Jet fighter generations (Ajax)

Various features in jet fighters are described in terms of "generations", whereby a typical jet fighters of a given generation tends to have a certain class of engines, avionics, etc., and a typical jet fighter of the succeeding generation tends to have a different (and superior) set of engines, avionics, etc.

Classification

Fight aircraft in Ajax are classified into successive generations based on their technology and design elements. This system was initially developed by military historians in the 1970s and widely adopted by the world.

• 1st Generation - High subsonic, conventional armament
• 2nd Generation - Transonic air-to-air missiles, radar, Early supersonic radar, air-to-air missiles
• 3rd Generation - Supersonic (limited purpose), Mach 2 air-air missiles only, Multi-purpose fighter-bombers
• 4th Generation - Also 4+ and 4++. Supersonic (multirole), Supersonic multirole (4), high efficiency. High manoeuvrability (4), Enhanced capabilities, advanced avionics, limited stealth (4+, 4++)
• 5th Generation - Advanced integrated avionics, low observable stealth

First generation (Post 1942)

Aircraft	Role	Primary Builder	Number built	First flight	Service life
Morgenroete F-149 Gyrfalcon	Jet fighter	Gristol-Serkonos	87	1949	1950 - 1967
Falcus Designs Me-490	Jet fighter	Orun Redisus	Unknown	1947	1948 - 1955
KAD LLv.48 Owl	Jet aircraft	Ostrozava	952 (many later converted to 48-57 standard)	1945	1948 - 1964
Zimov MZLv.48 Jackal	Flying wing jet fighter	Ostrozava	94	1944	1949 - 1955
AGMA P58 Lightning	Jet fighter-bomber	Rubric Coast	93	1949	1951 - 1963
Greenwich Meteor	Jet fighter-bomber	Arthurista		1943	1943-1958
Despencer Vampire	Jet fighter-bomber	Arthurista		1943	1946-1958
Despencer Venom	Jet fighter-bomber	Arthurista		1949	1953-1961
GEEM E-21R	Jet fighter-bomber	Ghant		1947	1950-1956
GEEM E-32 lantza	Jet fighter-bomber	Ghant		1952	1956-1984
GEEM E-29 Barrika	Jet fighter-bomber	Ghant		1948	1951-1976

Second generation

These jet fighters started to regularly use onboard radar and passive-homing infrared-guided (IR) missiles. Early IR missile sensors had poor sensitivity and a very narrow field of view (typically no more than 30°)

Aircraft	Role	Primary Builder	Number built	First flight	Service life
Greenwich Tigress and Super Tigress	Jet aircraft	Arthurista		1954/1956	1955 - 1984
Mikasa Gallienus MiK-58	Jet aircraft	Elatia		1957	1959 - Present
Geem E-35 Draco	Jet aircraft	Ghant		1955	1960 - 1988
Ahuriri Aerospace Kokotere	Jet aircraft	Onekawa-Nukanoa	Unknown	1947	1950 - 1968
Falcus Designs Me-500	Jet aircraft	Orun Redisus	250	1954	1955 - 1970
KAD LLv.48-57 Vengeance	Jet aircraft	Ostrozava	700+	1956	1958 - 1972
AGMA P61 Lightning II	Jet fighter-bomber	Rubric Coast	211	1952	1954 - 1969

Third generation

The archetype of this generation is the [Insert Aircraft], the [Insert Nation] jet fighter model with the highest production number to date.

• improved air-to-air missiles
• improved radar systems (look-down/shoot-down)
• other avionics
• air-to-air missiles became the primary weapons for air superiority fighters, which employed more sophisticated radars and medium-range RF AAMs to achieve greater "stand-off" ranges,
• guided ground-attack missiles
• first truly effective avionics for enhanced ground attack
• terrain-avoidance systems.
• Air-to-surface missiles (ASM) equipped with electro-optical (E-O) contrast seekers
• laser-guided bombs (LGBs) became widespread

Aircraft	Role	Primary Builder	Number built	First flight	Service life
Airing-Copwell Shark	Bomber escort/penetration fighter	Belfras	120	1954	1955 - 1971
Airing-Copwell Spectre	Jet fighter/interceptor	Belfras	158	1953	1956 - 1980
Airing-Copwell Super-Spectre	Jet fighter/interceptor	Belfras	277	1958	1959 - 1992
Falcus Designs Me-510	Jet fighter/interceptor	Orun Redisus	Unknown	1953	1960 – Present
Continental Reaper	Jet fighter	Belfras	Unknown	1958	1960 – Present
Mikasa Gallienus MiK-70	Jet fighter	Elatia	Unknown	1968	1972-Present
Geem E-37 Vikken	Jet fighter	Ghant	Unknown	1967	1971-2005
Ahuriri Aerospace Kērangi	Fighter-bomber	Onekawa-Nukanoa	Unknown	1957	1960 - 1989
K'akmul 5	Jet fighter	Mutul	Unknown	1959	1959-Present
N65 Vindicator	Interceptor aircraft	Talahara	228	1956	1961-1995
N65/76 Voyager	Attack aircraft	Talahara	60	1967	1968-2000
Morgenroete F-103 Ótkon	Interceptor aircraft	Gristol-Serkonos	190	1952	1953 - 1984
Morgenroete F-113 Gotgö	Fighter aircraft	Gristol-Serkonos	200	1958	1963 - 2004

Fourth, 4+ and 4++ generation

Fourth-generation designs are heavily influenced by lessons learned from the previous generation of combat aircraft.

• much higher maneuverability due to low static stability, made possible by fly-by-wire flight control system
• advances in digital computers and system integration techniques
• system upgrades such as AESA, digital avionics buses and IRST

Aircraft	Role	Primary Builder	Number built	First flight	Service life
Arthuristan Dynamics/Ahuriri Aerospace Cyclone	Jet fighter	Arthurista/Onekawa-Nukanoa	Unknown	1973	1975 - Present
Arthuristan Dynamics Fury	Jet fighter	Arthurista	Unknown	1975	1978 - Present
Arthuristan Dynamics Kestrel	STOVL jet fighter	Arthurista	Unknown	1968	1972 - 2018
Aigios/Arthuristan Dynamics Whirlwind	STOVL jet fighter	Arthurista/ Belfras	Unknown	1988	2004 - Present
Aigios Ifrit	Multirole combat aircraft	Belfras	300+	1979	1982 - Present
Aigios Shrike	Multirole combat aircraft	Belfras	200+	1997	2000 - Present
Aigios Viper	Air superiority fighter	Belfras	200+	1971	1974 - Present
Falcus Designs Me-550	Multirole combat aircraft	Orun Redisus	295	1996	1998 - Present
Mekaniq Mi-9.C Fatalwe	Air superiority fighter aircraft	Sante Reze		1972	1978 - Present
Mi-10.2 Taguato	Multirole combat aircraft	Sante Reze	Unknown	1974	1978 - Present
Geem E-39 Grifo	Multirole combat aircraft	Ghant	Unknown	1988	1996 - Present
GN-340 Alpensegler	Advanced jet trainer	Brumen	25	2001	2005 - Present
Mach Aerospace MV-25 Eagle	Multirole combat aircraft	Daobac	100+	1990	1994 - 2019
Mikasa Gallienus MiK-28	Multirole combat aircraft	Elatia	Unknown	1978	1982 - Present
Sorranus So-30	Air superiority fighter	Elatia/Jhengtsang	Unknown	1985	1988 - Present
Ferron Cojgé	Multirole combat aircraft	Wazheganon	Unknown	1988	1994 - Present
K'akmul 20	Multirole combat aircraft	Mutul	Unknown	1982	1985-Present
Jub'mulan 90	Multirole combat aircraft	Mutul	Unknown	1997	2003-Present
Kai-07 Raiden	Multirole combat aircraft	Tsurushima/Daobac	TBD	1992	2000 - Present
NA87 Spirit	Multirole combat aircraft	Talahara	285	1978	1984-Present
NA87/95 Sunray	Attack aircraft	Talahara	135	1986	1991-Present
NA107 Chainbreaker	Multirole combat aircraft	Talahara	460	1998	2004-Present
VA-15 Falken	Multirole combat aircraft	Brumen / Onekawa-Nukanoa	XXX	2008	2012 - Present
Kai-79 Hayabusa	Multirole combat aircraft	Tsurushima	Unknown	1979	1981-Present
ZLv.99/L-N	Multirole combat aircraft	Tsurushima/Ostrozava	Unknown	1997	2004-Present
UFC Tempest	Multirole combat aircraft	United Fighter Corporation	Unknown	1992	2003 - Present
Ahuriri Aerospace Whaitiri Kāhu	Multirole combat aircraft	Onekawa-Nukanoa	Unknown	1986	1991 - Present
OI-9.A Agbatere	Electronic warfare aircraft	Sante Reze	150+	2006	2008 - Present
Tlo-45 Condor	Multirole combat aircraft	Zacapican	450	1998	2000-present

Fifth generation

• General design concern about radar cross-section (RCS), in particular:
  • chines instead of standard leading edge extensions or canards
  • internal weapon bays instead of outboard weapon pylons
  • a high percentage of composite materials (also to reduce weight)
• commercial off-the-shelf main processors to directly control all sensors to form a consolidated view of the battlespace that is then shared via low observable data links.
• newest generation of high performance jet engines

Aircraft	Role	Primary Builder	Number built	First flight	Service life
UFC F-29 Hurricane	Stealth multirole combat aircraft	United Fighter Corporation	300+	2003	2002 - Present
Oxidentale Jet Works Mi-14 Harpy Eagle	Stealth multirole combat aircraft	Oxidentale Jet Works	230	2005	2007 - Present
Morgenroete F-104 Ghost	Stealth air superiority fighter	Morgenroete Aerospace	150	1995	2012 - Present