Cold War Fighter Jets
Explore the iconic fighter aircraft that defined the Cold War era
NATO Fighter Jets
F-4 Phantom II
One of the most versatile and successful fighter jets of the Cold War era.
F-14 Tomcat
A supersonic, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft.
F-16 Fighting Falcon
A highly maneuverable multirole fighter aircraft.
F/A-18 Hornet
A twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole combat jet.
Soviet Fighter Jets
MiG-17
A high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union.
MiG-21
The most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history.
MiG-25
One of the fastest military aircraft ever built, designed for high-speed interception.
Su-27 Flanker
A highly maneuverable air superiority fighter.
Technical Comparison
| Specification | F-4 Phantom II | F-14 Tomcat | F-16 | F/A-18 | MiG-17 | MiG-21 | MiG-25 | Su-27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Speed | Mach 2.23 | Mach 2.34 | Mach 2.05 | Mach 1.8 | Mach 1.03 | Mach 2.05 | Mach 3.2 | Mach 2.35 |
| Service Ceiling | 60,000 ft | 50,000 ft | 50,000 ft | 50,000 ft | 54,500 ft | 57,400 ft | 67,900 ft | 62,523 ft |
| Range | 1,615 nm | 1,840 nm | 2,620 nm | 2,000 nm | 1,080 nm | 870 nm | 1,730 nm | 2,193 nm |
| First Flight | 1958 | 1970 | 1974 | 1978 | 1950 | 1955 | 1964 | 1977 |