Top 10 Military Planes

Probably the most advanced fighter yet, the Raptor is a multirole fighter that boasts thrust-vectoring and stealth technology, giving it excellent handling and the ability to evade enemy radar systems. However, it’s been criticized as an expensive solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, meaning it’s so far ahead of the competition that it has no competition. Officially entering service for the U.S. Air Force in 2005 and finally used in combat in 2014 in the battle against the Islamic State, the F-22 Raptor – with its incredible abilities and exorbitant price tag – makes our list with flying colors.

Although it’s one of the first stealth aircraft to be deployed on a large scale by the U.S. military, the Nighthawk is actually a bit of a misnomer; the “F” designation suggests a fighter aircraft, but it’s actually an attack plane meriting an “A” designation. Nonetheless, the ‘Hawk makes our list not only for the groundbreaking stealth technology it introduced, but also for the secrecy that surrounded the aircraft during its first years in action. Although it was retired in 2008, we remember it for its large bombing role in the Gulf War, and its fierce good looks.

WWII had ended, the Iron Curtain had descended, and both the U.S. and USSR were scrambling to adopt the technology popularized by the Nazis. The East beat the West to develop the jet fighter technology into an aircraft, and this caused panic within the US air force. The MiG-15 was devastating to American Fighters in the Korean War, as the more powerful jet’s design made them faster and more maneuverable than any propeller-driven plane in the NATO arsenal. This forced the U.S. to redesign their jets, and launched the world into the era of jet-powered fighter planes.

Most people forget that the second largest airforce in the world is the U.S. Navy, and from the late ‘70s to the 2000s, the Tomcat was their go-to jet. Conceived as a long-range interceptor to protect the aircraft carriers it launched from, its variable-sweep wing and twin-tail design not only added to its sleek look, but also its stability at speeds exceeding twice the speed of sound. Retired in 2006, the Tomcat starred alongside Tom Cruise in “Top Gun,” and we remember it for its Hollywood good looks as well as its impressive specs.

Its sharp wing design and two enormously powerful engines made this jet a force to be reckoned with. Introduced in 1960 and making a name for itself in the Vietnam War, the F-4 phantom was at one point used by three different branches of the U.S. Military: The Air Force, the Navy, and the Marine Corps. It tested the use of missile technology, and after a short period of trial and error, the phantom went on to become one of the most versatile, high-flying and lethal jets in U.S. history – and, at the time, one of the fastest.

With international tensions at a boiling point in the 1960s, the need for a surveillance plane capable of safely flying reconnaissance became clear and present. This led to the development of the Blackbird, a jet which, under ideal circumstances, could fly upwards of 85-thousand-feet in altitude and faster than Mach 3. Holding the world record for the fastest plane ever built, the impressiveness of the SR-71 is unmatched. Though it’s being replaced by unmanned aerial vehicles – or drones – the Blackbird could make our list on pure statistics alone. Luckily, it’s also one of the best looking.

The bread and butter of the US air force, the Eagle is considered one of – if not the – most successful contemporary fighter, with a record of +100 victories. Debuting in 1976, its maneuverability and impressive top speed of Mach 2.7 make it one of the most formidably performing jets ever as well. It proved its durability in 1983, when on an Israeli training mission; one F-15 suffered a midair collision and was able to land with only one wing. Representative of the US air force’s might, the Eagle boasts an impressively long service record, and has not yet lost its edge.

First flown in the late-1930s, the high-performance interceptor Spitfire has been one of the most well-known aircraft since it saw combat in the Battle of Britain. However, this plane is not famous for its impressive performance statistics, but rather for the men of the Royal Air Force who bravely flew while holding the line in one of history’s darkest hours. The Spitfire has come to symbolize Britain’s defiance against the Nazis’ advance, and it’s remembered for being evocative of the quote by Winston Churchill: “Never was so much, been owed by so many, to so few.”

The Mustang was rushed into production in the middle of the Second World War and proved itself an admirable fighter in that conflict, and later ones like the Korean War. Serving less as a defensive fighter in WWII than another warplane like the Spitfire, the Mustang became the fighter plane to fear as it flew escort for long-range bombing missions deep into Nazi airspace. It was so remarkable, even to its enemy, that when Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring saw them flying above Berlin in 1944, he remarked that the war was over, and that Germany had lost.

Before we fly off with our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Avro Lancaster
- Sopwith Camel
- North American F-86 Sabre
- Bell X-1

While most of the planes on this list were built to fight wars, this bomber was built to end them. Developed in the late-‘40s-early-‘50s, this massive superstructure of a plane – which needs eight turbojet engines to fly – was constructed to carry nuclear weapons in the event of all-out nuclear war, meaning it was a crucial piece of Cold War machinery. Inducted into the US air force in 1955, it’s also one of the longest-serving planes ever, and has come to symbolize aerial warfare. This plane makes number one based on scale and firepower alone. Plus, it has one badass nickname: the BUFF, or Big Ugly Fat Fucker.

Did you agree with our list? Which planes did you think should have flown higher on our list? For more top 10s about top guns, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.