Super Sonic Stealth Jets

How the fifth generation of fighter aircrafts will conquer the skies.

- Jonny O’Callaghan

We’ve come a long way from the Wright brothers. Their first powered flight in 1903 consisted of a rudimentary wooden glider powered by propellers that reached a modest speed of 43 kilometres per hour. Now, more than a century later, a fleet of advanced supersonic stealth fighter jets are taking to the skies, capable of going undetected by radar and reaching speeds far in excess of the speed of sound – Mach 1 – which is around 1,235 kilometres per hour depending on air pressure and temperature.

The US was the first country to develop a so-called fifth-generation fighter with its F-22 aircraft, loosely defined as being a jet that has advanced stealth capabilities despite being armed, sleek designs to carve through the air and the capability of cruising at supersonic speeds without the use of fuel-hungry afterburners. But while the US currently dominates the field, Russia and China are quickly making headway, and many are already excited about what’s next on the horizon, with artificial intelligence and autonomous flight all expected to play a part in the future of fighters.

Stealth fighter jets are iconic in their design and capabilities. They can enable rapid response to conflict, striking targets while remaining almost completely undetected. Their smooth and sleek bodies hide powerful weaponry under their skin, with the jets designed to have as few obtrusive parts as possible to give them a low radar cross-section (RCS). Powerful engines enable speeds of up to Mach 2, and pilots are given advanced helmets and technologies to help them locate and destroy targets.