MiG-25 “Foxbat”: Mach 2.83 (about 1,900 mph / 3,058 km/h), the fastest operational fighter; in 1976 a defector flew one to Japan and testing reached Mach 3.2, with only a handful remaining in service as recon aircraft. MiG-31 “Foxhound”: Mach 2.83 (≈1,900 mph / 3,058 km/h) long-range interceptor and one of the fastest jets still…
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The F-35 has three variants—F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C—and can carry 2× 2000-lb bombs internally (or up to 18,000 lb externally) with a top speed of about Mach 1.6. As of 2025, the F-35A unit flyaway price is roughly $80–$90 million (B/C around $100 million), with production around 150 jets per year and over 1,000 aircraft…
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In 1958, the Mirage III became the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight. The Mirage IIIC entered French service by 1961. The Mirage F1 first flew in 1966 and could land about 60 knots slower than the Mirage III. The Mirage 2000 first flew in 1978 and introduced fly-by-wire…
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F-35 Lightning II, a 5th-gen stealth fighter, first flew in 2006, entered service in the mid-2010s, and by 2025 had over 1,000 delivered to 17 nations. F-22 Raptor, a 5th-gen air-superiority fighter, first flew in 1997 and entered service in 2005, with a top speed around Mach 2.25 and only 195 built. Chengdu J-20 Mighty…
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By late 2024, the F-35 Lightning II had surpassed 1,000 deliveries worldwide, fueling Lockheed Martin’s market dominance and its ubiquity across more than a dozen nations. Lockheed Martin continues F-16 production into a 50th year with new Block 70/72 variants exported to Slovakia and Bahrain. Boeing is delivering the F-15EX Eagle II to the U.S.…
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