The 11 fastest US air force fighter planes are the fastest things on land, at sea, or in the air. Ever since someone came up with the idea to pair artillery with an airplane, thus creating a combat aircraft, the speed of said aircraft was an essential factor. It allowed the pilot to catch up with his opponent, or run away from him if needed. The race to build the fastest plane preoccupied aircraft designers and pilots throughout the early 20th century. In April 1939, on the eve of World War 2, Germans with Me-209 managed to set a record for piston-engine planes of 469 mph that would hold for the next 30 years, despite all the technological progress made during and after the war. Soon after, the jet age began and the Mach barrier was the new objective, one that was reached soon enough.
Many believe that speed and maneuverability aren’t all that important in modern air combat, especially taking BVR (beyond visual range) weaponry that today’s planes are armed with, and that other thing, stealth, should take precedence in aircraft design. Lt. Col. Dale Zelko would probably disagree with that assessment and would probably give anything to have been able to switch from his stealthy, but very slow F-117, once a Serbian missile got a lock on him. The unwieldy F-117 was unable to maneuver its way out of harm’s way, resulting in the only combat loss of Nighthawk in its history. Nevertheless, speed has lost some of its importance to combat aircraft designers, as witnessed by the presence of several fighters that aren’t in active service anymore still being on our list.
The fastest US Air Force plane, however, isn’t on our list, for the simple reason that it isn’t a fighter plane. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a product of Lockheed’s Skunk Works division, a highly secretive department in charge of many black ops projects during the Cold War. The airplane was designed as a response to the downing of a U-2 spy plane and subsequent capture of its pilot Francis Gary Powers by the Soviets. The new aircraft was supposedly immune to surface-to-air missiles, simply due to the fact that it could outrun them. Able to reach Mach 3+ speeds, the standard evasion tactic in case missile was launched at it was to simply put your foot down and accelerate. Out of 32 built, not a single one was lost to enemy action, which proves the concept without a doubt. To this day, Blackbird holds the air speed record for a manned airbreathing jet aircraft, set in 1976. Captain Eldon W. Joersz and Major George T. Morgan, flying in SR-71 serial number 61-7958 over Beale Air Force Base, achieved Mach 3.3 speed, or 2,193.2 mph (3,529.6 km/h). The plane also holds the absolute altitude record of 85,069 feet.
In order to create the following list of fastest US air force fighter planes, we started with the latest addition to the United States’ air arsenal, the F-35 Lightning II. We then backtracked through aviation history to the early days of jet aviation, comparing the speeds of various fighters flown under the US banner. Out of the 11 Fastest US Air Force Fighter Planes on our list, only five are in active service. Others have been retired, but their speed record lasts as a reminder of history and the progress aviation has made. Here they are then, beginning on the next page. And if you like reading about the air force, don’t miss our article on the 20 Largest Air Forces in the World, as well!
11. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
Speed: 1,190 miles per hour
In Active Service since 1995
Based on the F/A-18, the F/E version of the popular Hornet, dubbed the Super Hornet, represents almost a completely new design. The F/A-18 designation was mostly kept in order to sell it to Congress under the pretense that it was merely an improved version of an existing airplane. While there are many similarities, the list of differences between the Hornet and Super Hornet is quite impressive. New radar, armament, vastly improved avionics, including a new targeting computer, and increased fuel tank capacity made the Super Hornet far more versatile and at the same time easier to maintain. The versatility of the new model allowed the Navy to have only this type on carrier decks throughout its fleet since the retirement of the F-14 in 2006.
10. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) F-35 Lightning II
Speed: 1,200 miles per hour
In Active Service since 2015
The first variant of the new 5th generation stealth fighter to be proclaimed combat ready was Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)’s F-35B, an STOVL design for the United States Marine Corps. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) announced that it had achieved operational status in August 2015. Some would say that being 21 years after the contract was signed and 9 years after the first unit was produced, not to mention $1.5 trillion in cost later, the F-35 project is the costliest failure in the history of United States weapon procurement. One fact that critics often overlook though is that the F-35 was designed to replace 4 different aircraft types currently in service (the F-16, A-10, F/A-18, and AV-8B), all with very different missions and capabilities, giving whole new meaning to the phrase “multirole fighter”. That alone makes it a miracle that the new airplane ever took to the sky, let alone at the speeds it did.
9. F-101 Voodoo
Speed: 1,207 miles per hour
Retired; In Service 1957 to 1972
Initially designed as a penetration fighter (long range bomber escort), the F-101, the next one in our list of fastest US air force fighter planes was pushed into an interceptor role, pretty much the opposite of what it was intended to do. Its other uses were tactical nuclear fighter-bomber (tactical and nuclear somehow don’t belong in the same sentence, let alone in the same designation) and a recon plane. In fact, it seems that the F-101B did everything during its short career in the US Air Force, except escorting bombers.
8. F-104 Starfighter
Speed: 1,404 miles per hour
Retired; In Service 1958 to 1969
The US Air Force was less than impressed when the new fighter was introduced into service in 1958. The Pakistani Air Force was also disappointed by the F-104’s performance during the Indo-Pakistan War in 1965, when it was proven that the plane simply wasn’t a match for the MiG-21. Its operational safety also wasn’t something to write home about, since in Germany, 262 planes out of 916 in service, crashed. Other nations weren’t so picky and Italy did not retire their last Starfighter until 2004. And now, let’s see what else we have in our list of fastest US air force fighter planes.
7. F-16 Fighting Falcon
Speed: 1,500 miles per hour
Active service since 1978
Designed as a small and lightweight air superiority fighter, General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 has evolved during its 40 years in service into a fully adaptable multirole platform, able to be configured for almost any aerial combat mission. With 2,264 active airplanes (16% of the world’s total of 14,552 combat aircraft), it is the most used combat aircraft today. One of the reasons for its success is its speed and ability to reach Mach 2.
6. F-22A Raptor
Speed: 1,500 miles per hour
Active service since 2005
Fifth place on the list of the 11 Fastest US Air Force Fighter Planes is held by the first 5th-generation fighter in the world, the F-22 Raptor, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co (NYSE:BA). In order to improve the project’s chances to pass Congress, the stealth fighter’s parts were produced in 46 states, which naturally led to an increase in both cost and time. Only 187 of them were delivered to the United States Air Force, a sharp decline from the original planned amount of 750. The plane is under the export ban, in order to preserve the technology used in its construction, so not even the closest United States ally can purchase them. The Raptor is envisioned as a sharp end of the spear, a pure air superiority fighter designed to clear the skies and keep them free from any and all enemy presence, which makes it a rare bird in modern air forces, where multirole seems to be the paramount requisite for any new combat aircraft entering service.
5. F-14D Tomcat
Speed: 1,544 miles per hour
Retired, in service 1974 to 2006
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)‘s iconic Tomcat, made immortal in Tom Cruise’s hit movie Top Gun, was the first in a series of aircraft that came to be known as the Teen Series. The F-14 is the oldest on the list of fastest US air force fighter planes and the only one not in active service anymore, being retired in 2006, though there are some of them still in service with the Iranian Air Force, the only other country that they were exported to. All remaining U.S planes were cut up, in order to prevent any spare parts from finding their way to Iran.
4. F-106 Delta Dart
Speed: 1,525 miles per hour
Retired, in active service 1958 to 1988 (1998 with NASA)
Designed as the “Ultimate Interceptor”, the F-106 Delta Dart, the next one in our list of fastest US air force fighter planes proved its nickname, as it was the last dedicated interceptor to be brought into the United States Air Force. Less than 400 of the sleek jets were produced, the majority of which were posted on the edges of United States airspace, in Alaska and Iceland, with short spells in Germany and South Korea. Popular Six never saw combat and lived out its days of service in peace. Due to their simplicity and speed, a number of aircraft were converted into missile target drones, designated QF-106A.
3. F-4 Phantom
Speed: 1,606 miles per hour
Retired, in active service 1958 to 1996
After almost four decades of service, the last of the Phabulous Phantoms was retired in 1996. The aircraft’s last combat missions were during the Gulf War, where they served in SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) roles. During their heyday in Vietnam, the F-4 were responsible for the last United States aces (pilots with 5 confirmed kills of enemy aircraft). Several air forces around the world still have them in their service, mostly in reconnaissance roles. A total of 5,195 Phantoms were built, making them the most numerous supersonic jets in United States history. Today, some of them still serve as target drones. And now, let’s see the top two entries in our list of fastest US air force fighter planes.
2. F-15C Eagle
Speed: 1,650 miles per hour
Active service 1976
The first Eagle flew in 1972. Today, more than 45 years later, they are still in the air. In a field that saw incredibly rapid and fundamental changes in the last several decades, that is as good a proof of design as there can be. The F-15 rank second in our list of fastest US air force fighter planes. They are among the most successful fighters of the modern jet era, with more than 100 kills and not a single loss to opposing fighters. Their only combat losses were due to anti-aircraft fire.
1. F-15E Strike Eagle
Speed: 1,875 miles per hour
Active service since 1985
Although based on the F-15, Boeing’s Strike Eagle is a distinctively different aircraft than its predecessor. Designed as a strike fighter, the F-15E is equipped with new engines, avionics, and radar that allows the pilot to fly at extremely low level, while radar maps the terrain in front of him. Thanks to this and several other features, the F-15E is ideal for deep strikes in the enemy’s rear, well beyond the air cover umbrella. New engines provide enough speed to allow it to avoid most of the enemy’s countermeasures and are responsible for Strike Eagle topping the list of the 11 Fastest US Air Force Fighter Planes.
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