Jet fighter generations
Jet fighters generations are categories created to separate major technology leaps in the historical development of jet fighters. The term generation first appeared in the 1990s, according to the Royal Australian Air Force's Air Power Development Centre Bulletin: "to make sense of the leap-frogging improvements in performance to jet fighter aircraft brought about through major advances in aircraft design, avionics, and weapon systems". and proposes that a "generational shift in jet fighter aircraft occurs when a technological innovation cannot be incorporated into an existing aircraft through upgrades" and retrofits.
Lockheed Martin has applied the term "fifth-generation" for its F-22 and F-35 aircraft, to imply their competition is unable to offer similar levels of performance, a classification debated by Eurofighter, and by Boeing IDS for the bid to replace Canadian Forces jets. Aviation Week's Bill Sweetman noted that Lockheed Martin "labeled the F-35 a “fifth-generation” fighter in 2005, a term it borrowed from Russia in 2004 to describe the F-22", and proposes that the post–Cold War era, low-cost approach of the Saab Gripen should qualify it as a sixth generation jet. This marketing terminology made its way to statements by the Australian politicians.
Definitions
Richard P. Hallion
USAF historian Richard P. Hallion proposed a classification in 1990:''Aerospaceweb''
In 2004 the website Aerospaceweb noted that classification by generations, "appears to have first appeared in Russia during the mid-1990s when officials were planning a competitor to the American Joint Strike Fighter" and proposed a classification :Similar definitions are used by Richard A. Bitzinger in 2009, and by the Australian Fighter World Aviation Museum.
''Air Force Magazine''
In 2009, Air Force Magazine also define fighter generations and proposed a sixth :The magazine also proposes a 6th category for advanced aircraft in early developmental stages:
Jim Winchester
, in a book published in 2011 by The Rosen Publishing Group, proposed the following definitions:''Air Power Development Centre Bulletin'' classification
The Royal Australian Air Force Air Power Development Centre Bulletin proposed a classification in 2012:Chinese classification
The Chinese have created their own system used to describe their own aircraft:Comparing categorizations
The following table compares the various categorizations, by era and key feature.| generation | Hallion | Aerospaceweb | Air Force Magazine | Air Power Development Centre |
| 1 | High subsonic : Me 262, P-80 | 1945 to 1955 : Subsonic, Me 262, F-86, MiG-15 | Jet propulsion : P-80, Me 262 | ~1945-~55 : subsonic, F-86, MiG-15, MiG-17 |
| 2 | Transonic : F-86, MiG-15/MiG-17 | 1955 to 1960, supersonic : F-102, F-104, F-105, F-106, F-8, MiG-19, MiG-21, Mirage III | IR missiles : F-86, MiG-15 | ~1955-~60 : supersonic, F-104, F-5, MiG-19, MiG-21 |
| 3 | Early supersonic : MiG-19, F-100, F-8. | 1960 to 1970, fighter-bombers : F-4, F-5, MiG-23, Mirage F1 | BVR missiles : F-100, F-102, F-104, F-105, F-106, F-4, MiG-17, MiG-21 | ~1960-70. multi-role : MiG-23, F-4, Mirage III |
| 4 | Supersonic : F-104, MiG-21, Mirage III | 1970 to 1990 : maneuverability : F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, MiG-29, Su-27, Panavia Tornado, Mirage 2000 | look-down/shoot-down : F-15, F-16, Mirage 2000, MiG-29 | 1970-~90. Swing-role : MiG-29, Su-27, F/A-18, F-15, F-16, Mirage 2000 |
| 4+ | - | - | sensor fusion : Eurofighter Typhoon, Su-30, F/A-18E/F, Dassault Rafale | - |
| 4.5 | - | 1990 to 2000, enhanced : F/A-18E/F, Su-30, Su-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafale | - | ~1990-~2000 multirole : F/A-18E/F, F-15SE, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafale |
| 4++ | - | - | EASA : Su-35, F-15SE | - |
| 5 | Supersonic : F-105, F-4, MiG-21, Mirage III, F-5, MiG-23, Mirage F1 | 2000- : F-22, F-35 | stealth : F-22, F-35 | 2005- stealth : F-22, F-35, J-20, J-31, PAK FA |
| 6 | Supersonic multirole, high efficiency : F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, Mirage 2000, Panavia Tornado, MiG-29, Su-27 | - | proposed | - |
The following table lists aircraft that have been categorized in multiple generations.
| aircraft | introduction | Hallion | Aerospaceweb | AF Mag. | AP Dev. Centre |
| Me 262 | 1944 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| P-80 | 1945 | 1 | - | 1 | - |
| F-86 | 1949 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| MiG-15 | 1949 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| MiG-17 | 1952 | 2 | - | 3 | 1 |
| F-100 | 1954 | 3 | - | 3 | - |
| MiG-19 | 1955 | 3 | 2 | - | 2 |
| F-102 | 1956 | - | 2 | 3 | - |
| F-8 | 1957 | 3 | 2 | - | - |
| F-104 | 1958 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| F-105 | 1958 | 5 | 2 | 3 | - |
| F-106 | 1959 | - | 2 | 3 | - |
| MiG-21 | 1959 | 4, 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| F-4 | 1960 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Mirage III | 1961 | 4, 5 | 2 | - | 3 |
| F-5 | 1962 | 5 | 3 | - | 2 |
| MiG-23 | 1970 | 5 | 3 | - | 3 |
| Mirage F1 | 1973 | 5 | 3 | - | - |
| F-14 | 1974 | 6 | 4 | - | - |
| F-15 | 1976 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| F-16 | 1978 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Panavia Tornado | 1979 | 6 | 4 | - | - |
| Mirage 2000 | 1982 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| F/A-18 | 1983 | 6 | 4 | - | 4 |
| MiG-29 | 1983 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Su-27 | 1985 | 6 | 4 | - | 4 |
| Su-30 | 1996 | - | 4.5 | 4+ | - |
| Saab Gripen | 1997 | - | 4.5 | - | 4.5 |
| F/A-18E/F | 1999 | - | 4.5 | 4+ | 4.5 |
| Dassault Rafale | 2001 | - | 4.5 | 4+ | 4.5 |
| Eurofighter Typhoon | 2003 | - | 4.5 | 4+ | 4.5 |
| F-22 | 2005 | - | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Su-35 | 2012 | - | 4.5 | 4++ | - |
| F-35 | 2015 | - | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| F-15SE | - | - | - | 4++ | 4.5 |
| J-20 | 2016 | - | - | - | 5 |