Fighter Jet
Comparisons
Head-to-head fighter Jets Comparisons — side-by-side speed, range, stealth, payload and capability analysis for the world's most advanced military aircraft.
Popular Fighter Jets Comparisons
F-22 Raptor
vs F-35 Lightning II
Two fifth-generation stealth fighters — same era, very different missions
F-15 Eagle
vs F-16 Fighting Falcon
The classic pairing — heavy air superiority vs agile lightweight multirole
Eurofighter Typhoon
vs Dassault Rafale
Europe's two premier multirole fighters — the great continental rivalry
F-35 Lightning II
vs Eurofighter Typhoon
Stealth and sensor fusion versus raw performance and agility
Su-57 Felon
vs F-22 Raptor
Russia's fifth-generation answer to America's premier air superiority fighter
F/A-18 Super Hornet
vs F-16 Fighting Falcon
Naval multirole versus the world's most widely operated fighter
Featured Fighter Jet Comparison
Analysis: F-22 Raptor vs F-35 Lightning II
The F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II are complementary rather than competing platforms. The F-22 was designed from the outset for air superiority — its supercruise capability, thrust vectoring, and extreme service ceiling make it the more capable pure air-to-air fighter. The F-35 was designed as a multirole strike platform with superior sensor fusion, a longer combat radius, and significantly lower unit cost, enabling export to allied nations at scale. In a contested environment, the F-22 would clear the airspace while F-35s prosecute ground targets — a deliberate high-low mix. Read the full comparison →
Analysis: F-15 Eagle vs F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-15 and F-16 were both products of the post-Vietnam Air Combat Fighter programme. The F-15 was the high-end air superiority specialist — heavier, twin-engined, longer-ranged, and capable of carrying a larger weapons load. The F-16 was the lightweight, cost-effective counterpart designed for high agility and affordability. Both have proven extraordinarily capable in service and both remain in production in upgraded form decades later. Read the full comparison →
Analysis: Eurofighter Typhoon vs Dassault Rafale
The Typhoon and Rafale emerged from the same European programme before France withdrew to develop the Rafale independently. The Typhoon excels in pure air-to-air performance with higher speed, superior supercruise, and greater payload. The Rafale offers greater flexibility as a true omnirole platform — capable of carrier operations, nuclear delivery, and combat-proven precision strike — and has been considerably more successful on the export market. Read the full comparison →
All Fighter Jets Comparisons
| Comparison | Category | Generation | Key Differentiator | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-22 Raptor vs F-35 Lightning II | Air Sup. vs Multirole | 5th vs 5th | Speed / Sensor Fusion | Compare |
| F-15 Eagle vs F-16 Fighting Falcon | Heavy vs Light | 4th vs 4th | Range / Agility | Compare |
| Eurofighter Typhoon vs Dassault Rafale | European Rivals | 4.5th vs 4.5th | Speed / Flexibility | Compare |
| F-35 Lightning II vs Eurofighter Typhoon | Stealth vs Speed | 5th vs 4.5th | Stealth / Avionics | Compare |
| Su-57 Felon vs F-22 Raptor | East vs West | 5th vs 5th | Stealth Quality | Compare |
| F/A-18 Super Hornet vs F-16 Falcon | Navy vs Air Force | 4th vs 4th | Single vs Twin Engine | Compare |
| MiG-29 Fulcrum vs F-16 Falcon | Cold War Rivals | 4th vs 4th | Design Philosophy | Compare |
| J-20 Mighty Dragon vs F-35 Lightning II | 5th Gen Rivals | 5th vs 5th | PLAAF vs Western Stealth | Compare |
| Rafale vs F/A-18 Super Hornet | Carrier Capable | 4.5th vs 4th | Naval Strike Role | Compare |
How We Compare Fighter Jets
Every fighter Jets Comparison on ukFighterJets.com is built on verified technical specifications drawn from official manufacturer documentation, government procurement records, and authoritative open-source aviation publications. We compare aircraft across a consistent set of performance parameters — maximum speed, service ceiling, combat radius, payload capacity, radar cross-section, and operational capability — to give an accurate and balanced assessment.
What Makes a Fighter Jet Better?
No single metric determines a superior fighter jet. A faster aircraft is not necessarily more capable — the F-35 Lightning II is slower than many fourth-generation fighters it has replaced, yet its stealth signature, sensor fusion, and electronic warfare capability make it far more survivable in a modern threat environment. Comparisons must account for the mission: an air superiority specialist like the F-22 will outperform a strike-optimised platform in a beyond-visual-range engagement, but may be less effective in a long-range precision strike role.
Fighter Jets Comparison Methodology
Our comparisons use unclassified performance data wherever possible. Where exact figures are not publicly confirmed — particularly for stealth-related characteristics — we note the uncertainty and use credible estimates from recognised aviation analysis sources. Performance figures represent aircraft capability under optimal conditions and may vary significantly in operational scenarios.