The current cutting edge of fighter design combines previous emphasis on versatility with new developments such as thrust vectoring, short takeoff/landing, composite materials, supercruise, stealth technology, advanced radar and sensors, and integrated avionics designed to reduce the pilot's workload while vastly improving situational awareness. The avionics technologies such as glass cockpits and helmet-mounted display and targeting that were developed during Generation 4.5 have been further advanced and integrated into totally new aircraft designs, which draw on lessons learned from fourth-generation stealth, VTOL and composite aircraft like the F-117, B-2 and AV-8 Harrier.

Of these, only the American F-22 Raptor, put into production in 2004, is operational, and is often regarded as the first of a new generation of fighters, termed the "fifth-generation". Design elements of the F-35 Lightning II (formerly Joint Strike Fighter) currently in pre-production, and the F-22 Raptor have influenced continued development of fourth-generation designs, and the shape of design work for the Russian PAK FA and other countries' long-term fighter development projects (for instance, the rumoured Chinese Shenyang J-XX project, Indian Medium Combat Aircraft and South Korean KFX). Later cancelled technology demonstrators of fifth-generation fighter aircraft include the United States YF-23 Black Widow II (which lost the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition to what is now the F-22), Boeing X-32 (which lost the Joint Strike Fighter competition to the YF-35) and McDonnell Douglas X-36, and the Soviet Union Project 1.42, later upgraded by Russia to version 1.44.

[

In Service

•  United States
  • Lockheed Martin / Boeing F-22 Raptor (maiden flight achieved 1997)

[

In Development

•  India
  • Medium Combat Aircraft - maiden flight expected 2012
•  People's Republic of China
  • J-XX
•  Russia
  • Sukhoi PAK FA - maiden flight expected 2009)^[3][4]
•  Russia /  India
  • 5th Generation Fighter Project - based on Sukhoi PAK FA, maiden flight expected 2012^[5][6]
•  South Korea
  • KFX
•  United States
  • Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II- (maiden flight achieved 2006)

[

Technology Demonstrators

•  Japan
  • Mitsubishi ATD-X (maiden flight expected 2014)
•  Russia
  • Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut 'Firkin' (maiden flight achieved 1997)
  • Mikoyan Project 1.44 'Flatpack' (maiden flight achieved 2000)
•  United States
  • Lockheed Martin YF-22 Lightning II (maiden flight achieved 1990)
  • Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II (maiden flight achieved 1990)
  • Lockheed Martin X-35 (maiden flight achieved 2000)
  • Boeing X-32 JSF (maiden flight for X-32A was archived 2000, X-32B STOVL version maiden flight 2001)

[

See also

• List of military aircraft
• Fighter Pilot
• Warbird

[

References

[

External links

• Fighter Planes Info & Pictures
• WW2DB: Aircraft of World War II
• World War II Allied/Axis airplane links
• Measures of Fighter Capability
• Fighter Combat Quotations
• Fighter-planes.com: data and images
• Military fighter aircraft in detail
• AirToAirCombat.com: Fighter and Military Aircraft Reference
• FighterPlanePhotos.com: Fighter Plane & Military Aircraft Photos
• PAF Falcons website
• Air Forces
• WW 2 aviation forum

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