When it comes to the question of the fastest fighter jetYou can choose to compare only the fighter jets that are still in service, or you can consider every last fighter jet that ever graced the sky – and we chose to go with the latter.
When it comes to aviation technology, fighter jets have long been at the forefront, pushing the boundaries of height and performance. Unlike commercial aircraft, they emphasize speed and maneuverability, with many of them also having stealth capabilities, the ability to fire air-to-air missiles and other unique features.
Considering how advanced these military aircraft must be – a pilot’s life usually depends on them – each is a monumental technical achievement, paving the way for future fighter jets that will be even faster, more powerful and better equipped. To celebrate this innovative spirit, here are seven of the fastest jets in all of aviation history.
1.NASA X-43
An experimental aircraft, the X-43 has the distinction of being not only the fastest fighter jet, but also the fastest aircraft ever built, with a top speed of Mach 9.6.
As part of a $230 million Hyper-X program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed the X-43 to explore hypersonic flight. In doing so, the American agency broke speed records and pushed back the boundaries of aerospace technology.
Technical problems
Due to the design of the X-43, NASA had to detach it from a B-52 in order to fly. Once in the air, however, the flights were short-lived.
NASA destroyed the first jet in 2001 when it malfunctioned during a test. In 2004, each of the remaining two jets flew for just 10 seconds (reaching Mach 6.8 and then Mach 9.6 respectively) during test flights, then crashed into the ocean after 10 minutes of gliding.
Technically disqualified?
Some argue that the
However, given the federal support of the project and the military implications of what it accomplished, others consider this supersonic aircraft to be the fastest fighter jet of all time.
2. North American X-15
The X-15, a joint project between NASA and the United States Air Force (USAF), was another pioneering aircraft in the pursuit of speed and a precursor to the X-43. The rocket-powered jet aircraft, which could reach speeds above Mach 6, was in development in the 1950s and 1960s.
Fastest flight in a manned aircraft
Like the X-43, the X-15 had to piggyback on a B-52, but unlike the X-43 it was a manned aircraft. In 1967, pilot Pete Knight made history by flying Mach 6.72, or 6.72 times the speed of sound, in the X-15, marking the fastest flight ever in a manned aircraft.
An honorable retirement
The high-speed aircraft underwent 199 test flights before NASA and the USAF retired the X-15 in 1968. A famous USAF photo from the 1960s shows an X-15 flying over Edwards Air Force Base in supersonic flight.
3. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
No discussion of fast fighter jets would be complete without mentioning the legendary SR-71 Blackbird.
Developed during the Cold War, this reconnaissance aircraft had a top speed of Mach 3.30 at over 16 miles (85,000 feet or 25,908 meters) above Earth. Due to the danger of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, the crew members of the Blackbird wore pressure suits similar to astronaut suits.
The US military needed a fighter jet that could outrun interceptors and other surface-to-air missile systems, and in the Blackbird the USAF found the speed it was looking for.
The aircraft’s sleek, all-black profile and unparalleled speed capabilities earned it a reputation as the pinnacle of aerospace technology and a symbol of American air superiority.
4. Bell X-2 Starbuster
In the early days of supersonic flight, the Bell X-2 Starbuster emerged as a groundbreaking aircraft, paving the way for future fighter jets including the X-43 and the
The X-2 was the result of a 1945 collaboration between Bell Aircraft Corporation, the USAF and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
Glory and tragedy
In 1956, Captain Milburn G. “Mel” Apt broke the sound barrier when he reached a top speed of Mach 3.20 in the X-2, making him the first person to fly faster than Mach 3.
Unfortunately, after setting this record, the plane crashed. Although Apt jettisoned the escape pod he was riding in, he was unable to deploy his parachute before the capsule crashed.
5. Lockheed YF-12
The USAF developed the Lockheed YF-12 as a prototype interceptor in the 1960s because it needed a jet that could fly at high altitudes while defending military assets against the enemy’s supersonic bombers.
Lockheed and the Army made three of these aircraft, and at least one of them reached a maximum speed of Mach 3.20 during testing.
Unfortunately, the USAF eventually ran out of funding for the YF-12 program, instead diverting funds to other needs related to the Vietnam War. Although the US never put this fighter jet into full production, the performance of this impressive aircraft led to the development of other fast military aircraft.
The only surviving aircraft is on display at the National Museum of the USAF in Ohio.
6. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat
The Soviet Union developed the MiG-25, also known by its NATO reporting name “Foxbat”, during the Cold War. A formidable interceptor aircraft known for its blistering high speeds, the MiG-25 had a top speed of Mach 2.83 and entered service in 1970.
Enemy information
When Soviet fighter pilot Victor Belenko defected to Japan in 1976, he flew there in a MiG-25. As a result, the US military was able to obtain a wealth of information about the Foxbat.
The Soviet Union had designed the fighter jet to counter the threat of high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and bombers. Equipped with advanced radar systems and four air-to-air missiles, the MiG-25 posed a significant challenge to the Western air force.
A long lasting legacy
The Soviet Union stopped producing MiG-25s decades ago, but that didn’t stop them from playing a role in subsequent global conflicts. For example, Iraq flew MiG-25 aircraft during the Iran-Iraq War and the Persian Gulf War.
7. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31 Foxhound
Building on the legacy of the MiG-25, the MiG-3, or “Foxhound”, emerged as a successor for intercepting and attacking high-speed targets. With a maximum speed of Mach 2.83, this fighter jet first appeared in the skies in 1975, and the Russian Air Force, called VVS, still uses it today.
With the classic fighter jet silhouette, the MiG-31 is a formidable opponent in air combat. While a pilot checks airspeed and altitude, a weapons systems officer (WSO) focuses on operating radar and deploying weapons.
Compared to the MiG-25, the Foxhound has improved radar capabilities and improved avionics, allowing it to fly quickly and with good stability at low altitude – something its predecessor could not do nearly as well.
This article was created using AI technology, then fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
Original article: The fastest fighter jet in history: the NASA X-43
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