Fighter jets represent the sharp end of any air force’s capabilities and are often its most critical assets. These fast, agile, and powerful machines are designed for air-to-air combat, but modern fighters have evolved into truly universal aircraft, capable of performing a diverse range of missions. While many nations operate older, more cost-effective models, leading military powers continually seek an edge by procuring state-of-the-art fighters equipped with the latest technology. Defining the single Best Fighter Aircraft In World is complex, as mission requirements and technological philosophies differ, but some designs stand out due to their advanced capabilities.
The sophistication of a fighter jet directly correlates with its effectiveness. Consequently, cutting-edge technologies are hallmarks of top-tier combat aircraft. Powerful engines, advanced weapons systems, and sophisticated radar arrays allow these platforms to excel in multiple roles (multirole). Some employ innovative features like thrust-vectoring engine nozzles for enhanced maneuverability, while others prioritize stealth designs to minimize their radar and thermal signatures. The latest generation fighters integrate complex computers and secure communication links for superior data processing and network-centric warfare.
But which fighter jets truly lead the pack? This analysis considers aircraft that are currently operational or have at least flown. Experimental or developmental aircraft like Russia’s Sukhoi Checkmate, India’s HAL AMCA, or Turkey’s TAI TF-X KAAN are excluded as they haven’t entered service or completed initial flight testing phases. Similarly, sixth-generation concepts like the NGAD, FCAS, and Tempest are still in early design stages.
Here is AeroTime’s ranking of the top 10 best fighter aircraft in the world for 2024.
10. Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker-E
The Russian Sukhoi family, including the Su-30, Su-35, and Su-37, alongside China’s Shenyang J-16, trace their lineage to the highly successful Su-27 Flanker platform. These aircraft incorporate various upgrades, bringing them to 4.5-generation capability levels. Among these advanced derivatives, the Su-35S stands out as arguably the ultimate evolution. It integrates Russia’s latest avionics and features numerous airframe enhancements. Its most notable characteristic is the use of thrust-vectoring engine nozzles, which allow directional control of engine exhaust, granting exceptional maneuverability. This agility is so pronounced that the Su-35S design omits the canards seen on earlier Su-30 and Su-35 variants.
Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker-E performing aerobatics
9. Eurofighter Typhoon
Developed through a collaborative European effort, the Eurofighter Typhoon delivers impressive performance and incorporates advanced technologies. Initially intended for European air forces, its capabilities have attracted significant international interest. It now serves with prominent air forces across Europe and the Middle East, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The Typhoon is recognized as one of the most potent 4th generation fighters globally. Its latest operational variant, Tranche 3, features modern systems, while the even more advanced Tranche 4, introduced in 2020, further enhances the electronics and weapon systems, ensuring its continued relevance in modern air combat scenarios.
Eurofighter Typhoon combat jet in flight
8. Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale shares some developmental history with the Eurofighter Typhoon, as they originated from a single program before France pursued a separate design in the mid-1980s to meet its specific national requirements. Key differentiators include a carrier-capable variant (Rafale M) designed for operations from aircraft carriers, a feature not present in the Typhoon. The Rafale is also certified to carry France’s air-launched nuclear deterrent. Dassault continuously upgrades the Rafale platform; the current F3-R standard incorporates advanced weapons systems and sensors. The next evolution, the Rafale F4 standard, is currently under development and promises further improvements to its radar and avionics. Deliveries of the F4 variant are anticipated for France, the United Arab Emirates, India, and other customers, with older models also slated for upgrades.
French Air Force Dassault Rafale multirole fighter
7. Boeing F-15EX Eagle II
The original Boeing F-15 Eagle was among the pioneering 4th generation fighters, first flying over five decades ago in 1972. Despite its age, the F-15 platform remains a formidable combat aircraft. It holds an unparalleled air combat record, credited with over 100 air-to-air victories without suffering any air-to-air losses. Continuous upgrades have kept the design relevant, incorporating state-of-the-art technologies. The F-15EX Eagle II represents the latest iteration, developed by Boeing to extend the Eagle’s service life and capabilities well into the future. This advanced variant features a new radar system, modernized avionics including a digital fly-by-wire system, enhanced electronic warfare capabilities, and the capacity to carry a larger weapons payload, ensuring its effectiveness in contemporary and future aerial warfare environments.
USAF F-15E Strike Eagle variant, predecessor to the F-15EX Eagle II
6. Shenyang FC-31 Gyrfalcon
First revealed over a decade ago, China’s Shenyang FC-31 Gyrfalcon project is nearing operational status. While the FC-31 designation might be primarily for export, derived versions (potentially designated J-35) appear poised to become China’s next-generation carrier-based fighter jet, complementing the larger J-20. Details about its exact capabilities remain largely classified by Chinese authorities. However, recent observations of prototypes show significant design refinements, including redesigned engine housings possibly for new engines, a modified canopy, and other potential upgrades suggesting advancements in stealth and sensor technology. Its development signifies China’s growing ambition in advanced combat aircraft design, particularly for naval aviation.
Early prototype Shenyang J-31 (FC-31 Gyrfalcon) at Zhuhai Air Show 2014
5. Sukhoi Su-57 Felon
The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon is Russia’s first aircraft designed with stealth characteristics, representing its entry into 5th generation fighter technology. However, its development pathway has been marked by numerous challenges and delays. Originally planned for service entry years earlier, the Su-57 currently exists only in relatively small numbers within the Russian Aerospace Forces. Plans are underway to equip the Su-57 with a new, more powerful ‘Izdeliye 30’ engine to improve performance, alongside other anticipated upgrades. The Su-57 is characterized as a heavy fighter featuring low-observability (stealth) features, advanced radar systems, and potentially high maneuverability, particularly at low speeds, aiming to compete with other global 5th generation designs.
Sukhoi Su-57 Felon fifth-generation stealth fighter demonstrating flight capabilities
4. KAI KF-21 Boramae
Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for South Korea, with Indonesia as a junior partner, the KAI KF-21 Boramae marks a major achievement for the Korean aerospace sector. Often classified as a 4.5-generation fighter, it incorporates stealth design elements, an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, and utilizes some technologies derived from or influenced by the F-35 program. The first prototype achieved its maiden flight in July 2022, with several additional prototypes currently undergoing flight testing and development at KAI facilities. The manufacturer targets initial deliveries to the Republic of Korea Air Force starting in 2026. Future planned upgrades aim to enhance its capabilities further, including the integration of internal weapons bays and improved sensors for greater stealth, along with an integrated electronic warfare suite, potentially evolving it towards true 5th-generation standards in later blocks.
KAI KF-21 Boramae advanced fighter displayed at Seoul ADEX 2023 airshow
3. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor holds the distinction of being the world’s first operational 5th generation fighter jet and pioneered the integration of stealth technology into a fighter design. Its combination of stealth, supercruise (sustained supersonic flight without afterburners), thrust-vectoring engines for extreme maneuverability, and advanced sensor suite gives it unparalleled air dominance capabilities, excelling in both close-range dogfights and beyond-visual-range engagements. The United States Air Force (USAF) remains the sole operator, as export was prohibited due to its sensitive technology. Despite this, the F-22 has been deployed internationally for various missions, demonstrating its effectiveness. The USAF continues to invest in upgrading the Raptor fleet, ensuring that despite its design origins dating back over two decades, it remains one of the most advanced and capable combat aircraft globally.
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth tactical fighter in flight
2. Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon
China’s first operational 5th generation fighter, the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2017. It is a large, twin-engine, heavy fighter designed primarily for air superiority, intended to rival platforms like the American F-22 and the Russian Su-57. The J-20 represents a significant leap in Chinese military aviation, featuring advanced avionics, stealth characteristics, and potentially long-range capabilities. While likely not as agile in close-in maneuvering as fighters with thrust vectoring (though this may change with engine upgrades), its stealthy design is considered highly advanced. Specific performance details remain classified, but China is actively enhancing the J-20. New variants are emerging, including a reported two-seat version possibly intended for controlling unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). A more powerful indigenous engine (WS-15) is also reportedly being integrated, replacing earlier Russian or interim Chinese engines.
Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter performing at Changchun Air Show 2022
1. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II represents the culmination of the United States’ fifth-generation fighter efforts and is arguably the benchmark for modern combat aircraft globally. Since entering production in 2006, the F-35 program has focused on delivering unparalleled capabilities through a combination of very low observable stealth, advanced sensor fusion, powerful data networking, the world’s most powerful fighter engine (Pratt & Whitney F135), and cutting-edge radar technology. Its pilots utilize a sophisticated helmet-mounted display system providing exceptional situational awareness. The F-35’s design emphasizes all-aspect stealth and sensor fusion, making it exceptionally lethal in beyond-visual-range combat. Reports from exercises like Red Flag in 2017 indicated a dominant performance, with F-35s achieving high kill ratios (e.g., 20:1) attributed largely to its superior situational awareness, allowing pilots to track and engage targets effectively from unexpected angles.
The F-35 program encompasses three distinct variants tailored for different operational needs:
- F-35A: Conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version, the most common variant for air forces.
- F-35B: Short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version, enabling operations from smaller amphibious assault ships or austere bases.
- F-35C: Carrier variant (CV) with larger wings and robust landing gear for aircraft carrier operations.
While the program faced initial developmental hurdles and significant cost overruns, making it the most expensive weapons system ever, ongoing production has seen unit costs decrease, and initial deficiencies have been addressed through continuous upgrades (e.g., Block 4 modernization). Consequently, the F-35 has become a major export success, adopted by numerous allied nations seeking cutting-edge air power capabilities. Its combination of stealth, sensors, and networking firmly places it at the top of the list for the Best Fighter Aircraft In World discussions for 2024.
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II variant operated by USAF at Lakenheath, UK
These ten aircraft represent the forefront of aerial combat technology in 2024. Each is a testament to advanced engineering, integrating sophisticated capabilities in speed, stealth, firepower, sensors, and maneuverability that enable dominance in modern air warfare scenarios, encompassing both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
What About Other Advanced Fighter Jets?
This ranking highlights premier aircraft primarily from the US, China, South Korea, and Russia. However, several other nations produce highly capable fighter jets. While they didn’t make this specific top 10 list for 2024, aircraft like Sweden’s Saab Gripen E, and potentially forthcoming developments from other nations continue to push the boundaries of aerospace technology and deserve recognition for their advanced capabilities.
