It’s not an easy task to establish which are the best fighter jets in the world. These aircraft are designed for specific roles and missions, and tend to excel in one area at the sacrifice of another.
Nevertheless, the performance of some of the best fighter jets within their area of expertise is astounding. AeroTime has reviewed the capabilities of the current crop of fighter jets around the world and picked 10 of the very best to compile our list.
To be considered for the list of the best fighter jets in 2025, aircraft have to be operational and in service. Experimental aircraft, prototypes and aircraft in development have not been considered.
The 10 best fighter jets in 2025
Topping the list of the best fighter jets in the world in 2025, it’s Russia’s flagship aircraft, the Su-57. It scored highly on agility and stealth, and with a cost of just $50 million a unit, it’s one of the least expensive fighter jets that air forces can acquire.
In second place is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. While it’s not as agile as the Su-57, nor as heavily armed as the F-15EX, its all-around performance and true multirole capabilities set it apart from the competition. Its stealth is exceptional, beaten only by the more expensive F-22.
In bronze place is China’s first homegrown 5th-generation fighter jet, and one of only four operational stealth fighters in the world today. The Chengdu J-20 ‘Mighty Dragon’ scores highly for its massive 24,000 lb weapons payload, much of which is internal, giving it incredible stealth.
Check out the rest of the top 10 best fighter jets in the table below, and stay with us as we tell you a little more about each one.
The best fighter jets: The complete list
Note on scoring used for defining the ‘best’ fighter jets
To evaluate the all-round capabilities of these fighter jets, we’ve scored them based on various categories. These include cost, stealth, agility, weapons payload, speed and how widely used they are.
Points are awarded based on where the aircraft comes in our top 10 ranking of those characteristics. For most categories, the number 1 ranked aircraft will gain 10 points, going down to one point for the 10th ranked jet, and a firm nil points for those outside of the top 10.
When it comes to cost, we’ve ranked in the opposite direction, giving fewer points to the most expensive, and for stealth, the smallest radar cross section (RCS) gets the most points.
1. Sukhoi Su-57 Felon
Ranking the Sukhoi Su-57 as the best fighter jet in the world is bound to cause some controversy. After all, the USA fields some of the most advanced fighters in the world, not least the F-22.
However, in the Su-57, the Russians have designed a truly formidable jet, with the aircraft ranking highly for agility, weapons payload and stealth. Most importantly, Russia has managed to pack all this technology into an aircraft that costs far less than any other advanced fighter, with Bulgarian Military estimating the cost per unit at just $35-$50 million.
The supermaneuverability of the Su-57 is delivered by its 3D thrust vectoring nozzles, with a superb thrust-to-weight ratio making it capable of turning on a dime. While its stealth is less refined than Western counterparts, it compensates with high-tech sensors, raw aerodynamic performance and a versatile loadout of both internal and external weaponry.
2. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
While the F-35 missed out on the top spot to the Russian competitor, it’s important to note how much more prolific the F-35 is in terms of use. More than 700 are currently in active service, and the type forms the backbone of the US Air Force.
It’s stealthier than the Su-57, and stealthy from every angle, not just the front, with a radar cross section (RCS) that’s equivalent to a golf ball. However, it doesn’t fly as fast as the Su-57, and isn’t capable of true supercruise (supersonic speeds without afterburners).
It lost points for its expense, with some models costing around twice that of the reported price of the Su-57. However, as a true multirole fighter jet that can excel in almost any scenario, the F-35 remains one of the best fighter jets in the world today.
3. Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon
Coming in hot is the ‘Mighty Dragon’ Chengdu J-20. It’s China’s first 5th-generation stealth fighter, and one of only four truly stealth fighter jets in the world today. While it’s undoubtedly been inspired by the impressive capabilities of the F-22 and F-35, it’s evolved into a capable fighter in its own right.
The J-20 was built with long-range operations in mind. It’s not as fast as some of the fighters on this list, but it can reach Mach 2 and maintain those speeds without afterburners, giving it true supercruise capabilities.
While only a couple of hundred are thought to be operational so far, Military Watch notes that it is in production at over three times the scale of any other twin-engine fighter, somewhere in the region of 100-120 aircraft a year. It is not exported; all those aircraft are destined for the PLAAF.
4. Boeing F-15EX Eagle II
When it comes to weapons payload, no aircraft can come close to the F-15EX. Almost 30,000 lbs of weapons can be loaded onto this flying bomb truck, making it the most heavily armed fighter jet in the world.
It’s not particularly stealthy, but it doesn’t need to be. Instead of sneaking in under cover, its top speed of Mach 2.5 means it can get in, strike, and get out again rapidly. It can haul 20+ air-to-air missiles in a single sortie using the Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejector Rack (AMBER) system, and is the perfect escort for more expensive stealth jets.
It’s the fastest operational fighter jet in the US Air Force – indeed, the world – outpaced only by the practically obsolete MiG-25 and MiG-31. Just eight have been delivered so far, with the first arriving in June 2024. According to Janes, tail numbers 9, 10 and 11 are on the verge of delivery, with many more expected to join the USAF over the coming years.
5. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
Some readers may be perplexed to see the F-22 so far down the list, but there are reasons it didn’t score higher. This incredible feat of engineering has made for the most agile and stealthiest fighter jet in the world, with an RCS that’s comparable to a marble.
Yet, while the F-22 is more than capable of disappearing, it has a rather low weapons payload, for which it loses points. It’s also the most expensive fighter jet in the world, with a unit cost in excess of $140 million (even though it’s thought each jet costs almost $300 million to build).
Nevertheless, the F-22 is a marvel of modern mechanics. As well as advanced stealth, it is capable of supercruise at Mach 1.8, and has a top speed of Mach 2.25, allowing it to give chase or disengage rapidly. Production of the type has now ended, with only 178 aircraft built. Even so, it remains a formidable fighter jet in the skies of 2025.
6. General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is by far the most widely used fighter jet in the world today. According to the 2025 World Air Forces Directory, 2,084 units are in operation right now, with more than 700 in the USAF and large fleets in Egypt, Israel, Greece and Turkey.
While the ‘Viper’ has a history dating back to the 1970s, it remains relevant thanks to continuous upgrades. It’s a true multirole aircraft, just as comfortable in air-to-air battles as it is performing reconnaissance. It supports almost every weapon in the US and NATO inventory.
The latest block of the F-16, Block 70/72, has created a 4th generation ++ aircraft, with new radars, mission computers, infrared tracking and other updates. It’s the cheapest jet on our list to buy, and has proven its capabilities in multiple conflicts, from Operation Desert Storm to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
7. Sukhoi Su-35
The Sukhoi Su-35 may not be stealthy, but it remains one of the world’s most formidable 4th-generation fighters. Its exceptional agility is enabled by two-plane thrust vectoring, making it the only production aircraft to use this technology.
In close-quarters dogfights, the Su-35 is a dangerous opponent, capable of out-turning most Western jets. Combined with a large internal fuel load, long combat range, and a powerful passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar, it’s built for both air superiority and extended patrols.
The Su-35 carries a generous weapons load of over 17,000 lbs, and this, along with its electronic warfare systems, infrared search and track (IRST) sensor, and high speed of Mach 2.25, makes it a credible force in both defensive and offensive missions. With more than 100 units currently in service and exports to countries like China and Egypt, the Su-35 is a key pillar of Russia’s tactical airpower in 2025.
8. Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon, a cornerstone of European air power, was originally designed for air superiority, but has since evolved into a true multirole fighter. It might not be the best in any category, but rather than sacrificing any one of those traits for excellence at another, it simply does it all with a good level of competence.
Designed and built at the end of the 20th century, the Typhoon has been systematically upgraded over the years. The latest Tranche 5 upgrades include a redesigned cockpit with large area displays, better connectivity and the ability to operate alongside drones.
Across its performance envelope, the Typhoon has exceptional agility. Its advanced avionics and sensor suite contribute to its survivability, and it can supercruise at Mach 1.5 fully loaded.
9. Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The backbone of the US Navy’s air arm, the F/A-18 has been in service in various forms since 1978. Its latest iteration, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, is a 21st-century-compatible version that has more range, more payload and requires fewer maintenance hours than the original Hornet.
Priced in the range of $73 million, it’s still one of the 10 most expensive fighter jets in the world, but it is half the cost of an F-22. Its 17,750 lbs of ordnance payload is impressive, and it’s been built to be compatible with a huge range of US and NATO munitions.
While the Super Hornet looks like a beefed-up F/A-18C/D, it’s essentially a new aircraft, with around 80% of its structure redesigned. The E/F designation denotes whether it’s a single seater or twin, but all models have folding wings to make them suitable for carrier-based operations.
10. Dassault Rafale
Dassault’s flagship fighter jet is the Rafale, meaning ‘gust of wind’ in French. The jet is the epitome of elegance with its sweeping curves and sharply pointed nose, but it’s as deadly as it is beautiful.
The Rafale is built for ‘omnirole’, a step beyond multirole that means the jet can perform all mission types simultaneously, not simply switch between them. It has advanced avionics and sensor fusion, alongside one of the best electronic warfare suites in the world (SPECTRA).
While it can’t be considered fully stealth like the F-22, it does incorporate stealth design features to reduce its RCS. The latest iteration, the F-4 standard, features radar and sensor upgrades that help it detect stealth aircraft at long range, making it one of the best hunters in the business.
What’s coming next in the world of the best fighter jets?
While there are only a handful of true 5th-generation fighter jets in operation today, several more are set to join the ranks of the best fighter jets in the coming years.
Progressing nicely is the KAI KF-21 Boramae, South Korea’s first domestically-produced advanced fighter jet. Six prototypes have been produced, and the first serial model has entered final assembly. Early indications are that it will have a top speed of Mach 1.8 and up to 17,000 lbs of payload.
It’s described as a 4.5-generation aircraft, not quite as advanced as some of the best in the world, but with better stealth capabilities and advanced avionics that put it ahead of aircraft like the Typhoon and Rafale. It’s expected to enter service in 2026.
Turkey is developing the TAI TF Kaan, although only one prototype exists so far, while India is a little further behind on its Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as no prototype has yet been built.
In Russia, the Su-75 Checkmate was displayed at MAKS in 2021 and Dubai Airshow in 2023, but development has been delayed after sanctions were imposed on the country. The original entry into service was scheduled for 2027, but little is known about current progress on the project.
Hot on the heels of these 5th-gen fighters are a group of super-advanced aircraft which will become the 6th-generation fleet. None have yet been built, but some manufacturers are hoping for introduction in the early 2030s. When they arrive, the landscape of the best fighter jets is sure to change immeasurably.
