One of the most compelling metrics to assess
a fighter jet's performance and effectiveness is its kill-to-loss ratio—an indicator of
how well it performs in combat. Over the years, several fighter jets have
earned legendary status by achieving remarkable Air to air kill-to-loss ratios in various
conflicts. Today we’ll present the ‘Top 6 fighter
Jets with the highest kill-to-loss ratios to date’. Though the specific ratios can vary from conflict
to conflict and may not always be publicly disclosed due to military sensitivities. But based on valid sources, we have managed
to come up with just 6 fighters. This list will only include combat after ww2. As for WW2 we will make a different list soon. 6. Su27, a Soviet-designed twin-engine supermaneuverable
fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi, was primarily crafted for air superiority missions, and
subsequent versions have showcased versatility across a range of aerial warfare operations. It has a notable kill-to-loss ratio of 6:0,
though two losses were there but it is due to ground fire which we will not count this. The Su-27 achieved its impressive tally of
five kills during the Ethiopian-Eritrean War and one additional kill in the first Chechen
War.. The Su-27 stands out as the sole Russian fighter
aircraft with a positive kill ratio in combat engagements, though this achievement may be
influenced by factors such as less advanced export fighters as well as the poor training
standards of Arab air forces. 5. North American F-86 Sabre- This fighter holds
a significant place in aviation history as a transonic jet fighter aircraft and notably
as the United States' first swept-wing fighter. It gained fame for its ability to engage in
high-speed dogfights, particularly against the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 during the Korean
War. F-86 pilots earned credit for downing 792
MiGs while experiencing only 78 Sabres lost in air-to-air combat, resulting in an impressive
victory ratio of 10:1. According to Soviet records, the Soviets incurred
losses of 335 MiG-15s in Korea, encompassing various causes such as accidents, anti-aircraft
fire, and ground attacks. Chinese reports indicate approximately 224
MiG-15s lost during the conflict. While the exact number of North Korean losses
remains undisclosed, insights from North Korean defectors suggest an approximate figure of
around 100 MiG-15s lost during the war. Altogether, a total of 659 MiG-15s are acknowledged
as lost, with a considerable number attributed to engagements with F-86 Sabres.
4. F-14 Tomcat, a versatile American carrier-capable
fighter aircraft, is renowned for its supersonic capabilities, twin-engine design, two-seat
configuration, twin-tail structure, and all-weather adaptability with variable-sweep wings. Notably, in the service of the U.S. Navy,
F-14s achieved the remarkable feat of downing five adversary aircraft without suffering
any losses themselves. These achievements included the downing of
two Libyan MiG-23 Flogger fighters on January 4, 1989, two Libyan Su-22 Fitter fighter bombers
during the first Gulf of Sidra incident, and one Iraqi Mi-8 Hip transport helicopter. However, the F-14 Tomcat's most prolific users
have been the Iranians. Originally exported to Pahlavi Iran during
the era of the pro-American Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1976, F-14s were repurposed
as land-based interceptors by the Imperial Iranian Air Force. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979,
the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force employed these aircraft during the Iran–Iraq War. Iranian claims indicate that their F-14s successfully
shot down at least 160 Iraqi aircraft during the course of the conflict. It's noteworthy that while 9 Tomcats were
lost in air combat, excluding seven losses attributable to accidents, the combined tally
stands at 165 to 9, yielding an impressive ratio of approximately 18.33. (pronounces as 18.33 is to 1 ratio). 3. Sea Harrier, a naval jet fighter, reconnaissance,
and attack aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing/vertical take-off and landing
capabilities, played pivotal roles in the Falklands War and the Balkans conflicts. Its most significant achievement came during
the Falklands War, where it held the distinction of being the sole fixed-wing fighter available
to safeguard the British Task Force. Remarkably, Sea Harriers successfully downed
20 enemy aircraft during this conflict, with only 2 Sea Harriers lost to enemy ground fire. This extraordinary performance places the
Sea Harrier in an exclusive category of jet fighter aircraft that remain undefeated in
air-to-air combat, joining the ranks of the F-15 Eagle and the aforementioned Su-27. When considering these achievements, the Sea
Harrier boasts an exceptional air-to-air combat ratio of 20:0, without accounting for losses
attributed to ground fire. 2. F-16 Falcon, an American single-engine supersonic
multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States
Air Force, has found its place in the air forces of 25 other countries as well. Notably, the F-16's debut in air-to-air combat
took place under the banner of the Israeli Air Force in the Bekaa Valley on April 28,
1981, when it engaged and successfully neutralized a Syrian Mi-8 helicopter. During the course of the 1982 Lebanon War,
Israeli Air Force F-16s earned recognition for their prowess by achieving an impressive
tally of 44 air-to-air kills. In another theater of conflict, the Soviet–Afghan
War, Pakistani Air Force F-16As emerged victorious by downing nearly 30 Soviet and Afghan warplanes,
with only one F-16 lost during the engagements. In the broader context of F-16 combat history,
the aircraft recorded 76 air-to-air kills while experiencing just one air-to-air loss,
alongside five losses attributed to ground fire. Consequently, the F-16 boasts a remarkable
victory ratio of 76:1 in air-to-air combat engagements.
1. F15 Eagle, an American twin-engine tactical
fighter aircraft designed for all-weather operations, made its debut in air combat with
Israeli Air Force's first kill in 1979. During the 1982 Lebanon War, Israeli F-15s
achieved notable success, taking down 41 Syrian aircraft, including 23 MiG-21s and 17 MiG-23s,
all without incurring any losses. In the Gulf War, the F-15 played a pivotal
role, accounting for 36 of the 39 air-to-air victories secured by the U.S. Air Force against
Iraqi forces. Iraq acknowledged losing 23 aircraft in air-to-air
combat. According to the USAF, their F-15Cs achieved
34 confirmed kills of Iraqi aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War, primarily through missile
fire. The various aircraft shot down by F-15 include
the Mikoyan MiG-29s, MiG-25s, MiG-23s, MiG-21s, Sukhoi Su-25s, Su-22s, Su-7s, Dassault Mirage
F1s, an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft, a Pilatus PC-9 trainer, and two Mil Mi-8 helicopters. As a result, the F-15 boasts an outstanding
collective air-to-air combat record of 104 kills with no recorded losses. It's noteworthy that the air superiority versions
of the F-15, namely the A/B/C/D models, have remained unscathed in terms of losses due
to enemy action. Importantly, more than half of these F-15
kills can be attributed to Israeli Air Force pilots. While the F22 raptor, F35 lightning, sukhoi
su 57 and many advanced fighters have not engage in combat yet, hence their combat statistics
cannot be shown, anyway thankyou so much for watching. Until next time bye bye.
