{"id":1634,"date":"2012-11-21T12:52:03","date_gmt":"2012-11-21T12:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.migflug.com\/jetflights\/?p=1634"},"modified":"2026-05-06T11:03:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T09:03:20","slug":"fifth-generation-fighter-jets-a-chinese-russian-and-us-arms-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fifth-generation-fighter-jets-a-chinese-russian-and-us-arms-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Fifth generation fighter jets – A Chinese, Russian, Indian and US arms race."},"content":{"rendered":"

Stealth fighter jets introduced – New technology means new possibilities.<\/h2>\n

Fifth generation fighters are the most technologically advanced jets ever built. They were designed to operate with the help of digital programs and fly-by-wire to counter the threats they counter on the battlefield. Sophisticated avionics, stealth technology and super manoeuvrability are just a few advantages over older jets that give them domination in the sky. Being invisible to the enemies is a priority for the engineers, but it is also an extremely hard\u00a0task for them. The stealth technology is a complex and advanced range of techniques which makes the aircraft (or any other vehicle) less visible to the opponent\u2019s radars, and therefore reduces the chance of being detected. Appropriate design, smooth surfaces, electronic countermeasures and many others, are certain issues for the aircraft companies to deal with. Each fighter jet requires an appropriate mix of these techniques. Stealth design features enforces complex shape of the whole construction. Plain surfaces reduce the radar bounce-off and specially shaped exhaust nozzles reduce the IR radiation. Also the engines are located in body of the plane in order to hide as much of the heat-signature as possible. Special radars also have to be developed since the enemies can detect the aircraft’s own radar emissions.\u00a0All these aspects have to be taken into account by engineers and this makes the designing extremely complex and expensive. That is the reason why only a few countries have decided to pursue the development of fifth generation fighter jets.<\/p>\n

Lockheed F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II \u2013 Worthy successors to today\u2019s kings of the sky?<\/h2>\n
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Two F-35A Lightning II – long range test flight<\/p><\/div>\n

The United States Air Force undertook the Advance Tactical Fighter program in the mid 1980’s. Two air superiority fighters to replace F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon have since then been developed. In 2005 the first fifth generation fighter jet the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor was introduced by the USAF. It is an air superiority, supersonic, highly maneuverable stealth-featuring fighter equipped with state of the art weapons and electronics.\u00a0It has supercruise at Mach 1.8, which means fly at Mach 1.8 without the use of afterburners.<\/p>\n