"Old America" has the largest military power in the world. There is no doubt about this. It leads the world in terms of combat, equipment, weapons technology, etc., especially in terms of military aircraft.
In this issue, we will take stock of the nine best fighters in the US military. Among them, the F-117 stealth fighter , no matter in terms of technology or stealth capabilities, no country has been able to build it so far.
(The following aircraft are only arranged in order, without any ranking)
1. F-14 "Tomcat"
F-14 is a multi-purpose carrier-based fighter with twin engines and dual cockpits. Its code name is "Tomcat" ” or “Sea Tomcat” entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1974 and mainly performs reconnaissance, escort, air defense, interception and strike missions for the fleet.
F-14 is the world's third-generation fighter . Although it looks like an ordinary carrier-based aircraft , it adopts a double vertical tail variable swept mid-wing design. This feature can ensure the fuselage kinetic energy and improve Supersonic maneuverability, and can also reduce the space occupied when parked on an aircraft carrier. Titanium alloy materials and boron composite materials are also widely used on the F-14 fuselage. This design method also improves the fuselage's Strength to weight ratio.
The weapon part of the F-14 "Tomcat" fighter jet can be modularly selected according to different tasks. For example, when performing an air-to-air mission, it can carry 6 AIM-7 air-to-air missiles, 4 AIM-9 or 6 The AIM-5 air-to-air missile can carry 4 MK-83 aerial bombs, 4 MK-84 aerial bombs, 6 MK-20 cluster bombs, and 4 GBU-10 when performing ground-attack missions. Laser guided bombs, etc.
F-14 "Tomcat" multi-purpose carrier-based fighter has a total fuselage length of 19.10 meters, a wingspan of 19.54 meters, a height of 4.88 meters, a wing area of 52.46 square meters, an empty weight of the fuselage of 18.19 tons, and a maximum take-off weight 33.72 tons. In terms of power, it is equipped with two F-110 afterburning turbofan engines, with a single afterburning thrust of 12,700 kilograms, a maximum flight speed of Mach 2.38, and a range of 2,573 kilometers.
The avionics system of the F-14 fighter carries ARC-51 and ARC-159 high-frequency amplitude modulation radio communication transceivers, AN-92 carrier-based aircraft flight inertial navigation system, A24G39 attitude and heading reference system, and A-63A automatic Advanced equipment such as shipboard landing system, EN-50 radar receiver, A-25 radar warning system and Huey's AWG-9 pulse Dopreda system.
The F-14 "Tomcat" fighter jet joined the U.S. Navy in 1974. After serving for 32 years, it was replaced by the more outstanding F/A-18 "Hornet" carrier-based aircraft. Finally, the F-14 withdrew from the United States in 2006. Navy, but it also serves as a generation of excellent fighter aircraft for the US military.
2. F-15 "Eagle"
The F-15 is a heavy-duty supersonic fighter using twin jet engines. It is also listed as the fourth-generation fighter in the world. Its code name is "Eagle" or "Eagle". "Eagle" was developed from 1962 to 1972 and officially entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1976. At the same time, countries such as Israel, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are also equipped with various types of F-15 series fighter jets. The fuselage of the
F-15 fighter jet adopts an all-metal semi-monocoque structure. The radome on the head of the fuselage, seats and electronic equipment compartments are made of aluminum alloy materials. The wing frame and connection positions are made of titanium alloy structure. The wing adopts a pointed triangle design, which can improve the structure of the wing and reduce the area of the wing. It will also reduce drag and make the flight smoother.
The early power system of the F-15 was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 turbofan engines, which were later changed to F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan engines in 1991, with a maximum thrust of 129 kN. The maximum flight speed is Mach 2.5, the maximum range is 5,745 kilometers, the total length of the fuselage is 19.45 meters, the wingspan is 13.15 meters, the height is 5.65 meters, the area is 56.5 square meters, the empty weight of the fuselage is 12.97 tons, and the maximum take-off weight is 30.8 tons.
The weapon section can carry AIM-7 air-to-air missiles, AIM-9 air-to-air missiles, AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, GBU-28 fortress-penetrating bombs, and other types of aviation bombs or air-to-ground missiles, , etc., and the auxiliary weapons include an M61A1 Vulcan cannon, which can be used in close-range air combat.
F-15 "Eagle" heavy fighter is equipped with many advanced avionics equipment, including head-up display , ultra-high frequency communication equipment, tactical navigation system, instrument landing system , fire control radar , and ALQ119 electronic interference crane cabin, ARN-118 TACAN system, ASN-109 inertial radar system, AWG-20 fire control system, ASK-6 atmospheric data computer, CP1075A central data computer, etc.
After the birth of the F-15 fighter, deformed aircraft such as the F-15F, F-15H, F-15I, F-15C, F-15SG, F-15SE and F-15E were also derived. From 1976 to the present, he has served in the U.S. Army for 47 years.
3. F-15E "Strike Eagle"
F-15E is improved on the basis of the F-15 fighter. Its main purpose is ground attack and can complete multiple missions. The appearance of the two can be distinguished in the cockpit. , the F-15 uses a single cockpit, while the F-15E uses a double cockpit, and the F-15E is codenamed "Strike Eagle".
The F-15E fighter has a swept wing system installed on the shoulder. The air inlet of the fuselage is changed to the underside of the cockpit. conformal fuel tanks are also designed on both sides of the air inlet. The combat cockpit is also modified.
The F-15E fighter jet joined the U.S. Air Force in 1988. It also participated in actual combat during the "Desert Storm" operation in 1991. Its overall performance exceeded the original F-15 "Eagle" fighter jet. At the same time, in 2002, the South Korean Air Force also purchased It has purchased more than 40 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets.
F-15E "Strike Eagle" fighter jet has a length of 19.43 meters, a wingspan of 13 meters, a height of 5.63 meters, a maximum flight speed of 2,654 kilometers per hour, and a maximum range of 4,445 kilometers.
In terms of weapons, it can mount various types of air-to-ground missiles or air-to-air missiles. The F-15E has been in service since joining the U.S. Air Force in 1988 until now.
4. F-16 "Fighting Falcon"
F-16 is a single-cockpit, single-jet engine multi-purpose fighter of the United States Air Force, code-named " Fighting Falcon ", also known as the "International Fighter" , because in addition to being used by the US military, more than 20 countries in the world have also equipped various models of F-16.
F-16 was developed by Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics from 1972 to 1974. It joined the U.S. Air Force for service in 1978. It is currently the third-generation fighter or third-generation semi-fighter in the world, F-16. 16 is very successful and is used in many countries around the world.
The F-16 fighter is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney F-100-PW-200 afterburning turbofan engine with a maximum thrust of 106 kilonewtons, a maximum flight speed of 2175 kilometers per hour, a range of 3819 kilometers, and a total fuselage length of 15.09 meters, with a wingspan of 9.45 meters, a fuselage height of 5.09 meters, a wing area of 27.87 square meters, an empty weight of the fuselage of 8.49 tons, and a maximum take-off weight of 19.1 tons.
The weapon part of the F-16 fighter jet is equipped with an M61A1 20mm aviation cannon with 511 rounds of ammunition. It can adjust the elevation angle in conjunction with the radar and computing system. The effective range is 1,000 meters and the theoretical rate of fire is 4,000 per minute. hair. In terms of air-to-air missiles, it can carry a variety of air-to-air missiles such as AIM-9, AIM-9P and AIM1-20. Air-to-ground weapons include CBU-52 bombs, AGM-6 air-to-ground missiles, AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missiles, GBU-10 laser-guided bombs, GBU-12B laser-guided bombs, or LAU-3A 19-link Aviation rocket launch nests, etc.
F-16 has been in service since 1978 and has been one of the main fighters of the US Air Force. Its performance is also very excellent and it is also one of the world's famous fighter jets.
5. F/A18 "Hornet"
The F/A18, code-named "Hornet", is a third-generation supersonic fighter using twin jet engines. Its birth replaced the previous generation F-14 "Tomcat" "fighter.
F/A18 "Hornet" is mainly used as a carrier-based fighter of the United States Navy. In addition to being adopted by the United States, it also includes the Royal Australian Air Force, Swiss Air Force, Finnish Air Force, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Canadian Air Force and Spanish Air Force. It is also being used. Its performance is very good, its response ability is fast and its combat effectiveness is strong. The power system of the
F/A18 fighter jet is equipped with two General Electric Company F404-GE-400 turbofan engines, with a single thrust of 65.3 kN, a single afterburning thrust of 98.9 kN, and a maximum flight speed of 1814 kN per hour. kilometers, with a range of 2,346 kilometers and a combat radius of 722 kilometers. The total length of the fuselage is 17.07 meters, the wingspan is 11.43 meters, the height is 4.66 meters, the wing area is 37.16 square meters, the empty weight of the fuselage is 10.4 tons, and the maximum take-off weight is 22.32 tons.
The weapon system of the F/A18 "Hornet" fighter jet has a total of 9 weapon attachment points on the fuselage, which can carry an AIM-9L air-to-air missile, an AIM-7 "Sparrow" air-to-air missile, or an AIM-120 Air-to-air missiles can also be mounted with AGM-84 anti-ship missiles, AGM-6 air-to-surface missiles or AGM-88A anti-radiation missiles. The fuselage also comes with an M61 20mm 6-barreled cannon, with a large amount of ammunition. 570 rounds, with a theoretical rate of fire of 4,000 rounds per minute.
Since the birth of the F/A18 "Hornet" fighter jet, it has also derived the F/A18A, F/A18B, F/A18C, F/A18D, F/A18L, F/A18 reconnaissance, and EF8G types. And other derivative models, "Hornet" fighter jets were used in the 1991 "Gulf War", 190 of which cooperated with the Marine Corps in combat. In actual combat, its performance was very good, and it is still used as a carrier-based aircraft on the US Navy aircraft carrier. one.
VI. The F-22 "Raptor"
F-22 is the world's fifth-generation fighter and also the world's first fifth-generation stealth fighter in service. It is developed by the American Lockheed Martin Company and Boeing Company , jointly developed from the mid-1980s to the early 21st century, completed its first flight in 1997, was finalized in 2001, and officially entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2005. The codename of the F-22 fighter is " Raptor ".
F-22 "Raptor" fighter jet is highly advanced, uses twin jet engines, has super stealth capabilities, high flexibility, accuracy and situational awareness capabilities, and can perform air-to-air or air-to-ground operations. mission, and also comes with a variety of advanced electronic systems and avionics equipment.
F-22 fighter jet has a total length of 18.9 meters, a wingspan of 13.56 meters, a height of 5.08 meters, a wing area of 78.04 square meters, an empty weight of the fuselage of 19.7 tons, and a maximum take-off weight of 38 tons. The power system is equipped with two general-purpose fighter jets. Hui 's F117-PW-100 afterburning turbofan engine has a maximum thrust of 104 kilonewtons and an afterburning thrust of 156 kilonewtons. It has a maximum flight speed of 2,410 kilometers per hour and a maximum range of 1,600 nautical miles.
F-22's weapon system includes a 20mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon with a reserve of 480 rounds. It is powered by electricity and has a maximum rate of fire of 4,000 rounds per minute. The ammunition types can also be equipped with training rounds, armor-piercing rounds and High-explosive bombs such as , the fuselage can carry 6 AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles, 2 AIM-9 "Sidewinder" air-to-air missiles, two GBU-32 joint direct attack munitions, and 2 windage correctors Ammunition spreaders, 8 GBU-32 small-diameter aerial bombs, and all weapons are hidden inside the fuselage, and the weapons bay door will be opened during combat.
The F-22 "Raptor" fighter has been in service since 2005 and is still the most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter in the world. Although other countries in the world also have stealth fighters, they are not as technologically mature as the F-22.
7. F-35 "Lightning"
F-35 is a multi-purpose stealth fighter with a single cockpit and a single jet engine. It is also known as the "Joint Attack Aircraft" and is classified as a fifth-generation fighter in the world. , F-35 is also divided into three models: A, B, and C. Type A is a traditional take-off and landing fighter. As a model used by the Air Force, type B has vertical take-off and landing capabilities. It is generally equipped with the U.S. Marine Corps and can perform multiple tasks. For various tasks, Type C is a carrier-based fighter on a naval aircraft carrier. It also has vertical take-off and landing capabilities, and is also the smallest in the F-35 series family.
The F-35 fighter , like the F-16, will basically become an "international fighter". More than 20 countries in the West have purchased F-35A, B, and C models. Except for the United States, the largest number of them is used. The most important ones are , Turkey and , which are equipped with 166 and 138 aircraft respectively.
The general appearance of the F-35 is similar to the F-22, but it is smaller, uses a single engine, and has super stealth capabilities. The fuselage has a smooth appearance and all weapons are hidden inside the fuselage. The stealth aspect is borrowed from the F-35. 22 also uses the segmented simulation technology of the retired F-117 stealth attack aircraft.
The power system of the F-35 "Lightning" fighter is equipped with an F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofan engine with a maximum thrust of 120 kN and an afterburning thrust of 191 kN. The maximum flight speed is 1930 kilometers per hour. The flight range is 2,220 kilometers, the total length of the fuselage is 15.67 meters, the wingspan is 10.7 meters, the height is 4.33 meters, the wing area is 42.7 square meters, the empty weight of the fuselage is 13.15 tons, and the maximum take-off weight is 31.8 tons.
The F-35's weapon part can be equipped with air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-9X "Super Sidewinder" air-to-air missile, the AIM-132 short-range air-to-air missile, and air-to-air missiles. Ground weapons include JASSM joint air-to-surface long-range attack missiles, small-diameter aerial bombs, and AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missiles. The fuselage also comes with a GAU-22 "Balancer" 25 mm cannon.
The F-35 has been in service with the US military since 2011. It is also a generation of advanced stealth fighter in the world. Its electronic system and stealth capabilities may be stronger than the F-22, but its comprehensive capabilities are not as good as the former.
8. F-117 "Nighthawk"
The F-117 is a multi-purpose stealth attack aircraft using a single-cockpit twin jet engines. It is also the first fighter aircraft in the world that can be completely invisible and join the military. It is codenamed "Nightingale". With its powerful stealth capabilities, it cannot be tracked by radar. It can penetrate into enemy areas, destroy strategic locations, important targets and command systems, and can also perform reconnaissance missions.
F-117 adopts a peculiar polygonal design. The main body is triangular. The overall appearance looks like an alien fighter plane. It is very sci-fi. The outside of the fuselage also has a peculiar coating that can effectively absorb radar waves. F-117 Fighter can not only achieve radar stealth, but also infrared stealth, visible light stealth and sound stealth.
The power system of the F-117 attack aircraft uses two General Electric Company's F-404-GE-F1D2 non-afterburning turbofan engines, with a single thrust of 48 kN, a maximum flight speed of 1111 kilometers per hour, and a maximum range of 1720 kilometers. , the total length of the fuselage is 20.09 meters, the wingspan is 13.2 meters, the height is 3.78 meters, the wing area is 73 square meters, the empty weight of the fuselage is 13.38 tons, and the maximum take-off weight is 23.81 tons.
F-117’s weapon system adopts a built-in design, all folded inside the wings. The weapon bay door can be opened during attack, and it can carry AGM-88A high-speed anti-radiation missiles, AGM-65 air-to-surface missiles, and B-61 " Free-fall” nuclear bombs, AIM-9 air-to-air missiles, BLU-109B laser-guided bombs and GBU-10 aerial bombs, etc.
F-117's avionics system includes AP-102 mission computer, SPN-GEANS inertial navigation system, H-423 ring laser gyroscope, AVQ-28 screen display system, etc., as well as GEC's flight control computer and autopilot computer system. It can plan attack missions, calculate attack routes, and execute them automatically, automatically releasing weapons, etc. It can also use infrared thermal imaging to confirm targets, and use radar detection distance and laser to guide bomb targets.
F-117 attack aircraft was developed by the American Lockheed Company from 1973 to 1981. It completed its first flight in June 1981 and joined the U.S. Air Force in October 1983. At that time, a total of about 54 aircraft were produced. It has participated in operations in Panama, After a series of military operations in the Gulf, Kosovo , and finally in April 2008, all F-117 stealth attack aircraft were retired. Although they are products of retirement, whether it is the stealth capability of the F-117 attack aircraft, or R&D technology, so far no country in the world has the ability to manufacture it.
9. A-10 "Warthog"
A-10 As an attack aircraft using twin jet engines, it was born in the 1970s. The A-10 was codenamed "Lightning II" and was often called "Lightning II" by the US military. For "warthog".
A-10 attack aircraft was originally designed to fight ground targets and is very suitable for low-altitude combat. A 30mm GAU-8 7-barreled Gatling cannon is installed on the front of the nose, with an ammunition reserve of 1,350 rounds. It can launch conventional aviation bombs or depleted uranium armor-piercing bombs , with a theoretical rate of fire of 4,200 rounds per minute. It can mount 18 MK-82 general-purpose bombs, two AGM-65 air-to-surface missiles, or two AIM- 9 air-to-air missiles.
The early A-10 attack aircraft did not use a high-cost avionics fire control system and did not have night combat capabilities. Later, in 1978, with the needs of modern warfare, the A-10 was also extensively improved and installed The addition of a night navigation system, attack pod , infrared detection system, terrain tracking radar system and AN-18 in-flight communication equipment has instantly upgraded the A-10 attack aircraft, which originally had extremely backward avionics systems.
A-10 attack aircraft has a total fuselage length of 16.26 meters, a wingspan of 17.53 meters, a height of 4.47 meters, a wing area of 47 square meters, an empty weight of the fuselage of 11.32 tons, and a maximum take-off weight of 23 tons. The power system is equipped with Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines have a maximum thrust of 40.32 kilonewtons, a maximum flight speed of 833 kilometers per hour, and a range of 3,900 kilometers.
In 1991, A-10 attack aircraft participated in the "Desert Storm" operation of the Gulf War. This was also the first time that A-10 attack aircraft participated in actual combat. At that time, 144 A-10s completed 8,100 missions and were destroyed in total. The Iraqi army has more than 900 tanks , more than 2,000 armored combat vehicles and more than 1,200 artillery strongholds. In this operation, the A-10 attack aircraft established a war record and also played an important role in the US military. , the A-10 attack aircraft entered the US military in 1975, and has been in service until now and has not been willing to retire it. It can still play an effective role in modern warfare.
In this issue, these nine outstanding U.S. military fighter jets are summarized here for everyone. If you have any different thoughts or want to add to this, please express it in the comment area. If you want to know more about weapons and equipment, please Remember to pay attention and we will continue to update you in the next issue.
