Military aviation history is narrated through the evolution of speed, from the shaky biplanes of the First World War to the latest technological wonders of the air. Those primitive aircraft were no faster than 135 mph. It was the time of the German Fokker D.VII, and France's SPAD. At the time of the Second World War, the speed of the metal-covered fighters was around 450 mph. At present, planes can break the barrier of 1,000 mph with great ease, and there are even some that travel to the edge of what pilots and aircraft can tolerate.
So why are fighter jets so hot? It’s a mix of aerodynamic design, raw power under the hood, and ideal altitude. Streamlined bodies, swept wings, and low drag allow these aircraft to slice through the air like razors. Mammoth engines—usually boosted with afterburners—give the power to blast through the sound barrier. The higher you go, the thinner the air gets, and the more resistant you become, which means still higher speeds. But raw power isn’t sufficient—designers have to balance speed with agility, weight, and stability using exotic materials and innovative tricks such as variable-sweep wings to tweak performance.
Speed is most commonly expressed in terms of Mach numbers, the velocity of an aircraft divided by the speed of sound. At sea level, Mach 1 is approximately 767 mph, although the figure varies with temperature and altitude. Supersonic flight (anything above Mach 1) presents unusual problems, from ear-shattering sonic booms to enormous aerodynamic forces. Most contemporary fighters cruise between Mach 1 and Mach 2.5, but a privileged few have gone way beyond. Here’s a countdown of the top 10 fastest operational fighter planes ever.
10. McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
Cold War icon with top speed of Mach 2.23 (1,470 mph), this adaptable plane set the standard for multi-role fighters.
9. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
America’s stealthy air-dominance fighter, Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph) and sustained supersonic speed without afterburners.
8. IAI Kfir
An Israeli mix of Mirage styling and American engines, the Kfir has a Mach 2.3 capability and is valued for its quickness.
7. MiG-29 Fulcrum
This Soviet-era dog-fighting champion achieves Mach 2.3, with wonderful thrust-to-weight for combat at close range.
6. Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Star of Top Gun, flying to Mach 2.34 (1,544 mph), employed swing wings to perform from slow carrier landings to high-speed intercepts.
5. MiG-23 Flogger
Variable-sweep wing Mach 2.35 interceptor with a snappy engine, just as good at ground attack.
4. Sukhoi Su-27 Family
Such as the Su-30, Su-34, and Su-35, these Russian aircraft are renowned for flight dexterity and are capable of reaching Mach 2.35.
3. F-15 Eagle
Reaching a high of Mach 2.5, the Eagle is still one of the greatest air combat machines ever constructed.
2. MiG-31 Foxhound
It’s optimized for long-range, high-altitude interception and can accelerate to Mach 2.83.
1. MiG-25 Foxbat
The speed champion of operational fighters is currently at Mach 3.2 (2,190 mph), designed to pursue the high-flying American bombers of the Cold War. Of course, these are all dwarfed by the NASA/USAF X-15, a rocket-engine-test plane from the 1960s that roared to Mach 6.72 (4,520 mph) and above 350,000 feet of altitude, charting hypersonic flight.
Commercial airliners cruise at about Mach 0.8 (615 mph), with now-retired Concorde reaching a high of Mach 2.04 (1,559 mph). Even Concorde was outperformed by military zoomers such as the SR-71 Blackbird (Mach 3.32).
Speed provides fighter pilots with more than mere bragging rights—it’s a tactical multiplier. Swift aircraft can close on the enemy, evade missiles, and reposition in a heartbeat. The F-15EX, for instance, marries scorching speed to a heavy weapons load, turning it into an interception behemoth. But traveling that fast has severe prices to pay: structural stress, blistering heat, and eye-watering fuel consumption. The SR-71 skin could reach temperatures of well over 600°F, while fuel consumption was in excess of 5,000 gallons per hour.
Looking forward to the future, the competition is on to create hypersonic fighters. Designs such as the American SR-72 Darkstar, Russia’s MiG-41, and mysterious Chinese undertakings are poised to surpass the Mach 5 limit for in-service combat aircraft. Whoever succeeds in that competition won’t simply be the master of the skies—they’ll redefine them.