#10: JAS-39 Gripen


#9: FA-18E/F Super Hornet


#8: F-16C Fighting Falcon


#7: F-14D Tomcat


#6: Su-27 Flanker


#5: F-15C Eagle


#4: Dassault Rafale


#3: Eurofighter Typhoon


#2: F-35 Lightning II


#1: F/A-22 Raptor

The current cutting edge of fighter design combines previous emphasis on versatility with new developments such as thrust vectoring, composite materials, supercruise, and stealth technology. To date, none of these aircraft have been used in combat. Current developments include reducing the radar visibility of fighters—techniques known as stealth—as well as increased range at supersonic speeds (supercruise) and better maneuverability.

Of these, only the American F-22 Raptor, put into production in 2004 are operational, and it is often regarded as the first of a new generation of fighters, termed the fifth generation. (Although the European Eurofighter Typhoon is often considered a direct rival to the F-22 Raptor with a similar performance). The in-development F-35 Lightning II (formerly Joint Strike Fighter) has also been designed for stealth, and the F-22 has influenced the continued development of the 4th generation designs, and the shape of design work for other countries' long-term fighter development projects (for instance, the rumoured Chinese Shenyang J-XX project, Indian Medium Combat Aircraft, and the Russian PAK FA).

Check out the article at Wikipedia.

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