Fighter Jets

Modern fighter aircraft and next-generation air combat technologies.

Category Highlights
Does the F-47 Have a Pilot? Why It Is Crewed, Not a Drone

Does the F-47 Have a Pilot? Why It Is Crewed, Not a Drone

Yes. The F-47 is a crewed fighter with one pilot on board, and the Air Force describes it as the first crewed sixth-generation fighter. The...

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F-35C Explained: The Navy’s Carrier Stealth Fighter

F-35C Explained: The Navy’s Carrier Stealth Fighter

The F-35C is the version of the F-35 built to launch from catapults and land with arresting wires on the US Navy's aircraft carriers. It...

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F-47 Design Explained: Canards, No Tail and Altered Images

F-47 Design Explained: Canards, No Tail and Altered Images

The two official images of the F-47 show an aircraft with small foreplanes beside the cockpit, wings that angle upwards and no visible tail fins....

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Where Will the F-47 Be Based? Nellis and the Secret First Base

Where Will the F-47 Be Based? Nellis and the Secret First Base

The Air Force has named one base that will host the F-47: Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where the aircraft will be tested by...

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F-35B Explained: How Vertical Landing Works

F-35B Explained: How Vertical Landing Works

The F-35B lands vertically by pointing its engine exhaust at the ground and driving a large fan behind the cockpit, which together produce about 40,650...

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What Fighter Jets Does India Have? Su-30MKI, Rafale and Tejas

What Fighter Jets Does India Have? Su-30MKI, Rafale and Tejas

The Indian Air Force is the fourth-largest in the world, but it is short of fighters. After the last MiG-21s retired in September 2025 it...

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F-47 Budget: What the US Is Spending on Its Next Fighter

F-47 Budget: What the US Is Spending on Its Next Fighter

The United States is spending about $3.5 billion on the F-47 in fiscal 2026, and the Pentagon has asked Congress for about $5 billion in...

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F-35 Combat Record: Where the Stealth Fighter Has Fought

F-35 Combat Record: Where the Stealth Fighter Has Fought

The F-35 has been in combat since 2018, flown by Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom over Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Gaza, Lebanon...