These formed the backbone of the Iranian fighter force during the nine-year-long war with Iraq. Its a heavy, twin-engine, two-seat fighterand an agile dogfighter. In the quest for increasing speed, aircraft and engine manufacturers soon discovered the limitations of piston engine technology; after all, a propeller can only spin so fast before it becomes ineffective. More than 5,000 of these heavy supersonic fighters were built, and hundreds continue to serve and even see combat in several air forces today. [2] Other schemes comprising five generations up to around the same period have since been described, although the demarcation lines between generations differ. In the past, high-flying radars had trouble detecting low-flying aircraft because the radar waves bouncing off the ground created a cluttering effect. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a legendary aircraft an icon of the Vietnam War and the archetype of the third-generation jet fighter designs that entered service in the 1960s. Not really. Some designers resorted to variable geometry or vectored thrust in an attempt to reconcile these opposites. Before the end, the 3rd Generaton Fighter would reach its pinnacle through such examples as the F-4 'Phantom II', MiG-23 'Flogger', and Mirage F1. Due to the delay of and recent integration issues with fifth generation fighters, 4.5 generation fighters are the premier fighters of many air forces around the world. For the purposes of this article, we will be using the most widely used and accepted consensus regarding which aircraft are in which generation and the notion of five generations over four. Third gen fighters were also designed to host an equally wide range of weapons, from air-to-air missiles, to air-to-surface missiles and laser guided bombs (LGBs). But when the F-4 confronted the lighter-weight MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters of the North Vietnamese air force in 1965, the Phantom suffered. In Vietnam, the ratio was closer to two to one (including other aircraft types besides the Phantom). Development of jet-powered fighters continued following the wars end, leading to new aircraft like the Lockheed P-80, MiG-15 and F-86 Sabre. A squadron of Chinese J-7 fighter jets in 1999. Almost all avionics on these aircraft are digital, with the aircraft being programmed through millions of lines of code. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American twin-engine, all-weather, single-seat, stealth, and fifth-generation fighter jet. This is a list of military aircraft that are primarily designed for air-to-air combat and thus does not include aircraft intended for other roles where they have some secondary air-to-air capability, such as with many ground attack aircraft. But when the F-4 confronted the lighter-weight MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters of the North Vietnamese air force in 1965, the Phantom suffered. Guns proved unsuitable at such high speeds, while the need for multirole capability in battlefield support was rediscovered. Fifth-generation abilities for battlefield survivability, air superiority and ground support are being enhanced and adapted to the future threat environment. Late to the party, the J-8B was a third gen fighter while the competition had moved on. As the war progressed, so did the sophistication of fighter aircraft. Indeed, the notion of a generation fighter isnt even that old: it was coined in the 1990s and is generally associated with the US aviation industry by the international community as a whole. The U.S. explored fitting the technology to the F-16 and the F-15, but did not introduce it until the fifth generation arrived. The early Phantoms could carry 18,000 pounds of munitionsthree times what the huge B-17 bombers of World War II typically carried. Easyby integrating the same modern hardware used in the fourth generation. Early fourth-generation fighters like the F-15 Eagle and F-14 Tomcat retained electromechanical flight hydraulics. Modern F-4s can also fire the full range of modern ordnance such as the advanced AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missile with a range of 65 miles, precision-guided munitions such as the AGM-65 Maverick, and late model Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. When the F-15 and the lighter F-16 saw their first major air action over Lebanon in 1982, they shot down more than 80 Syrian third-generation MiGs at no loss. The sharing of targeting and sensor data allows pilots to put radiating, highly visible sensors further from enemy forces, while using those data to vector silent fighters toward the enemy. The term 4.5 generation is often used to refer to new or enhanced fighters, which appeared beginning in the 1990s, and incorporated some features regarded as fifth generation, but lacked others. Active Doppler radars cut through the ground clutter. Among the most famous fourth gen fighters are the Saab Viggen, F-16, Panavia Tornado, Su-27 and Harrier II. The Pakistani/Chinese JF-17 (block-3 variant) and China's Chengdu J-10B/C use a diverterless supersonic inlet, while India's HAL Tejas uses Fourth Generation - 1970 to 1990 Editorial Team F 16 Fighting Falcon The swan song of the Israeli Phantom force came during Israels 1982 intervention in the War in Lebanon, when Phantomsescorted by new F-15s and F-16swiped out all 30 of Syrias SAM batteries in the Bekaa Valley in one day without losing a single plane in Operation Mole Cricket 19. But its somewhat of an anomaly. Just compare it to F-15 Eagle. Many types were soon compromised by adaptations for battlefield support roles, and some of these would persist in new variants for multiple generations.[17]. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. These aircraft placed an emphasis on a multi-role capability. The F-15 is also deliberately unlike the F-4. Alternatively, 4.5 generation fighters are also called 4+ generation fighters. The Israeli Phantoms primary targetand most deadly foeduring these campaigns were Arab surface-to-air missile batteries. This would leave third-generation fighters vulnerable and ill-equipped, renewing an interest in manoeuvrability for the fourth generation of fighters. 9/10 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (Mach 2) WWII-style manual guns werent particularly effective at the speeds most first gen fighters flew at, necessitating the need for much faster air-to-air missiles. Aircraft like the F-4 Phantom could carry a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, including the first laser-guided smart-bombs. Maintaining supersonic speed without afterburner use saves large quantities of fuel, greatly increasing range and endurance, but the engine power available is limited and drag rises sharply in the transonic region, so drag-creating equipment such as external stores and their attachment points must be minimised, preferably with the use of internal storage. It is China's third-generation supersonic fighter and made its debut . ", "Air-Attack.com Su-30MK AL-31FP engines two-dimensional thrust vectoring", "Eurofighter capability, p. 53. Third-generation aircraft arrived in the early 1960s. The swan song of the Israeli Phantom force came during Israels 1982 intervention in the War in Lebanon, when Phantomsescorted by new F-15s and F-16swiped out all 30 of Syrias SAM batteries in the Bekaa Valley in one day without losing a single plane in Operation Mole Cricket 19. "Flying Qualities of Relaxed Static Stability Aircraft - Volume I: Flying Qualities Airworthiness Assessment and Flight Testing of Augmented Aircraft." ", "Did China downgrade its J-20 stealth fighter from 5th generation to 4th? How could the F-4 possibly keep up in this new environment? Although the term and corresponding classifications were born out of necessity from within the industry itself, it should be noted that not everyone shares the same classifications. The McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom was designed around radar and missiles as an all-weather interceptor, but emerged as a versatile strike bomber nimble enough to prevail in air combat, adopted by the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Like other modern F-4s, they can deploy advanced ordnance such as Paveway bombs, HARM anti-radar missiles and 3,000-pound Popeye missiles with a range of 48 miles. SAMs accounted for most of the 36 Israeli Phantoms lost in action. As much a computer as they are an aircraft, it is expected that fifth gen fighters will adapt to future changes in aerial combat, not through new variants, but through software updates, thus saving air forces around the world millions of dollars in the long run. Other popular first-generation jet fighters include the Heinkel He 162 and Gloster Meteor, and Lockheed F-80, which were in service during the war. Indeed, fourth gen fighters are among the fastest aircraft ever built even faster than their fifth gen counterparts. Types such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, General Dynamics F-111, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23, Sukhoi Su-17, Shenyang J-8, and Hawker Siddeley Harrier had varying degrees of success. A number of new 4.5 generation types are being developed in the 2020s, post the emergence of the true 5th generation and contemporaneous with 6th generation aircraft development, these include the HAL Tejas MK 1A, CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder Block 3, and KAI KF-21 Boramae.[23][13][9]. McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II Contents 1 Development 2 Electronics 3 Weapons 4 Specialization 5 Aircraft 5.1 Canceled Aircraft 6 References Development In 1972, an F-4 piloted by Maj. Phil Handley shot down a MiG-19 with his planes gunthe only recorded aerial gun kill performed at supersonic speed. Depending on who you talk to, you may find that they class different aircraft in different generations (especially if those aircraft were produced near the end or start of a generation and theres some overlap) or that there are only four generations rather than five (mainly by the Chinese). ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fourth-generation_fighter&oldid=1139513570, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The huge advance of digital computation and mobile networking, which began in the 1990s, led to a new model of sophisticated forward C3 (command, control and communications) presence above the battlefield. List of battleships of the United States Navy, Where Have All the Phantoms Gone? The term generation first appeared in the 1990s, according to the Royal Australian Air Force's Air Power Development Centre Bulletin: "to make sense of the leap-frogging improvements in performance to jet fighter aircraft brought about through major advances in aircraft design, avionics, and weapon systems", and proposes that a . Such capabilities may include advanced sensor integration, AESA radar, supercruise capability, supermaneuverability, broad multi-role capability, and reduced radar cross-section.[20]. Furthermore, the Phantoms J79 engines produced thick black smoke, which combined with the aircrafts larger size, made it easier to spot and target from a distance. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a legendary aircraftan icon of the Vietnam War and the archetype of the third-generation jet fighter designs that entered service in the 1960s. This arrived in the form of the American 'Century Series' fighters encompassing speed-minded developments such as the F-100 'Super Sabre', F-102 'Delta Dagger', and F-105 'Thunderchief' in the West and the MiG-19 'Farmer' and MiG-21 'Fishbed' in the East. Taylor and Guilmartin name four; subsonic, transonic, supersonic and Mach 2, and add a fifth "new" generation with multimission capability and culminating in types such as the F-16 and MiG-29. Also From TNI: Why Japan Really Lost Pearl Harbor. The changes in the fighter combat conception, new air-to-air guided missiles and the results . [5][6] This effectively condensed the previous classifications to three generations. This will make the 3rd generation fighters vulnerable and unarmed, which reignites the flexibility of the 4th generation fighters. But perhaps the defining feature of fifth generation fighters is their stealth. Recognizing the increased obsolescence of fourth generation fighters, but also the lack of funding for new fighters nearing and following the end of the Cold War, aircraft manufacturers began developing what are sometimes called 4.5 generation fighters. The Pentagon later converted some into QF-4 target practice drones. Bringing together and integrating such advances, along with those of the fourth generation, created what has become known as the fifth generation of fighters. T-50 PAK-FA (T-50-4) the prototype of the fifth generation fighter Su-57. 3M claims the earplugs were safe. 11ff. [18], Following the mixed successes of the multirole generation, advanced technologies were being developed, such as fly-by-wire, composite materials, thrust-to-weight ratios greater than unity, hypermaneuverability, advanced digital avionics and sensors such as synthetic radar and infrared search-and-track, and stealth. Third generation (1960s) [ edit] The Hawker Siddeley Harrier was the first operational attack aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capabilities. Instead, it relied entirely on newly-introduced air-to-air missilesthe radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow, the heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder and the older AIM-4 Falcon. The aircraft began development in the 1980s and entered active service in 2005, with the prototype unveiled in 1989. The Israeli Phantoms primary targetand most deadly foeduring these campaigns were Arab surface-to-air missile batteries. However, positive static stability, the tendency to remain in its current attitude, opposes the pilot's efforts to maneuver. Stealth technologies also seek to decrease the infrared signature, visual signature, and acoustic signature of the aircraft. To do this, brand new turbofan engines were installed on third gen fighters, which were more fuel efficient than the turbojets used up until then, thus extending range. The North Vietnamese MiGs, equipped with both cannons and missiles (on the MiG-21), would outmaneuver the heavier F-4, which for all its speed, was not especially agile. China's last J-7 fighter jets may leave active service this year, according to Chinese state media. But the Phantoms record in air-to-air combat over Vietnamespecially when compared to its successor, the F-15 Eagle, which has never been shot down in air-to-air combathas left it with a reputation of being a clumsy bruiser reliant on brute engine power and obsolete weapons technology. The requirements for such a fighter remain under debate. For instance, modernized F-4s have improved Heads Up Displays (HUDs) so that pilots dont have to look down from the canopy to check on their instruments. The F-4E model finally came with an internal M161 Vulcan cannon. The preceding generation including the classic F-86 and MiG-15 types but these were shown, in time, to be interim post-World War 2 developments awaiting replacement. The supremacy of the fourth-generation was confirmed again in the Gulf War, in which Iraqi fighters shot down only one fourth-generation fighter (an F/A-18 Hornet) for the loss of 33 of their third-generation aircraft. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. The early Phantoms could carry 18,000 pounds of munitionsthree times what the huge B-17 bombers of World War II typically carried. Dedicated ground-attack aircraft (like the Grumman A-6 Intruder, SEPECAT Jaguar and LTV A-7 Corsair II) offered longer range, more sophisticated night attack systems or lower cost than supersonic fighters. Third-generation jet fighter (1965-1975) The archetype of this generation is the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, the US jet fighter model with the highest production number to date. Furthermore, the Phantoms J79 engines produced thick black smoke, which combined with the aircrafts larger size, made it easier to spot and target from a distance. Jet fighter generations classify the major technology leaps in the historical development of the jet fighter. Germany flew upgraded F-4Fs until 2013, and maintains them in stock in case of future need. As combat aircraft are essentially weapons platforms, these capabilities mean that the F-4s can handle most of the same offensive tasks a fourth-generation F-15 or Su-27 fighter can do. Japan maintains the same number of F-4EJ Kais upgraded with pulse-Doppler radars and anti-ship missiles. China's new multi-role fighter jet J-10C began combat duty Monday, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force announced. The F-4 saw extensive use in Israeli service, scoring 116 air-to-air kills against the Egyptian and Syrian air forces, starting in 1969 during the War of Attrition. Whilst most third gen fighters have been retired from active military service, a select few remain in service, such as the Mirage III with the Pakistani Air Force. improved air-to-air missiles improved radar systems other avionics guns remained standard equipment While guns remained standard equipment (early models of F-4 being a notable exception), air-to-air missiles became the primary weapons for air superiority fighters, which employed more sophisticated radars and medium-range RF AAMs to achieve greater "stand-off" ranges, however, kill probabilities proved unexpectedly low for RF missiles due to poor reliability and improved electronic countermeasures (ECM) for spoofing radar seekers. These measure IR radiation from targets. Two sub-variants of the Phantom also distinguished themselvesthe RF-4 photo reconnaissance plane, optimized for speed, and the Wild Weasel, specialized in attacking enemy surface-to-air missiles defenses. Before, some Phantom units made do with external gun pods that vibrated excessively. The Fourth Generation Fighter is the modern standard in combat warplanes. Five generations are now widely recognised, with the development of a sixth under way. The North Vietnamese MiGs, equipped with both cannons and missiles (on the MiG-21), would outmaneuver the heavier F-4, which for all its speed, was not especially agile. The F-5N is a single seat, twin-engine, tactical fighter and attack aircraft providing simulated air-to-air combat training manufactured by Northrop Grumman Corporation. [11] The MiG-35 with its RD-33OVT engines with the vectored thrust nozzles allows it to be the first twin-engined aircraft with vectoring nozzles that can move in two directions (that is, 3D TVC). SAMs accounted for most of the 36 Israeli Phantoms lost in action. With many air forces using their second gen fighters in roles beyond aerial superiority, third generation fighters were designed for multirole capabilities. Sophisticated automation and human interfaces could greatly reduce crew workload. As third gen fighters would no longer just be flying quick sorties, and instead needed much longer in the air to complete their missions, manufacturers put an even greater emphasis on increasing range and speed. But surely the electronics and instruments are out of date? The U.S. fielded its first modified F-15Cs equipped with AN/APG-63(V)2 AESA radars,[18] which have no moving parts and are capable of projecting a much tighter beam and quicker scans. Combining many of the developments originally designed for fifth generation fighters with the technology on already-proven fourth generation fighters, 4.5 gen fighters arent distinct enough to be their own separate generation but are unique enough to not fit into the classification of either fourth or fifth generation fighters. In addition to this, many are painted with radar-absorbing paint, so that those radar signals that do get reflected back at the radar (remember: stealth doesnt mean invisible it just means less visible) are considerably weaker, and thus spoof the radar. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! In one engagement on the first day of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, 28 Egyptian MiGs attacked Ofir Air Base. The F-16 is a single-seat, single-seater fighter, a third- or third-generation semi-american fighter, and one of the most successful fighters in the world. Iran received 225 F-4s from the United States prior to the Iranian Revolution. In the past, high-flying radars had trouble detecting low-flying aircraft because the radar waves bouncing off the ground created a cluttering effect. [2][3] Inherent airframe design features exist and include masking of turbine blades and application of advanced sometimes radar-absorbent materials, but not the distinctive low-observable configurations of the latest aircraft, referred to as fifth-generation fighters or aircraft such as the Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor. Easyby integrating the same modern hardware used in the fourth generation. The 2020s have had 20 kilometers of wiring replaced for a net loss of 1,600 pounds in weight. Due to the dramatic enhancement of capabilities in these upgraded fighters and in new designs of the 1990s that reflected these new capabilities, they have come to be known as 4.5generation. The Phantom reportedly acquitted itself well versus Iraqi MiGs, and carried out several long-range raids on the Iraqi airfields. Parallel advances in materials, engine technology and electronics made such a machine possible. 3rd generation fighter jet are mainly developed between 1960s to 1970s.. IRST sensors have now become standard on Russian aircraft. [+] China's new multi-role fighter jet J-10C began combat duty Monday, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force announced. Whilst many air forces maintain fourth generation fighters in their arsenal, most are beginning to move away from them as they are increasingly becoming obsolete in modern military aviation. Development time and cost are proving major factors in laying out practical roadmaps. Supercruise is the ability of a jet aircraft to cruise at supersonic speeds without using an afterburner. It was now possible to combine the C3, fighter and ground support roles in a single, agile aircraft. For instance, modernized F-4s have improved Heads Up Displays (HUDs) so that pilots dont have to look down from the canopy to check on their instruments. Ground fire shot down 474 Phantoms in all services, as the heavy-lifting Phantom fighters did double duty as ground-attack aircraft. These partial upgrades to 5th generation capability have led some commentators to identify intermediate generations as 4.5 or 4+ and 4++. From the quiz author. The F-4s primary problem was that it had no built-in cannon. While the basic principles of shaping aircraft to avoid radar detection were known since the 1960s, the advent of radar-absorbent materials allowed aircraft of drastically reduced radar cross-section to become practicable. These aircraft are assigned to Government facilities, namely, NAS Key West, Florida, MCAS Yuma, Arizona, and NAS Fallon, Nevada. During the 1970s, early stealth technology led to the faceted airframe of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk ground-attack aircraft. The story of the legendaryF-4 Phantom II. Supercruise 2 SRAAM 6 MRAAM", "Le radar RBE2, l'arme fatale du Rafale l'export", "Type Acceptance for Block 5 Standard Eurofighter Typhoon. Dogfights forced improvements in manoeuvrability, air-to-air missiles and radar systems. The United States defines 4.5-generation fighter aircraft as fourth-generation jet fighters that have been upgraded with AESA radar, high-capacity data-link, enhanced avionics, and "the ability to deploy current and reasonably foreseeable advanced armaments". A computing feature of significant tactical importance is the datalink. The third-generation jet fighter was the class of fighters developed between the early 1960s to the 1970s. [12] The technology has been fitted to the Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut and later derivatives. The Air Forces Phantoms claimed 107 air-to-air kills for 33 lost to MiGs, and the Marine Corps claimed three. With only a few exceptions, most first gen fighters were considerably faster than the pistons they replaced. 3rd Generation Jet Fighters Quiz Information. Aronstein, David C. and Albert C. Piccirillo. When hes not writing his latest aviation article, he can be found planespotting, reading up on on aviation news or in the cockpit of his favorite aircraft! The primary sensor for all modern fighters is radar. The F-5F is a dual-seat version, twin-engine, tactical fighter commonly used for training and adversary combat tactics. So far, almost every aspect of 21st century life has been defined by increased digitization. Classification of fighter aircraft c.19702000. The 3rd Generation Fighter crop was headlined by such classic types as the American Century series and Soviet MiG-17 and MiG-21 types. The first fixed-wing type to display enhanced manoeuvrability in this way was the Sukhoi Su-27, the first aircraft to publicly display thrust vectoring in pitch. The gun was de-emphasized and, in some cases, eliminated. This will spread the energy of a radar pulse over several frequencies, so as not to trip the radar warning receivers that all aircraft carry. There are presently several fifth generation fighters under development, such as the TAI TFX in Turkey and Sukhoi Su-75 in Russia. Guidance for such precision-guided munitions (PGM) was provided by externally mounted targeting pods, which were introduced in the mid-1960s. Different authorities have identified different technology jumps as the key ones, dividing fighter development into different numbers of generations. The earliest jet fighters appeared during and after the last years of World War II. The Heinkel He 162 and Gloster Meteor also saw wartime service, while types such as the de Havilland Vampire and Lockheed F-80 were still working up to operational service when the war ended. . (Recommended: 5 Greatest Fighter Planes of All-Time). With the end of war in 1918 saw the end of this progress. These aging aircraft will be replaced by low-houred F-5N/F acquired from the Swiss . How could the F-4 possibly keep up in this new environment? First shown in 1960, the J-8 appeared in various forms over two decades, with the J-8B taking to the . When the F-15 and the lighter F-16 saw their first major air action over Lebanon in 1982, they shot down more than 80 Syrian third-generation MiGs at no loss.