The best plane. The best combat aircraft (photos)

Military aviation has always attracted a lot of public attention. And, if at the time of its inception it delighted with its efficiency, today it surprises with its capabilities and the presence of a mass of high-tech solutions. We live in a very unstable world, in which things happen every now and then. local conflicts, but perhaps the only advantage of this is the opportunity to observe best works engineering art in action. We have combined them into a rating the best military fighters in the world, which can not only surprise you with the technical progress of the defense industry, but also make you proud own country, because most of the leading positions belong to Russian aircraft. As they say, “First things first, the planes...”

10. Dassault “Mirage” 2000 (France)

French aviation has noticeably improved since the Second World War, when it was completely destroyed German army. Attempts to be independent foreign policy demanded strong army, so 30 years ago the Mirage military aircraft appeared, which immediately became the main fighter of the French Air Force and did not give up this position for two decades, because it showed excellent performance in peacekeeping operations V North Africa, as a result of which it began to be purchased en masse by India. It was in this region that he found himself: the successful destruction of enemy aircraft and headquarters, as well as guided missile attacks, broke the rebel resistance in a couple of days. According to some reports, despite being discontinued in 2006, Dassault 2000 participated in the Libyan War, where it caused stunning damage to the military equipment of Gaddafi's army.

9.

Just a couple of years ago, the Falcon, ranked ninth in the ranking of the best fighters in the world, was the most common combat aircraft in the world. Low cost and quality indicators made it the main export product of the American Air Force. As of today, there are 4,750 F-16 fighters worldwide. The modernized version will be produced at least until the end of 2017. Pictures of this aircraft were repeatedly captured by military reporters; it managed to take part in 100 conflicts, the most famous of which are the NATO Operation against Yugoslav troops and the Iraq War. In the Israeli army F-16 Fighting Falcon are the most effective combat fighters. According to official data, they have forty air victories.

8.

Although prototypes have not yet taken part in hostilities, and its commissioning is planned for 2018; it has already incorporated the leading developments of domestic engineers. Compared to its predecessor, it will become more economical in terms of fuel consumption, but at the same time it will create more conditions for pilot comfort: from automated flight control during aiming to the increased volume of air created by an autonomous oxygen station. The only fly in the ointment, in our opinion, is the too early attempts of the Russian Ministry of Defense to involve it in international tenders, because the radar and some equipment are still not brought to ideal condition. A positive feature of this model is the cost of production; for example, the French produce aircraft with similar characteristics two to three times more expensive.

7.

The most successful American project over the last forty years, it ranks seventh in the top ten best combat fighters in the world. The F-15 Eagle is guaranteed to remain in service until 2025, which means it will have time to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. It’s amazing, but “Eagle” suffered defeat in such a long period air combat only once, while destroying about a hundred enemy aircraft. This fighter is connected with the story of an Israeli Air Force pilot named Peled, who during the military conflict in Syria was able to destroy six enemy aircraft and cause significant damage to four more. Now in service various countries There are six hundred F-15s, and they are not going to be written off, because on average problems occur only once in 50 thousand flight hours.

6.

The crown of thought of French aircraft designers in the context of fourth generation fighters. The only drawback is the high cost of production, which requires the involvement of a lot of precision engineering objects. Having started its journey with the war in Afghanistan 15 years ago, the Rafale has proven its effectiveness in the fight against the Libyan army. It is worth noting that the “victims” of the Rafale were most often domestic fighters and helicopters in service with the Libyan Air Force. Speaking of modern times, Dassault is mostly involved in training exercises and has only carried out strikes against Islamic State forces in Iraq on a few occasions. It is also associated with a lot of incidents when the plane crashed or exploded in the air, but the manufacturer has proven that the cause of such situations is most often the human factor.

5.

The most reliable domestic aircraft is located at the equator of the ranking of the best military fighters in the world. He repeatedly proved his superiority during the exercises. Forming the backbone of the Indian Air Force, the Su-30 defeated American and British competitors in training battles, and in most cases, dryly. Also, it was Sukhoi that ensured the success of the operation of the Russian military space forces in Syria, and played a decisive role in the liberation of Palmyra. Over a quarter of a century, only 9 incidents were recorded, most of which were caused by an engine fire or insufficient fuel; fortunately, there were no military casualties, with the exception of a Vietnamese Air Force plane crashing into the sea.

4.

The only fighter created by the joint efforts of the countries of the European Union and proven its effectiveness during real combat operations (coalition operations in Syria and Iraq). Its undoubted advantage is the ability to interfere with enemy radars and, thereby, correct the direction of flight of guided missiles, so the absence of losses should not be a surprise. Another advantage is maximum range shooting, in this indicator Typhoon surpasses its closest competitors by as much as a hundred kilometers. Today, the countries of Europe and the Middle East are armed with about half a thousand fighters, each of which has a unique modification and production technology.

3.

The aircraft, which opens the top three among the best military fighters in the world, requires special attention, because it will form the backbone of the aviation wing of our country’s permanent military base in Syria. Secrecy of production for a long time forced potential buyers to avoid investing in a risky project, but participation in hostilities, where the Su-35 covered the main attacking forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces, attracted a lot of attention to it. Considering that the aircraft is an extremely thorough modernization of the Su-27 (this is evidenced by the identical airframe), the fighter serves as proof of the durability of domestic military equipment, and also speaks of following traditions in aviation. Unfortunately, information about participation in exercises or battles with the enemy was not presented to the public.

2.

Multifunctional, economical, effective - in general, in front of you best fighter manufactured in the United States. From 2014 to today, he has formed the backbone of the Air Force in Syria, where, having begun the fight against radical Islamists, he continues to create significant problems for IS troops. A noteworthy case is when the pilot, in one combat mission, not only completed a combat mission, but also remained in a certain area for another six hours, without being noticed by enemy forces and transmitting the coordinates of the positions of the enemy who was trying to evacuate the base. Over the past two years, the F-22 has successfully completed approximately 210 combat missions. The entire operational period includes only two casualties during conflict, indicating high quality and reliability of the Raptor.

1. Sukhoi T-50 (Russia)

Palm in the ranking and title the best military fighter in the world receives the Sukhoi T-50 - the first domestic fifth-generation aircraft capable of simultaneous combat with several opponents located both in the sky and on the ground. This was made possible thanks to increased maneuverability and advanced technology. Even Western experts praised the first steps of Russian engineers in creating fighters with stealth reduction technology, but in practice it is not possible to draw any solid conclusions: all tests are carried out behind closed doors, and the final configuration of the prototype will be presented only in a year and a half.

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We couldn't ignore the best one soviet fighter, which is still in service both in post-Soviet countries and among allies in the communist camp, because he is in the top ten. It is noteworthy that the Su 27 becomes a participant in any computer flight simulator. Also, this aircraft is the only domestically produced fighter that participated in hostilities in Central Africa, where it neutralized 3 enemy aircraft without loss, and the only identified disadvantage is the rather high fuel consumption during afterburner.

10

The Gripen multirole fighter was created starting in the mid-1980s for the defense of the country - there was a need for a new generation fighter, created at a qualitatively new level, which could simultaneously be an interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft and attack aircraft. The fighter concept was originally designed with flexibility in mind: new fighter it had to be able to operate from poorly prepared airfields and have a short take-off, be convenient and easy to maintain, have a high time between failures of elements and be maximally optimized for combat operations in Swedish conditions.

The aircraft is made according to the “Duck” aerodynamic design with a mid-mounted delta wing. The airframe of the aircraft was created taking into account the reduction of radar signature: 30% of the body is made of composites, 2 S-shaped air intakes. It has one Volvo Aero RM-12 bypass turbojet engine, developed on the basis of the General Electric F404.

9

During the 1999 air campaign, the F-16 was one of NATO's main attack aircraft; Aircraft from the US Air Force, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Turkey took part in the fighting. American aircraft were actively used to combat Yugoslav radars. During the campaign, Fighting Falcon pilots scored two aerial victories over MiG-29 fighters, one of them by a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot. According to official NATO data, losses amounted to one aircraft, which was shot down on May 2 anti-aircraft missile system S-125; the pilot ejected and was evacuated. Serbian and Russian sources claim heavier losses (according to one publication, at least 7 “reliably shot down” F-16s.)

8

The MiG-31 is a two-seat supersonic all-weather long-range fighter-interceptor. Developed at OKB-155 (now PJSC RSK MiG) in the 1970s. The first Soviet fourth generation combat aircraft. Initially intended to intercept cruise missiles across the entire range of altitudes and speeds, as well as low-flying satellites. For several years, the MiG-31 regiments had the status of special forces (SpN) as part of the air defense.

The MiG-31 is designed to intercept and destroy air targets at extremely low, low, medium and high altitudes, day and night, in simple and adverse weather conditions, when the enemy uses active and passive radar jamming, as well as false thermal targets. A group of four MiG-31 aircraft is capable of controlling airspace with a frontal length of up to 1,100 km.

7

The McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American fourth-generation all-weather fighter aircraft. Developed in 1972. Designed to gain air superiority. Put into operation in 1976.

The aircraft's airframe structure uses titanium alloys (26.7%), aluminum alloys (37%), high-strength steels (5%), and composite materials (at least 5-7%).

The F-15's fuel is stored in six fuel tanks: four in the fuselage and two in the wing. The fuselage tanks are soft, the wing tanks, which are produced first, are coffered. The aircraft has autonomous engine power systems with its own consumable tanks and a ringing system. Most of fuel lines are located in the tanks. Consumable tanks are protected by a protector against bullets of caliber up to 12.7 mm. To ensure explosion safety, everything fuel tanks filled with polyurethane foam.

F-15 aircraft were used in the Middle East, in Persian Gulf and Yugoslavia. The F-15 Eagle fighter will remain in the US Air Force until 2025.

6

The Su-35 fighter is a deep modernization of the Su-27. It has a largely new strengthened airframe; unlike the “old” Su-27M, it does not have a front horizontal tail and a brake flap. Braking during landing is carried out by deflecting the rudders in different directions.

The Su-35S has an advanced information and control system, radar station with the N035 Irbis passive phased array antenna, as well as new AL-41F1S engines developed by NPO Saturn with a plasma ignition system and controlled thrust vector (TCV). These engines meet the engine requirements for a fifth-generation fighter, including the ability to reach supersonic speeds without the use of afterburner, but use the old electronic-mechanical control system.

According to a statement by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, the assigned service life of the Su-35 is 6,000 flight hours or 30 years. The declared assigned resource of the engines is 4000 hours.

5

Dassault Rafale is a fourth-generation French multirole fighter aircraft developed by the French company Dassault Aviation. Made its first flight on July 4, 1986. Adopted by the French Navy and Air Force in 2004 and 2006, respectively. In 2009, the French Ministry of Defense ordered an additional 60 fighters.

It is made according to the “tailless” aerodynamic configuration traditional for Dassault Aviation fighters with an additional high-mounted front horizontal tail (the so-called canard), a mid-mounted triangular wing with root bulges and two engines in the rear fuselage.

The fighter is equipped with OPS, radar with phased array/AFAR RBE/RBE2 (since 2012). Equipped with the Thales SPECTRA warning system, it includes: laser warning, radar warning, DDM-NG missile attack warning system (since 2012), consisting of 2 passive infrared sensors on the fin. The DDM-NG system allows you to obtain a spherical image in the IR range. The air intake channels are S-shaped and shield the compressor blades, thereby reducing the aircraft's ESR.

4

Eurofighter Typhoon is a fourth generation multirole fighter. The Typhoon was developed and produced by Eurofighter GmbH, created in 1986 by a consortium of Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems and EADS. Research on the promising aircraft began back in 1979.

Currently underway mass production fighter. The aircraft was put into service with the air forces of Germany, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Austria and Saudi Arabia. Delivery contracts have been signed to Oman and Kuwait.

3

A potential buyer of the Super Hornets is Australia, which has a significant fleet of early series Hornet fighters. On May 3, 2007, a contract was signed for the supply of 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets to Australia worth $2.9 billion. The Boeing Corporation, which absorbed the McDonnell Douglas Corporation in 1997, is persistently promoting its products to the Central European market - to Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic.

Engine F414-GE400, built on the basis of F404. Serially produced since 1998, it has the FADEC function (electronic digital engine control system). The LPC is 13 cm longer, which increased air consumption by 16%, the afterburner is 10 cm shorter, the combustion chamber is 2.5 cm shorter, the disks and blades of the LPC are solid cast (blisk), the blades and turbines of both turbine stages are also a single unit and manufactured by extension (monocrystalline blisk).

The engine is double-circuit, two-shaft, consists of a 3-stage compressor low pressure and 7-stage high-pressure compressor, combustion chamber (with ceramic coating from F402), 1-stage high-pressure compressor turbine and 1-stage low-pressure compressor turbine, afterburner (from YF120), tapered - divergent nozzle, adjustable (from F404 -GE-400). The drive box is located at the bottom of the engine. The compression ratio increased to 30.

The design life of the F/A-18E was planned at 6,000 hours and no more than 100 deck landings per year. However, Strategy Page reports that the service life of the aircraft wing portion is expected to be no more than 3,000 hours. Despite this, dozens of F/A-18Es have already logged more than 3,000 flight hours. As part of the ongoing modernization, it is planned to increase the service life to 10,000 hours.

2

Lockheed Martin F-35 is a family of promising fifth-generation stealth fighter-bombers, developed by the American company Lockheed Martin in three versions: a version for the needs of the US Air Force (ground-based fighter - CTOL), for the US Marine Corps and the British Navy (short take-off fighter and vertical landing - STOVL), and for the needs of the US Navy (carborne fighter - CV).

The F-35 uses many of the technological solutions developed on the F-22. Production variant designations: F-35A (standard take-off and landing), F-35B (short take-off and vertical landing) and F-35C (take-off from the deck of an aircraft carrier using a catapult, and landing on the deck using an arresting arrester).

The F-35 has a wide range of weapons. These include the AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-132 ASRAAM and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, as well as cruise missiles Storm Shadow and AGM-158 JASSM. The range also includes adjustable JDAM bombs weighing up to 910 kg, CBU-103, -104 and -105 WCMD (Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispencer) cluster bombs, guided aerial bombs AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon and Brimstone anti-tank missiles.

In addition to basic requirements, Norway and Australia are funding work to adapt the promising Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship missile to the F-35, which will be called the Joint Strike Missile (JSM). According to the manufacturer, the F-35 will be able to launch missiles and guided bombs from internal compartments at maximum supersonic speeds.

1

The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics to replace the F-15 Eagle. The F-22 is the first fifth-generation fighter to enter service. It is also the most expensive fighter aircraft in the world.

The F-22 is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburner turbojet engines with a thrust of 15876 kgf, and equipped with a thrust vector controlled in the vertical plane. These engines have a non-afterburning thrust of about 10,000 kgf and allow the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds without the use of afterburner, which is an important tactical advantage.

The engine nozzles have a flat shape, reducing the visibility of the aircraft in infrared range. The design of the nozzle devices uses a radio-absorbing material based on ceramics, which reduces the radar signature of the aircraft.

The F-22 is armed with a 20mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon, 480 rounds, and six AIM-120C AMRAAM and two AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. And also with adjustable JDAM bombs.

The F-22 is compatible with the GBU-39 and SDB-53/B precision guided bombs; test drops have been carried out, however, no plans have been announced for 2015 to integrate them with the F-22. The fighter is capable of launching missiles and dropping bombs from internal compartments at supersonic speeds.

On September 23, 2014, information appeared in the media about the first combat use US Air Force F-22s against Islamists in Syria. The plane struck the city of Raqqa and its suburbs. By February 2015, F-22s had completed at least 112 combat missions over Syria. By June 2015, F-22s were included in every strike force bombing Syria. One 11-hour mission is described in which the F-22 clearly demonstrated its versatility by performing a strike mission, reconnaissance of enemy ground forces, guiding other aircraft to targets and escorting bombers.

It's no secret that airplanes are the fastest mode of transport. Some of them are capable of reaching speeds of up to 1,500 kilometers per hour. At the same time, speed is a decisive factor in the military industry. For this reason, we will look at the fastest fighter jets in the world. We are talking about unique developments, characterized by instant response and amazing maneuverability. For the latest fighters the line of 2000 kilometers per hour is far from the limit. At the same time, many countries allocate huge amounts of money for weapons, which affects the emergence of unique analogues listed below.

The ranking of the fastest fighters opens with Dassault Rafale. This flying machine performs a huge range of tasks. The mission of the aircraft includes overcoming not only close but also long distances. Raphael is equipped with a variety of powerful weapons designed to deliver precision strikes against ground targets. At high altitude its speed is Mach 1.8 or 1,900 kilometers per hour. The fighter was developed by the French Navy back in 2004. But to this day, fighter jets, of which there are only 145 units in the world, are considered one of the fastest.

The full name of the Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter. Unique air vehicle was developed by a Swedish company called SAAB. The fighter was first introduced into service in 1997. The Swedish Air Force modified the model several times. Currently, the maximum weapon opening speed is 2200 km/h or Mach 2.0. During production, about 270 aircraft were created. At the same time, 204 units are still functioning to ensure the security of Sweden.

The military aircraft is one of the fastest in India and the world. Speed ​​2.3 Mach. This vehicle can land even on unprepared airfields and sea vessels. It has good maneuverability. In total, approximately 1,500 of these aircraft were produced, due to their endurance and wear resistance. The fighter can conduct a long, active battle without losing speed and sharpness. It is worth noting that Indian manufacturers have achieved great achievements in inventing air vehicles. Every year they produce a huge number of aircraft, many of which are used in the military industry around the world.

As already stated, India is one of the leading countries in the field of invention military equipment. Probably, attempts to modify the MiG-29 led to the creation of another one of the fastest fighters on the planet - the MiG-23. Speed vehicle at high altitude it is 2,445 km/h. We are talking about a multi-role fighter, which in the 80s took part in all known armed confrontations. The aircraft is currently in service with Syria, Libya and even India.

A representative of the German armed forces, the Typhoon entered production in 2003. The maximum speed of the fighter reaches Mach 2.0 or 2450 km/h. It is worth noting that this is an invisible aircraft, that is, Stealth. Most of the body of this ground vehicle is made of a special coating that blocks electromagnetic waves. At the same time, the combat radius of the fighter is 1390 km. Amazing results. The multi-role aircraft is also used in the UK and Italy. There are approximately five hundred such fighters in the world.

Fifth place goes to the Soviet military vessel Su-27. The fourth generation Soviet multi-role all-weather fighter, designed to gain air superiority, was designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau in 1977. In 1985, the aircraft entered service with the USSR Air Force. It is now in service with the Russian Air Force as the main fighter aircraft. Modifications of the Su-27 are in service with China, Ukraine, India and other countries. The maximum speed the aircraft is capable of is 2876.4 km/h (Mach 2.35). In total, about 809 of these air units were produced.

The fastest fighters on the planet include the Grumman F-14, whose speed reaches 2,485 kilometers per hour. The unique aircraft was developed by specialists from Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. The first analogue appeared in 2006. On this moment Active deliveries of aircraft are underway to Iran, where the fighter is in service. We are talking about a reliable interceptor that can accompany 4 targets at once. Moreover, it can simultaneously capture up to 6 targets. The existence of 712 fighters is known.

The speed of this aircraft is 2,650 km/h. The development was presented by specialists from the USA. The aircraft is an impeccable leader in its class, as it has excellent maneuverability. The tactical fighter appeared in 1976. Moreover, its production is planned until 2025 for American weapons. Every year, employees of leading companies add innovations that improve the reaction and maneuvers of the aircraft. In total, 1,500 such products are known to exist. All are in the USA.

The fastest fighter in the world The MiG-31 is considered to have a speed of 3000 kilometers per hour. By the name, you already guessed that it belongs to the property of Russia. Attracts with its extensive possibilities. The fighter is capable of intercepting targets and destroying enemy objects at high, low and medium altitudes. Also detects false thermal targets. First appeared in 1981. Needless to say, it has undergone a lot of modernization since then. Maximum speed develops at an altitude of 25 kilometers.

All of these aircraft mentioned here are incredibly powerful and destructive, but none of them have ever seen combat against each other during military operations. Our analysis is based on aircraft performance, available data and technical comparison. Experimental aircraft training is also important because it affects the fighter's passive military capabilities. This article considers only combat military aircraft.

So, the best fighter planes:

Number 1 Lockheed Martin / Boeing F-22 Raptor (USA)

The F-22 Raptor class aircraft is almost invisible to radar. This aircraft is equipped good weapons on board. This is the most modern and most expensive production fighter at the moment. Put into operation on December 15, 2005. A total of 195 units were produced. The cost of the aircraft is about $146 million.

The F-22 Raptor is controlled by two fault-tolerant computers called CIP - Common Integrated Processor. Fighter engines allow the aircraft to travel very long distances. The aircraft fuselage structure is largely made of composite materials (graphite-epoxy, graphite-thermoplastic materials and carbon-carbon materials).

The F-22 first showed itself as a combat aircraft in 2014, when the United States Air Force attacked Islamists in Syria (the city of Raqqa). By February 2015, more than 100 special tasks had been completed. missions in the skies of Syria.

The maximum speed is about 2410 km/h.

This modern aircraft has never been offered to export customers, even other allies and NATO countries. It is currently the best fighter aircraft ever built.

Number 2 Lockheed Martin F-35 (USA)

The F-35, also known as the Lightning II, is a new bomber developed by the American company Lockheed Martin. As of December 2015, a total of 174 units were produced. Cost - about one hundred million dollars (depending on the model).

The F-35 was produced under the Joint Outpost Fighter program, which was intended to replace existing aircraft types general view. In the near future, the F-35 will replace the AV-8B, A-10, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft in service with the US Air Force. It will also be exported to other countries.

The F-35 has a similar design to Lockheed Martin's F-22, but is slightly smaller and has a single engine. For pilots who fly the F-35 Lightning II, a special helmet will be made that will allow them to “see through the cockpit.” Instead of submitting the image to dashboard, it will be fed directly to the pilot’s visors, providing him with all sorts of hints.

This stealthy bomber can reach speeds of up to 1,700 km/h without activating the afterburner. Lockheed Martin's F-35 is compatible with the latest air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles.

This aircraft is offered in three main variants, including the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft, the F-35B short takeoff and landing aircraft and the carrier-based F-35C aircraft.

Number 3 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (USA)

The Super Hornet is currently one of the most capable carrier-based fighters in the US Navy. As of April 2011, 500 units were produced. The Super Hornet is also used by Australia as its premier fighter aircraft.

The combat radius of the F/A-18E/F is about 726 km. Super Hornet is equipped with new engines. It has extra hardpoints and can carry more missiles. The Super Hornet also improved avionics. Some measures have been taken to reduce radar cross section this plane.