We can safely say that each country should have military aviation at its disposal in case of an invasion. Land by land, sea by sea, but all this does not mean anything if the enemy can cross the border by air. Let us consider with you the best combat aircraft in the world. A similar technique has been created for a long time. However, a huge number of modifications, new models - all this is today.
General information
It is quite difficult to evaluate military aircraft. This is due to the fact that there are promising developments or ready-made fighters and bombers, which, fortunately, have not yet been tested in battle. The main factor affecting the rating of a combat vehicle is experience. That is why almost all the models that will be presented in this article participated in the battle. Let's try to make our own rating, paying attention to the technical characteristics of the machines, as well as consider the unique sides of each of them and weapons that allow you to intercept bombers, destroy enemy fighters, etc.
Combat aircraft of the world: TOP-10
Oddly enough, this sounds, but the most modern fighter in the world takes the last place on our list. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the F-22 Raptor does not have any combat experience. This aircraft has repeatedly become the subject of controversy among technologists. Some talked about the relevance and effectiveness of technology, others - about the unreasonably high cost (66 billion dollars).
Experts note that a deep modernization of the same F-15 and F-16 could have the same effect, while the cost of improvement would be several times less. Nevertheless, this fighter is one of a kind in terms of technical characteristics. During its development, the principle of "first saw - first shot" was used. However, without experience, it is difficult to say something specific, so let's move on.
German "Swallow" from the Second World War
Today, few have heard of the Messerschmitt Me.262 Schwalbe fighter. But during the Second World War, every Soviet and German soldier knew about this creation. Yes, it’s a creation, because otherwise it’s difficult to name this car. This is due to the fact that for 1943 it was a real breakthrough to achieve a maximum speed of 900 km / h, which, in fact, the German designers managed.
"Swallow" was very technological and had quite a few flaws. The aircraft was equipped with four 30-mm guns and ammunition in the amount of 100 shells. Also on board were more than 2 dozen unguided missiles. In general, this is a proven military equipment. The aircraft could be used as an interceptor, scribbler and blitz bomber. By the end of the war, about 1900 pieces of equipment were manufactured, but only 300 pieces took to the air. What did the Soviet pilots first of all pay attention to, having obtained such a trophy, you ask? For excellent radio communication, which gave a good advantage in battle.
Russian combat aircraft
The eighth place in our ranking is occupied by the MiG-25. This is a Soviet high-altitude fighter-interceptor, which survived a huge number of modifications. We will talk about its improvements a little later. So, this particular machine has about 29 records in its account. The combat capabilities of this unit were never claimed, but as a scout, he showed himself on the good side.
It was the MiG-25 that opened the entire line of Bar-Lev defense during the Arab-Israeli conflict. This was achieved due to the fact that the plane flew at an altitude of 18-23 km at maximum speed. In this mode, the combat vehicle burned approximately 500 liters of fuel every minute. Note that the aircraft can accelerate to a speed of 2.8 M, at which the skin heats up to 300 degrees Celsius. According to the pilots, even the lantern in the cockpit had a high temperature, and it was impossible to touch it with his bare hand. We can say that these are worthy combat aircraft of the world, which at one time attracted a lot of attention.
British Aerospace Sea Harrier and Mitsubishi A6M
By name, it is easy to guess that this aircraft is from Britain. He appeared in 1967. In fact, it was the first aircraft with vertical take-off and landing. Despite the fact that this is a subsonic unit, it showed excellent performance in battle. A vivid example of this is 23 downed Argentinean aircraft, while not a single “Harrier” was lost.
As for the Mitsubishi A6M, occupying the 6th stage, then this is a real mystery. Of course, today all the secrets of this unit are already known, but at one time it was simply irreplaceable. As experts noted, the engineers managed to combine what is very difficult to combine. High flight range - 2600 km. These are impressive numbers for a deck aircraft. In addition, these combat aircraft, the photos of which you can see, had excellent maneuverability and powerful weapons - and all this with a maximum curb weight of 2500 tons. All this was achieved due to the lack of armor and protectors on the fuel tanks.
Fifth Place: F-16
Over the years, aviation experts have been debating about which is better: the F-16 or MiG-29. So, on this occasion, you can talk endlessly, but let's just take a closer look at the American creation. Compared to the MiG-29, the F-16 has the best optical visibility, which is the main thing during an air battle - the one who first detects the enemy has a significant advantage.
In terms of speed and agility, the MiG-29 is in the lead, but not significantly. A good pilot can offset small deviations. Although at the same time, an ace can make even a small advantage a huge plus in battle, which should not be forgotten. F-16 is famous for its weapons. On board there are both guided and unguided bombs, anti-radar missiles, etc. At the same time, the aircraft's carrying capacity is 7.5 tons, while the Mig-29 can fly into the air with only 2.5 tons. Such a significant difference is due to the fact that the American has one engine, and the Soviet front-line fighter - two.
Russian combat aircraft: MiG-15
This unit was in service with 40 countries. Agree, this at least speaks of its effectiveness. The aircraft was developed back in 1949. Until that time, many in the West thought that Soviet designers made bulky, heavy and outdated fighters, but when the MiG-15 appeared, this opinion immediately disappeared. Fast, easy and deadly - that's the whole MiG. It was with his appearance that the probability of a nuclear attack on the USSR completely disappeared, since the B-29 bomber could not, under any circumstances, break through the MiG barrier. In general, this is an excellent fighter, which has earned recognition not just like that, but for its uniqueness.
Messerschmitt Bf. 109 and MiG-21
Messerschmitt Bf.109, perhaps the most famous fighter since the Second World War. And not in vain. After all, this particular car was a favorite among German aces. The fact is that Messerschmitt Bf.109 was incredibly maneuverable, fast and deadly. German designers have developed four modifications of the aircraft. By the way, each of them was successful in its own way. So E (Emil) became the hero of the battles for England, and F (Frederick) on June 22, 1942 broke the silence over the Soviet sky. There were also modifications of class G and K. It was Messerschmitt that was the most deadly.
It is impossible not to mention the 2nd generation fighter from Soviet designers. MiG-21 had great potential, which was never revealed to the end. As practice has shown, Soviet engineers had an erroneous opinion about weapons. The fact is that the main competitor of MiG was Phantom 2. The Americans relied on electronic equipment, and the USSR on maneuverability. As practice has shown, neither one nor the other was successful. The Phantom did not have cannons on board, which immediately appeared during the battle, and the MiG had only 2 air-to-air missiles, which turned out to be extremely small.
The first place is ...
So we have reviewed almost all the best combat aircraft. There is only one left, and this is the F-15. This particular aircraft is the best, according to many experts. For the most part, this is due simply to enormous combat experience. Just imagine 104 air battles (victories) without a single loss! It is unlikely that here we are talking about luck, rather, about the professionalism of the pilots and the perfection of the aircraft.
Impressive is the armament of the “eagle”, which allows you to fire at both air and ground targets. The U.S. Air Force plans by the end of 2015 to put into service stealth fighters based on the F-15 modification of the F-15SE. Besides the fact that the car will be more inconspicuous, they will slightly improve their weapons, as well as navigation automatic systems. By the way, the Americans have always paid the most attention to the safety of their crew. This applies to tanks, planes and ships. For example, Soviet combat aircraft and tanks were not famous for this.
The most famous combat aircraft of Russia and other countries that were on our list were presented to your attention. All these cars once terrified the enemy. Of course, I would like aviation to be used as rarely as possible, and military conflicts should be resolved through diplomatic means. But when this fails, fighters and bombers who are ready to take to the air at any moment go to the defense.