In the modern era of air combat, speed isn’t everything. Stealth, maneuverability, weapons, and the disruption of weapons, are all essential to acquiring air superiority. But speed has value too, closing the distance to targets and scrambling quickly to defend an important asset. That’s why many latest-generation aircraft are capable of breaking the sound barrier several times over. To identify the fastest warplanes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed aviation information site Aero Corner’s list, The Top 13 Fastest Fighter Jets in The World. Jets, only those used in armed combat, were ranked by their top speed. Aero Corner often used government sources to find speed performance of many of these aircraft. (See if the U.S. Air Force is the world’s largest air force.)
One plane on this list is the J-10, it is the first warplane developed by the Chinese that can challenge Western fighters in performance and capabilities. Development began in 1988, and its mission was to counter threats from the Soviet Union. The J-10 went into service in the Chinese air force in 2004. The J-10 cannot match the performance of similar Western warplanes such as America’s F-16 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Several Russian-made jets are on the fastest warplane list, including the SU-27 Flanker and the SU-35 Flanker. The former fighter also is serving in the Ukraine air force. Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot down an SU-35 Flanker in early April. The SU-35 is one of Russia’s newest fighters and has been in service in the Russian air force since 2014.
Six of the fastest warplanes are from the United States. (see the 30 combat aircraft being built for the U.S. Military) The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation stealth warplane that had been discussed as an enforcer of a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Click here to see the fastest warplanes
13. Mirage 2000
> Top speed: 1,453 mph
> Maker: Dassault
> Nation: France
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12. F-4 Phantom II
> Top speed: 1,472 mph
> Maker: McDonnell Douglas
> Nation: United States
Source: Flight Video & Photo / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
11. Su-35 Flanker-E
> Top speed: 1,500 mph
> Maker: Sukhoi
> Nation: Russia
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
10. F-22 Raptor
> Top speed: 1,500 mph
> Maker: Lockheed Martin
> Nation: United States
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9. F-106
> Top speed: 1,526 mph
> Maker: Convair
> Nation: United States
Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
8. F-14 Tomcat
> Top speed: 1,544 mph
> Maker: Grumman
> Nation: United States
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Source: JohnnyPowell / E+ via Getty Images
7. Eurofighter Typhoon
> Top speed: 1,544 mph
> Maker: Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH
> Nation: Multinational
Source: James Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
6. Su-27 Flanker
> Top speed: 1,600 mph
> Maker: Sukhoi
> Nation: Russia
Source: guvendemir / E+ via Getty Images
5. F-15 Eagle
> Top speed: 1,650 mph
> Maker: McDonnell Douglas
> Nation: United States
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Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
4. F-111 Aardvark
> Top speed: 1,650 mph
> Maker: General Dynamics
> Nation: United States
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
3. J-10
> Top speed: 1,687 mph
> Maker: Chengdu
> Nation: China
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Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
2. MiG-25 Foxbat
> Top speed: 1,900 mph
> Maker: Mikoyan
> Nation: Soviet Union
24/7 Wall St.
1. MIG-31 Foxhound
> Top speed: 1,900 mph
> Maker: Mikoyan
> Nation: Soviet Union
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