Summary Many nations rely on American fighter jets. The F-4 Phantom II was widely used and successful. The F-15 Eagle remains popular and will be replaced.
Ever since the end of World War II, the United States-manufactured fighter jets have played a vital role in most of the West's Air Forces. The two most notable exceptions are France and Sweden. In a bid to dictate its foreign policy, France, unlike other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, manufactures its own fighter jets like the Mirage 2000 and 95 Dassault Rafale.
Likewise, as a neutral country until joining NATO in March 2024 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden relied upon the highly versatile Saab JAS 39 Gripen for homeland defense. With a long history of air manufacturing, the United Kingdom took delivery of American-made fighter jets in the 5th generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II in 2018. Up until then, it had relied on Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo for the Eurofighter, a supersonic multirole fighter, together with Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Many nations rely on American fighter jets So, unlike the countries mentioned above, the rest of the world depended on America and the former Soviet Union for their fighter jet needs. The North American F-86 Sabre Using flight research data seized from German aerodynamicists at the end of World War II, the North American Aviation Company developed a swept-wing fighter jet to combat the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 during the Korean War (1959-1953). The first North American F-86 Sabre exports went to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force, which used them to battle the People's Republic of China MiGs during the 1958-Second Taiwan Strait Crisis.
While India was cozying up to the Soviet Union in 1957, the Pakistan Air Force received 100 American-built F-86 Sabres from the United States as part of an aid program. The Portuguese Air Force took delivery of 50 F-86Fs from United States Air Force (USAF) stocks and used them during the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence (1963-1974). The Philippine Air Force (PAF) used the F-86 as its primary interceptor aircraft until the arrival of the supersonic Northrop F-5 in 1965.
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Developed during the Cold War to be an all-weather multirole fighter, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was also built under license by Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy for their Air Forces. Canada also chose the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter for its armed forces. In the late 1950s, the United States thought that it was behind the Soviet Union when it came to fighter jet technology, and despite the F-104 being designed to be an air-superiority fighter, it decided to use the aircraft as an interceptor.
On February 26, 1958, the first squadron of F-104 Starfighters entered service with the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) at Hamilton AFB in California. With an impressive rate of climb and the ability to fly at a sustained speed of Mach 2, the F-104 Starfighter remained in service with many of the world's Air Forces for decades. Other countries that flew the F-104 Starfighter are: Belgium Canada Denmark Germany Greece Italy Japan Jordan Netherlands Norway Pakistan Spain Taiwan (Republic of China) Turkey The supersonic Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter In the mid-1950s, Northrop began working on a lightweight fighter jet with a low operating cost and long service life.
In 1956, the USAF selected the Northrop F-5 to replace its Lockheed T-33 Shooting Stars. In 1962, the Kennedy administration sought a low-cost fighter jet that America could export to other nations. The first foreign country to place an order for the F-5 was Norway on February 28, 1964.
Other countries that bought the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter are: Brazil Ethiopia Greece Iran Kenya Malaysia Mexico Morocco Netherlands Philippines Singapore South Korea Spain Switzerland Taiwan South Vietnam Venezuela McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II Developed initially as an aircraft carrier-based fighter bomber for the United States Navy in the mid to late 1950s, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II became one of America's most successful fighter jets. The F-4 Phantom II was a sizeable tandem-seat fighter bomber with a top speed of Mach 2.2 and could carry 18,000 pounds of ordnance on nine external hardpoints.
It is the most-produced supersonic military aircraft in history. The F-4 was used extensively during the Vietnam War (1955-1975) as air superiority fighter for the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The F-4 proved to be such a good aircraft that it was not retired until after the Gulf War (1990-1991) in 1996, and despite tending to build its aircraft, the United Kingdom bought versions based on the US Navy's F-4J for the UK aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.
The only difference between the UK F-4 Phantom II and the one used by the American military was that it used Rolls-Royce Spey engines and British-made avionics. Other countries that bought the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II are: Australia Egypt Germany Greece Iran Israel Japan South Korea Spain Turkey McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle To meet the USAF's need for an all-weather air superiority fighter, McDonnell Douglas began work on the F-15 Eagle. The aircraft made its maiden flight in July 1972 and entered service with the USAF in 1976.
Still in use by the USAF and other friendly nations 48 years after entering service, the F-15 Eagle is one of the most successful modern fighters, with over 100 victories and no losses in aerial combat. The USAF planned to replace its F-15 Eagles with Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor by the 2010s. For many practical reasons, Boeing keeps updating the F-15 instead of starting from scratch with a new fighter jet.
The F-15, which first flew in the 1970s, has proven to be versatile and reliable. Over the years, continuous improvements have been seen, leading to newer models like the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX. These updates include cutting-edge technology like modern radar, sensors, and weapon systems while sticking with a tried-and-true airframe.
A big reason for this strategy is cost. Building a brand-new fighter jet from the ground up is super expensive and time-consuming. By upgrading the F-15, Boeing can use an existing design and just add the latest tech.
This approach is way more budget-friendly, which is a big plus when defense budgets are tight.Another reason is that the F-15’s track record makes it a great candidate for upgrades. Its design can handle new technologies, from advanced radar to better electronic warfare tools and weapons.
This means the F-15 can stay ef However, due to cutbacks and an insufficient number of F-22s, the F-15 Eagle remains in service with the USAF and will be replaced by the newly built F-15EX Eagle II starting in 2026. Incidentally, the fifth-generation F-22 is an aircraft prohibited from being exported to other nations. Other countries whose military fly the F-15 Eagle are: Israel Japan Saudi Arabia General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon has been in the news lately because several nations gave their old 4th-generation fighter jets to Ukraine.
Developed in the late 1960s for the USAF as a single engine lightweight multirole fighter aircraft, the F-16 had several improvements over past planes, which included: A relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire flight control system A frameless bubble canopy for a greater field of vision A side-mounted joystick A reclined 30-degree seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot Since its maiden flight on January 20, 1974, the F-16 has remained one of the world's most popular jets. It is only now being replaced by the 5th generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The United States has exported the F-16 to the following countries: Bahrain Belgium Chile Egypt Greece Indonesia Iraq Israel Jordan Morocco Oman Pakistan Poland Portugal Romania Singapore Slovakia South Korea Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates Venezuela Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth multirole combat aircraft designed for air superiority and strike missions.
The plane has three variants: The F-35A is the conventional take-off and landing The F-35B is the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) The F-35C is a carrier-based variant designed for catapult-assisted take-off The F-35 first made its maiden flight in 2006 and entered service with the United States Marine Corps in July 2015. Between now and 2044, the United States plans to buy 2,456 F-35s for its military, making it the main fighter jet of NATO and American allies. So far, the United States has exported the F-35 to the following countries: Australia Belgium Canada Denmark Finland Germany Greece Israel Italy Japan Netherlands Norway Poland South Korea Singapore Switzerland United Kingdom.
