The fifth-generation fighter jets do have improved situational awareness through having multi-spectral sensors, which are located across all aspects of the airframe.
Fighter jets play a crucial role in ensuring a country’s national defence while allowing it to cope with any external aggression. The presence of fighter jets gives a nation air superiority, bolsters national defence, offers offensive capabilities, and helps in strategic power projection. If an air force is equipped with a good number of fighters with cutting-edge technology, it has a psychological impact on adversaries as well. Moreover, jets can also come in handy while undertaking civil operations, given the advanced sensors and speed of these assets.
Fourth-generation fighter jets, e.g., F-16, F-15, MiG-29, Su-27
The fourth-generation fighters have roughly dominated the period between 1970 and the 1990s. These fighters mainly focused on manoeuvrability and air-to-air combat, as well as some ground attack capabilities. Unlike the prior versions, fourth-generation fighters were designed to undertake both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
F-16 is a fourth generation fighter jet developed by the US
This was the first generation of fighter jets to be integrated with heads-up displays. Some of the notable 4th-generation fighter jets include the F-16, F-15, MiG-29, Su-27, and others.
4.5-generation fighter jets, e.g., F-18E/F Super Hornet, Su-30, Su-35, Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon
Commonly known as the 4.5 generation fighters, these jets were introduced with enhanced 4th gen capabilities, which also incorporated some of the 5th gen technologies. The 4.5-generation fighter jets came with enhanced radar, improved sensor systems, advanced avionics, and some stealth capability, for example, radar-absorbent materials.
Rafale is a 4.5 generation fighter jet, developed by France’s Dassault Aviation
The integration with advanced computer systems and data links allows the 4.5-gen fighters to be integrated into a network-centric battlespace. It allows jets a greater scope to conduct multi-role missions.
Some of the important 4.5-generation fighter jets include the F-18E/F Super Hornet, Su-30, Su-35, Rafale, and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Fifth-generation fighter jets, e.g., F-22 Raptor, F-35, J-20, Su-57
The fifth-generation fighter jets have the potential to revolutionise modern warfare, as they include the most important distinguishing feature, which is the stealth capability. In easy terms, stealth technology helps fighter jets remain undetectable on the enemy radar while undertaking operations in its airspace. Along with it, the fifth-generation fighters come with enhanced air dominance features and sensor fusion, as well as multi-role capabilities.
Moreover, the fifth-generation fighter jets do have improved situational awareness through having multi-spectral sensors, which are located across all aspects of the airframe, allowing the pilot to look through the airframe of the aircraft without the need to manoeuvre the fighter to obtain a 360-degree picture.
F-35 is a fifth generation fighter jet, developed by the US
The fifth-generation fighter jets are equipped with a low radar cross-section, meaning that their construction is such that enemy radar fails to sense the thermal signature due to stealth capability. The sensors are advanced, which improves their combat capability. It comes with high manoeuvrability, which ensures the execution of complex operations with utmost precision and accuracy.
Data sharing is also an important factor, as they are ‘born’ networked, which allows them to receive, share and store information to enhance the battlespace picture, the Fighter World reports.
Some of the notable fifth-generation fighter jets include the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, J-20, and Su-57. They have mostly dominated modern warfare since 2000.
Sixth-generation fighter jets, e.g., Tempest, NGAD, Baidi
The 6th generation fighter jets are yet to come to reality and are expected to be equipped with hypersonic capabilities, AI integration, and directed-energy weapons.
Tempest, which is 6th gen fighter jet, is to be jointly developed by the UK, Italy, and Japan
Some of the planned sixth-generation fighter jets are Tempest, proposed to be jointly developed by the UK, Italy, and Japan; NGAD to be developed by the US; and Baidi to be developed by China.
