilometers
9

6
votes
Tempest

The Tempest is a fifth-generation fighter currently under development by a consortium of European countries. It will have advanced stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and will be highly maneuverable. It is also expected to be capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The Tempest is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft designed to meet the requirements of future air combat missions. It is being developed as part of a collaborative effort between the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and several leading aerospace companies.

Stealth Capability: Significantly reduced radar cross-section and infrared signature for enhanced survivability.

Supercruise: Ability to sustain supersonic speeds without using afterburners.

Data Fusion: Integration of data from various sources, sensors, and platforms for improved situational awareness.

Advanced Avionics: State-of-the-art onboard systems for enhanced performance and mission effectiveness.

Directed Energy Weapons: Capability to employ high-energy lasers and other directed energy weapons.
10

10
votes
MiG-41

The MiG-41 is a fifth-generation fighter currently under development by Russia. It is expected to have advanced stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and will be highly maneuverable. It is also expected to be capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The MiG-41 is a proposed fifth-generation fighter aircraft being developed by Mikoyan, a Russian aerospace company. It is intended to serve as a successor to the MiG-31 interceptor aircraft.

Primary function: Interceptor

Crew: 1

Length: unknown

Wingspan: unknown

Height: unknown

Missing your favorite fifth-generation fighter?

Graphs

Discussion

Ranking factors for advanced fifth-generation fighter

Stealth

Fifth-generation fighters should feature low radar cross-section (RCS) and be hard to detect by enemy radar. This includes the design, materials used, and technologies incorporated to minimize the aircraft's signature.
Avionics

Advanced sensors, radar, and communication systems enable the fighter to gather, process, and share information effortlessly with other assets on the battlefield. This includes having electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, data fusion, and advanced networking capabilities.
Maneuverability

The ability of the aircraft to perform well at a wide range of speed, altitude, and angles of attack, is vital for evading enemy threats and conducting effective air-to-air combat.
Weapon systems

The aircraft's ability to carry and effectively deploy a wide range of weapons is crucial for achieving mission objectives. This includes air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground munitions, and advanced targeting systems for precision strikes.
Payload capacity

The ability of the aircraft to carry a large payload of weapons and fuel, allowing it to engage multiple targets and sustain long-range missions if required.
Range and endurance

The fighter's ability to fly and engage in combat roles over long distances without refueling, increasing its operational effectiveness.
Supercruise ability

The ability of the aircraft to maintain supersonic flight without using afterburners, which enhances its speed and performance while saving fuel.
Interoperability

The fighter's compatibility with other air, land, and naval assets, enabling seamless collaboration with allied forces and integration into existing defense systems.
Maintainability and reliability

The ease with which an aircraft can be maintained, repaired, and kept in optimal condition, thus ensuring high mission readiness and low operational costs.
Affordability

The overall cost of development, production, and operational expenses can impact the availability and usefulness of the aircraft for various militaries around the globe.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or fighter is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1896 views
205 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each fighter once every 24 hours. The rank of each fighter is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

More information on most advanced fifth-generation fighter

Background Information: Fifth-generation fighters are the latest and most advanced jet fighters in the world. These aircraft are designed to be stealthy, highly maneuverable, and equipped with advanced avionics systems that provide pilots with unparalleled situational awareness. The term "fifth-generation" refers to the next generation of fighter aircraft after the fourth-generation, which includes planes like the F-15, F-16, and F/A-18. Fifth-generation fighters are characterized by their advanced stealth capabilities, advanced sensors and avionics, and highly integrated computer systems. Currently, there are three main contenders for the title of most advanced fifth-generation fighter: the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Lightning II, and the Su-57 (formerly known as the PAK-FA). Each of these aircraft has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and debates over which is the most advanced continue to rage among aviation enthusiasts and military experts alike. Regardless of which aircraft ultimately comes out on top, there is no doubt that fifth-generation fighters represent the cutting edge of military aviation technology, and will play a critical role in the future of air combat.