All of the world’s top five most common fighter jets
are fourth-generation fighters (although the F-35
will soon be on the list), and all were designed by the United States or the Soviet Union/Russia. Between
500 and 600 fighter jets are expected to be produced globally in 2024
, However, as most new-build fighters are now US and Chinese, as time passes, Soviet Union/Russian-origin fighter jets are be expected to disappear from the list and be replaced by Chinese jets. According to FlightGlobal, of the world’s estimated 14,665 combat aircraft in service today, these are the most common.
5
Mikoyan MiG-29
809 MiG-29s remain in use
|
Main operators: |
Various |
|---|---|
|
Introduction date: |
October 1977 |
|
Percentage of total active fighters: |
5% |
FlightGlobal’s 2024 World Air Forces report listed the Soviet-era MiG-29 Fulcrum as the fifth most common fighter jet (with 809 in service), ahead of the F-35 with 661. However, as the F-35 is being produced at a rate of around 75-110 this year (Lockheed has now delivered over 1,000 F-35s), F-35s may already be more numerous than the MiG-29 (especially when battlefield losses in Ukraine and incremental retirements around the world are factored in).
The aging MiG-29 is mostly used by developing countries around the world—particularly those formerly with close ties to the USSR. Rounding out the top ten list of most common active fighter jets are 661 F-35s, 533 Eurofighter Typhoons, 444 Chinese J-7s (licensed copies of MiG-21), and 415 Su-24 Fencers. Other fighters make up another 6,230, or 42% of fighters.
Related
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4
F/A-18 Hornet family
836 F/A-18s remain in service
|
Main operators: |
US Navy, US Marines |
|---|---|
|
Introduction date: |
January 1983 (Hornet) |
|
Percentage of total active fighters |
6% |
The US Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet is the world’s fourth most common fighter jet (it is also found in a few export markets like Australia). The US Marines have an active fleet of around 140 F/A-18s, plus another 48 for training. The Navy has a fleet of 421 F/A-18s, with another 76 on order and a total of 171 for training.
Photo: USN
The final order for the F/A-18 Super Hornet has likely been placed, and the production line is expected to shut down in the next few years. The Navy and Marines (along with the Australian, Canadian, and Finnish air forces) are transitioning to the new F-35 fighter jet.
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The History Of The US F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Program
The Super Hornet became a celebrity thanks to the film ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’
3
F-15 Eagle family
941 Eagles remain in service
|
Main operators: |
US Air Force, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
|
Introduction date: |
January 1976 |
|
Percentage of total active fighters: |
6% |
FlightGlobal lists 377 F-15 family fighter jets in active United States service, with another 18 used for training. The large air superiority jet is also used by some US allies around the world, like Israel and Japan.
![6902150 - F-15EX Integrated Test and Evaluation at Nellis AFB [Image 5 of 22]](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/6902150.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)
The United States Air Force has just begun taking delivery of the latest (and final) variant of the F-15 family – the F-15EX. The
F-15 boasts an untarnished air-to-air kill record
, having shot down 104 enemy aircraft without ever being shot down by enemy aircraft itself (most of these aerial victories were scored by Israel).
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7 Countries Lining Up To Buy Boeing F-15EX Fighter Jet Variants
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2
Sukhoi Su-27/30/34/35 Flanker family
1,243 Flankers of all variants remain in service
|
Main operators: |
Russia, India |
|---|---|
|
Introduction date: |
June 1985 |
|
Percentage of total active fighters: |
8% |
Today, the Sukhoi Su-34/30/35 fighter jets are the mainstay of the Russian Air Force, while the 266 Su-30s make up the backbone of the Indian fighter jet fleet. These are large fighter-bomber aircraft that dwarf the F-16 and are much larger than the F-15 Eagle.
Photo: Mikhalis Makarov l Shutterstock
In the war in Ukraine, 15 Ukrainian Su-27 have been confirmed lost by the open-source Oryx blog, while two Russian Su-27s, 12 Su-30s, 35 Su-34s, and 7 Su-35s have been lost being that a minimum total of 71 of the family have been lost so far in the fighting. These would also normally be the mainstay of Russia’s fighter jet exports, but for various reasons,
Russia’s fighter jet exports have collapsed in recent years
.
Related
How Many Su-34 Fighter-Bombers Has Russia Lost In Its Invasion Of Ukraine?
Russia is confirmed to have lost around 25% of its Su-34s and is thought to have around 100 remaining.
1
F-16 Fighting Falcon
2,145 F-16s remain in service
|
Main operators: |
US Air Force, Turkey, Greece, others |
|---|---|
|
Introduction date: |
August 1978 |
|
Percentage of total active fighters: |
15% |
The small multirole F-16 fighter is by a considerable margin the most common fighter jet in the world today. It remains in production (for export only), and another 300 or so F-16s could be built before the production line eventually shuts down. Various countries around the world are just now upgrading to the F-16.
The F-16 has been continuously updated over the years, with the latest variant being the F-16 Block 70/72 (these are being built for Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, and others). Despite its age, even older variants of the F-16 remain potent, with Argentina, Ukraine, and Romania receiving retired examples of the jet.
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5 Countries Still Ordering The F-16 Fighting Falcon
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