A fighter jet is a single system is by far one of the most challenging innovation which is still in its evolution phase as countries are still racing to make that perfect mashup of speed, lethality, weapons prowess, avionics, reliability and overall performance. And still one will not know everything about a jet, rather he/she won’t be let known due to sheer confidentiality of these war mongers. But you clicked this page for a reason. Here comes ten lesser known facts in no particular order of rank about fighter jets that you may wanna know and brag about to you peers:
1. Are Stealth Fighter Jets truly invisible?
The term “invisible” is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to stealth fighter jets. While they are designed to be difficult to detect by radar, they are not truly invisible. Stealth fighter jets, like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, use advanced design techniques and technology to reduce their visibility to radar, infrared sensors, and other detection systems. The goal is not literal invisibility but rather reducing the aircraft’s radar cross-section (RCS) and thermal signature to make it much harder to detect and track. They are coated with special materials that absorb radar waves instead of reflecting them. These materials, such as specialized paints and composites, help reduce the radar signature of the jet, making it harder for radar systems to detect or track it. The shape of a stealth fighter is optimized to deflect radar waves. Instead of a smooth, curved surface like a traditional aircraft, these jets feature flat surfaces and sharp angles (not a hard and fast rule but the most tested design till date), which reflect radar signals away from the source. This reduces the radar return. To avoid detection by radar and infrared sensors from external weapons, these fighter jets carry weapons inside the fuselage i.e. internal weapons bay. This eliminates the need for external pylons or stores that could increase the aircraft’s radar signature. They often feature modified nozzles designed to reduce the heat emitted by their engines, making it harder for infrared sensors to detect the aircraft. Certain modern radar systems, particularly phased array radars and low-frequency radar, are capable of detecting these jets. The RCS of a F-22 is by far the least among all combat aircrafts till now – 0.0001 sq.m which is the size of a honey bee and is considered to be equivalent to the radar reflection of a steel marble. F-35 and J-20 have a little larger FCS and the largest is of Su-57 (among the existing 5th gen stealth fighters). This topic is largely a victim to skepticism and official confidentiality, so the main question still lingers whether a Patriot missile can shoot down a J-20 or Su-57, or a S400 can shoot down a F22/F35.
2. Only few fighter jets can drop nuclear bombs
Yes, certain fighter jets can deploy nuclear weapons, though this capability is highly specialized and limited to specific aircraft, missions, and protocols. On paper, the world has seen only the big B-29s drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but that time has passed on. Jets are proceeding in their 6th generation, weapons have become sophisticated, and so does nuclear payload. Today by definition, gigantic ICBMs with even bigger mobile launchers click on a mind when talking of nuclear weapons, but that’s not all. Tactical nukes with smaller payloads and air-launched capabilities are already there and active in service among nuclear superpowers, but compatible for a select few platforms. This narrows down to certain criteria. Avionics and fire control systems must be compatible with nuclear bomb fuzing and arming devices, and the jet must be capable of executing specific delivery methods (like high-altitude release or low-altitude toss bombing). In a low-altitude bombing, the aircraft pulls up sharply during bomb release, lofting the weapon in a parabolic arc. This technique minimizes the jet’s exposure to the blast, the most common method for multiple bombing missions during early wartimes. High altitude release requires dropping from high altitudes with range and standoff capability but requires precise navigation and electronic guidance – a characteristic much more common in today’s 4++ gen jets. In the United States Air Force arsenal, the B-61 nuclear/thermonuclear bomb has a green signal to be able to be fired from F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-15 Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon and as a latest addition in F-35’s license. As part of NATO Nuclear Weapons Sharing Agreement, Germany and Italy’s Panavia Tornados are authorized to carry them if needed in extreme cases. India has currently three aircafts – Rafale, Mirage and Jaguar, that are compatible to carry nuclear payload missiles or drop bombs. Rafale has become more of a centre point in this case since the rest of the two are quite old till date. Infact, during the earlier MMRCA deal after which Rafale got chosen, the fact that a jet would become a key part in India’s nuclear triad led to the Rafale’s acceptance and Eurofighter Typhoon’s rejection.
3. Drone Integration with Fighter Jets
In one of the latest developments, such drones are being developed and integrated with compatible fighter jets which can assist the pilot as a wingman in reconnaissance and surveillance, datalink, light combat operations etc. XQ-58A Valkyrie by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has successfully demonstrated the potential for manned-unmanned teaming. Airbus is developing a similar concept called Wingman, showcasing a full-scale model at the ILA Berlin Air Show in 2024. These drones can work alongside fighter jets, taking on high-risk missions and enhancing the overall combat capability. Lockheed Martin is working on integrating the F-35 with Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs). This would allow the F-35 to control and coordinate with multiple drones, expanding its capabilities and situational awareness. The U.S. Air Force aims to deploy at least 1,000 autonomous drones alongside fighter jets by the 2030s. These CCAs will support tasks like reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and strike missions, augmenting aircraft like the F-35. Contracts for developing autonomy packages are already in place, involving companies like General Atomics and Anduril. The first prototypes are expected to compete for production contracts by 2026. Dassault Aviation is developing a drone companion for the Rafale fighter jet, integrating stealth and autonomous functions, set to operationalize by 2033.
4. The One Winged Lander
The F-15 Eagle is one of the glorified aircrafts and certainly for a reason, it is still being upgraded to this date. On May 1, 1983, two F-15Ds of the Israeli Air Force’s 106th and 116th Squadron as aggressors were pitted against four aggressor A4N Skyhawks in an aerial exercise. One of the Eagles was being piloted by Zivi Nedivi and Yehoar Gal, who had racked up four kills against MiGs a year prior in the Lebanon War. While Israel was one of the immediate buyers of F-15s after it entered service in United States Air Force, the country was still left to catch up to one of Basic Fighter Maneuvers – a Fighter Jet Safety Bubble, where there must be a space of at least 500 ft. around the aircraft and a pilot ought not be entering in another fighter jet’s safety bubble. Soon as the training session started, the two Eagles sprang into action against the Skyhawks. During this spar amidst some intense maneuvers, at a certain point a Skyhawk pilot and Nedivi were completely unaware that the two jets were flying extremely close one on top of the other. Nedivi was flying just directly above the Skyhawk and a maneuver from the F-15 pilot let to a brutal collision. The Skyhawk broke apart instantly and the pilot ejected just in the nick of time before the explosion while the F15’s right wing totally came apart as collision hit the jet’s spot where the fuselage connects with the right wing. As soon as the wing came off, the aircraft instantly went off-balance for a downward spin. Apparently both of them were unaware that the wing got completely detached. According to first hand reports, they didn’t consider ejecting instantly but needed to maintain high speed in that position to the nearest airstrip 10 miles away. With applying the full two afterburners of the two engines, Nedivi needed to pull of this Herculean task and as he was coming down towards the airstrip, the jet was already at twice the normal landing speed. Communicating with the strip controller, the runway had a standby arresting cable while Nedivi put the tail hook down. The Eagle finally came to a halt just 20 feet off the end of the runaway barriers. According to Nedivi himself, it was only after the incident and one-winged landing did he realize that he actually pulled of such a feat without having a wing. Even then manufacturer McDonnell Douglas were reluctant to believe this bizarre incident. The Eagle went to retrofit later and after two years it once again racked up combat kills starting off with a Syrian Mig-23. As per Nedivi, it wasn’t just his piloting skills that got themselves home but the magnificent Eagle platform itself.
5. Fighter Jet Flight Ceiling
The operational ceiling of a fighter jet refers to the maximum altitude at which it can fly effectively while maintaining maneuverability and functionality. The maximum altitude at which a fighter jet can maintain a steady rate of climb is called the service ceiling, and the highest altitude a jet can reach, beyond which it cannot climb without a significant performance drop is called the absolute ceiling. Most of today’s 4th and 5th gen jets are able to limit their ceiling at 60,000 – 65,000 feet. Jet engines require a specific balance of fuel and oxygen. As altitude increases, air density decreases, reducing engine thrust. Jet engines struggle at very high altitudes due to low oxygen availability. As said earlier jets can fly at 60,000 feet+ height but they aren’t meant to do that. Heights like those and higher, are not meant to be included in a conventional fighter jet’s operation, as planes like retired SR-71 (retired) and U2 Dragon Lady exist for very high altitude reconnaissance. At higher altitudes, aerodynamic control surfaces (wings, tail fins) lose effectiveness. Standard oxygen masks provide breathable air up to 43,000 feet. Beyond this, pressurized suits or cabin systems are necessary. As the plane ascends, the pressure difference between the outside and inside only increases, peaking at about 9 PSI (pounds per square inch) around 43,000 feet. Going beyond this threshold not only endangers people but also brings catastrophic damage to the aircraft’s structure. As they climb to high altitudes where the surrounding air becomes thinner, too little air passes through the engines to generate the necessary thrust that keeps the aircraft flying. The issue only worsens with higher temperatures, which means the plane’s maximum altitude is even lower on hot days. As a result, the plane can no longer maintain a rate of climb of at least 300 ft. per minute. Smithsonian Magazine reported that Russia’s Alexandr Fedotov set the Absolute ceiling Record on August 31, 1977, flying the Mig 25 E-266M Foxbat to an astonishing height of 123,523 feet. To this day, the number remains the highest altitude ever reached by any ground-launched plane. Unfortunately, the record-breaker Fedotov eventually lost his life in 1984 during a test flight of the MiG-31.
6. F-15 Eagle – The 104:0 Dogfight Beast
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is celebrated as one of the world’s premier air superiority fighters, achieving an unmatched 104-0 kill ratio in combat engagements, a testament to its dominance. Designed in the 1970s, the F-15 features twin Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 or -229 engines, each delivering up to 29,000 pounds of thrust, allowing a top speed of Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph or 2,655 km/h) at high altitude. Its exceptional thrust-to-weight ratio (1.2:1 when fully armed) and advanced aerodynamics provide superior maneuverability, enabling tight turns and rapid acceleration crucial in dogfights. This record is taken account for from all the registered kills across all the units present globally, most of which comes from the Israeli Air Force’s F15s engaged in the multi-decade Middle East engagements. This jet is a standalone definition of multirole fighter aircraft and despite being a Cold War era platform, Boeing (McDonnell Douglas is now acquired by Boeing) is still producing it (in the Strike Eagle and Eagle II variants). Having zero combat losses and termed as the most reliable dogfighter, is certainly no joke and most definitely not an easy task. Only time will tell the future as even India is among a potential contender since Boeing is pitching the F15-EX for Indian Air Force’s MRFA tender.
7. Dogfights aren’t shown accurate in movies. And they aren’t common either!
In most films, dogfights are depicted with two fighters flying behind each other—one firing its weapons while the other evades incoming bullets and missiles. If the plot requires it, a pilot may perform the dramatic Pugachev’s Cobra maneuver to quickly shift position and get behind the enemy. This maneuver, though visually striking, is impractical in real combat. The scene is often followed by a “can’t get a lock” moment, where a maneuvering jet avoids the slow-moving aiming reticle within the pilot’s gunsight. Yes! I am talking about Top Gun Maverick’s clip. Very close range dogfights with onboard gatling guns was the maximum source of kills during the world wars, but the way things are today, a pilot may see his untimely death hundred kilometres away with just one push of ‘fire and forget’ button. For 1v1 combat to be engaged with missiles, there will still be a gap of multiple kilometres, but even that prospect is getting rarer since the invention off ‘beyond visual range’ missiles such as MBDA Meteor, DRDO Astra etc. Onboard gatling guns like F-22’s M61 Vulcan and Su-30 MKI’s Gsh-30 autocannons are still the truest form of dogfight weapons but they are unlikely to have any impact in future. China’s storied J-20 stealth fighter doesn’t even have an autocannon which means that it was only designed to perform in long range standoffs. And performing Cobra maneuvers in an actual dogfight are as unrealistic as it can get, since if a jet is ‘locked in’ from behind, the only things that can save it are flares to distract heat seekers. There’s nothing much a jet can do in a situation like that provided incoming missiles have superior terminal accuracies.
8. MiG-31 ‘Foxhound’ – A Heavenly Match of Speed and Power
The MiG-31 Foxhound is one of the most advanced and capable interceptors ever produced, celebrated for its high-speed performance and sophisticated avionics. Developed as a successor to the MiG-25 Foxbat, it addressed the limitations of its predecessor, especially in radar and low-altitude performance. The MiG-31 can reach speeds up to Mach 2.83 (2,154 mph or 3,460 km/h) and operates effectively at altitudes up to 24,400 meters (80,052 feet), allowing it to intercept high-altitude reconnaissance aircrafts. It reached an absolute maximum altitude of 123,524 ft, or 37,650 m, and set a time to height record of 35,000 m in 4 minutes, 11.78 seconds, both which were set by test pilot Alexander Fedotov. Ostapenko, his deputy, set a record of 30,000 m in 3 minutes, 9.8 seconds (the same pilot who made the Mig-25 altitude record). The jet also did another storied feat – intercept an SR-71 Blackbird. US used to perform recon using the Mach 3.3 capable Blackbird but a Russian Mig-31 pilot Mikhail Myagkiy was able to get a R-33 missile lock-in on January 31. 1986. According to Mikhail, the launch would have been carried out if the Blackbird had violated the Russian air space. Foxhounds have a staggering extended range of 5400km (with two external drop tanks) and is able to carry the Kh-57M2 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched nuclear capable ballistic missile, which can touch Mach 10 and has another 500km additional range – a serious risk to any country and a deadly combination of speed and lethality, if Russia decides to use one.
9. Aerial Refueling – One Damn Tough Job
Aerial refueling requires precise coordination as a large tanker aircraft and the smaller fighter jet approach each other and fly within 100 feet of each other during the operation. Not only must these planes deal with normal air turbulence, each facing its own unique forces, but the receiving aircraft also encounters additional disruption from the tanker in front of it. While matching headings, airspeeds, and altitudes is relatively straightforward to achieve, the real challenge lies in maintaining such close proximity between the two aircraft. The fuel transfer must be managed carefully to avoid any fuel from entering the receiving aircraft’s intake, which could lead to disastrous consequences. Once the planes are in position, the refueling umbilical is connected. The probe-and-drogue system uses a long, flexible hose with a drogue (a funnel-shaped device) at the end, which connects to a retractable probe on the receiving aircraft. After establishing a secure connection, fueling begins. This system is often favored by maritime forces because it can be easily attached or removed from aircraft and even allows for fueling two aircraft simultaneously. If the drogue is not connected smoothly, it can bounce off and become unstable, especially given the high speeds—about 300 miles per hour—at which both aircraft are traveling. Once connected, both planes must maintain steady flight to ensure a smooth transfer of fuel. The process can take up to fifteen minutes depending on the amount of fuel needed. Any movement, change in elevation, or speed adjustments from either aircraft could cause the refueling process to fail, necessitating a restart. After refueling, the receiving aircraft pilot cuts power to safely disconnect from the drogue or boom. The refueling equipment must then be retracted and stored to reduce drag and ensure that the tanker can land safely. The probe-and-drogue system is usually stowed beneath the fuselage or at the wing tips. For longer flights, such as transatlantic missions, pilots must go through this complex process multiple times. While seasoned pilots may be more familiar with the procedure, it remains a challenging and demanding task, never becoming routine. Aerial refueling continues to be one of the most difficult maneuvers in aviation. The Boeing KC-10 Extender is the largest military tanker in active service. Indian Air Force employs six Russian Ilyushin IL-78s.
10. VTOL Jets – A straight up unnecessary Sci-fi design
In the past it was the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, today it’s the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning-II B – a really cool design featuring vertical take-off and landing capabilities, which totally looks like a 2099 cyberpunk world’s average vehicle. But is it effective though? The F-35B uses a vectored thrust system to achieve vertical flight and requires a significantly larger thrust than generic takeoffs and immensely complicates engine design. The additional components required for VTOL flight increase the number of parts subject to wear and tear. As a result, maintenance downtime is more frequent, and the cost of keeping these systems operational is considerably higher than that of conventional fighter jets. An F-35B is tagged at around $109 million while the regular Air Force comes at $82 million and the F-35C carrier variant comes at $102 million. The F-35B’s VTOL capability comes at a significant cost to its range and fuel efficiency. The complex lift system and additional components required for vertical flight consume considerable amounts of fuel, which reduces the aircraft’s combat radius. It also trades off in limiting weapons payload and weight to accompany space for the additional lifting fan mechanism. The statistical cons outweigh the pros in this design, and the biggest strategic advantage it carries is that a VTOL fighter jet can operate even from the shortest of helipads and runways during a battlefield call.
