Ranking EVERY Modern Fighter Jet (2024)

This is the ranking of every operational fighter jet and attack jet in operation in the US, Europe, China, and Russia. Using my Ultimate Aircraft Ranking system I determine how every fighter jet stacks up. Including fighter jets manufactured in the US, Russia, Europe, and China.

In this video I rank the following aircraft. F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-5 Tiger II, J-15, F-15E Strike Eagle, Eurofighter Typhoon, AV-8B Harrier, J-8, Chengdu J-7, JH-7, Su-25, F-22 Raptor, Mirage 2000, F/A -18 Hornet, F/A-18 Super Hornet, MiG-35, F-35A/B/C Lightning II, F-15C Eagle, Su-24, Rafale, MiG-35 Su-32/Su-34, Sukhoi Su-27, Chengdu J-20, Su-35, MiG-31, Su-30 Shenyang J-11, MiG-29, JAS-39 Gripen, Chengdu J-10, A-10 Thunderbolt II, Su-57, Shenyang J-16, Su-24, MiG-35, Su-32/Su-34.

0:00 Intro
5:28 Russian Rankings
32:11 US Rankings
43:00 Chinese Rankings
49:02 European Rankings
54:50 Conclusion

If you enjoy this content and want to support the channel please consider becoming a Patron.

Footage Referenced:

Follow me on
instagram - @aviationaustin
twitter - @aviationaustin
facebook - Aviation Austin
Tiktok- @aviationaustin

[Humblee]

2:07 the only thing broken here is that voice

[Canard_Ivre]

Seriously, giving the SU-34 an innovation score of 4 is just plain wrong. Have you seen it? They've managed to fit a toilet and a kitchen in there! And if there was an appearance score it would be a solid 10/10. That wide, flattened nose? Totally resembles a duck-bill, and who doesn't love ducks? Plus, those canards? Super cool!

[spectreplays]

He is just wrong about the gripen. Cost effectiveness makes a huge difference here. The bang for your buck is far greater than the Rafale and Typhoon. The plane may not be the best but you’ve underplayed it’s effectiveness

[doctorproctor]

u cant really rank the Mirage 2000 without specifying a specific variant as there are a ton that are very different capability wise like a Mirage 2000C is just a dumb bomb analog fox one slinger, but a Mirage 2000-5 MK2 is a capable multi-role platform with MFDs, guided A2G ordinance using the Damocles pod (same as Rafale), and Both versions of the MICA A2A missiles. (im just butt hurt i love the Mirage 2000, but theres no comparison to the Mirage III)

[mansrow]

Giving a better versatility rate to the Typhoon than to the Rafale is paradoxical, since the Rafale went out a few years before the Typhoon, and added all the components for air to ground missions during those few years. But most of all, it can operate from a damn carrier. That is super important, and I am surprised you didn't take that into account like you did with the F35C.

Also, you should have taken thing in account for your rating : availability/maintenance. That is perhaps the most crucial and underestimated aspect of a fighter jet.

[aviaviate]

The Gripen is one of the most rugged planes on the planet, purpose-built for full operational capability on just 1600 feet of a snow-covered highway. It takes just 10 minutes for a single technician and a team of 5 conscripts to rearm, refuel, and reservice the aircraft before it returns to air-to-air combat after landing. It is one of the cheapest aircraft to operate in the world, costing less per hour than even the F-16C Block 50. It is one of the few aircraft equipped with an AESA radar, and it can fire jammers out of its countermeasure dispensers as if they were flares or chaff. Its abilities as a flying computer rival even the F-35's. It can carry whatever existing weapons you can think of. "If you buy Gripen, select where you want your weapons from: Israel, Sweden, Europe, US... South America. It's up to the consumer."

Hmmm... let's give it a 5 for innovation, and a 6 for versatility.

[amaurytt]

I am afraid you got your dates a bit wrong on the Rafale. First flight in 1986 is for the initial demonstrator with temporary US made engines (french ones were still in the design phase). The first actual prototype was in 1991so pretty much the same time frame as the f-22. Initial production started in early 2000 so the limitations you mention for air to ground were for the first blocks delivered to the french navy. These were a bit rushed as they were necessary to equip the newly launched aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. If you look at the first blocks of f-35 you'll find they were not even capable of using their machine guns...to be truthful I am not even sure that issue has been resolved yet.

[aurdel]

I mean, the Rafale was rushed into service for the french marine, because it had to replace the older aircrafts. But with the different upgrades it got, I think that 7 is, quite low for the versatility grade, knowing that's it's an omnirole fighter jey

[ruihenriquessantos]

Well, I really liked how detailed you were about the russian jets on how you got to score them in each category. I learned quite a lot of new and interesting (to me) information (numbers, etc.). Just wish you had kept that same attention to detail through the whole video. Even if it meant a longer video. I don't know about you all but, to me, I can spend hours watching informative videos about airplanes, specially fighter jets. From the American jets on, it felt a bit rushed. Kudos to you nonetheless. 👏👏

[nicholaswjamrock]

the gripin sub par combat range, seriously dude you need to check your facts the gripin has greater combat reange than the f15 f 16 and f35, it cots per hour of operation is a fraction of an f16, which was the cheapest air to air combat aircraft in NATO. SAAB invented sensor fussion, which aircraft on your list can fire a missle using the targeting data from another. its the only aircraft that can use every weapon in nato

[F-_enthusiast]

Hi Austin, what do you think about the F-15EX and what score would it get if it had some history behind?

[pahtar]

Su-25: High speed is a disadvantage for a close air support plane. It should have scored 6 or 7.
AV-8B: Innovation and versatility should be 10.
A-10: Your ranking system values versatility, so you should probably have left out purpose-built close air support craft like this and the Su-25.

F/A-18E/F: Through most of its history, US Navy aviation has used exclusively specialist aircraft. The F-4 was the first to attempt "jack of all trades."

[kinka]

bruh ranking the first version of the rafale in 2024 is pure genious

[appa]

Jesus Christ why can't you even keep it consistent within your criteria? Why do you break down numerical scores for the Russian and Chinese planes then vaguely handwave the rankings for US planes? Where did you get the 72kft/min climb rate for the F-16 when it's widely cited at 55kft/min? How is the F-15 "tied" for fastest plane when the Mig-31 is distinctly faster? How is the Harrier the "second slowest" plane when the A-10 and Su-25 are both quoted being slower? Why are we quoting wet T:W numbers for Russian planes then ranking US planes by dry total thrust?

This is a mess. It feels like you ran out of steam 1/3 of the way through making it and just threw shit together so it could be done.

[Theonewhoforgotlife]

I'll be honest you're probably the 2nd person who didn't put any hate on the J 20

[Betelgeusewaitforit]

I commend you in doing this on your own. There are multiple government agencies across Nations who actually mostly do a bad job at this stuff.

[lospiloto]

Hi, amazing work. When I speak about military planes I'm like "I like that, so it is the best"😂
I have only one critique: WHERE IS THE TORNADO? THE GHIBLI? AND THE M 365? GIB IT NOW!

[wilmeroberg]

5 innovation for the JAS 39 is insane lol. It has the best EW capabilities in the world, easiest jet to train new pilots on and it uses the Meteor missile which immediately makes it better than all other non-stealth aircraft that don't carry it.

[LesKnight-uien]

Try telling the Argentinians or ground troops who served in Afghanistan how useless the British Harriers were!

[johndeanjdsvihovic]

The US F-5 is not a front line fighter, it is only used as an adversary training aid. Also you left out the F-15EX, although not operational right now, it will be very soon.