As of 2025, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 remains the fastest fighter jet still in service, capable of reaching Mach 2.83. But what about the fastest fighter jets of all time?
The history of supersonic fighter jets dates back to the 1950s. The Douglas F4D Skyray was the first naval fighter to break the sound barrier in level flight, reaching a top speed of 752.9 mph (1,211.7 km/h) or Mach 1 on October 3, 1953. Meanwhile, the first jet fighter aircraft to achieve Mach 1 was the North American F-100 Super Sabre, with a maximum speed of 924 mph (1,487 km/h) or Mach 1.4.
However, the first officially recognized manned flight to exceed the speed of sound in controlled level flight took place on October 14, 1947. This was achieved by the experimental Bell X-1 research rocket plane, piloted by Chuck Yeager. The X-1 later set a record speed of Mach 1.45 or 957 mph (1,541 km/h) at 40,130 feet (12,231 metres) on March 26, 1948.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350, introduced in 1951, was the first Soviet aircraft capable of maintaining supersonic speed, reaching Mach 1.02 (1,260 km/h, 780 mph), though some sources question this claim.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the fastest fighter jets ever built, starting from 10th place and working our way to the fastest of all time.
10. Sukhoi Su-27
Max Speed: Mach 2.35 (1,553 mph, 2,499 km/h)
Featured among the fastest fighter jets still in service in 2025, the Su-27 is a Russian fourth-generation fighter jet and part of the larger Su-27/30/34/35 family. As of 2025, this series ranks as the second most widely used fighter jet type in service worldwide, with 1,284 active units. The largest operators include China, India, and Russia.
9. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
Max Speed: Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h)
Also featured among the fastest fighter jets, the F-15 Eagle is a fourth-generation aircraft still actively operated by the USAF, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. With 919 active units and additional orders placed, it ranks as the third most widely used fighter jet in service worldwide as of 2025.
8. General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
Max Speed: Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h)
The F-111 Aardvark was a third-generation multirole combat aircraft, designed for roles including attack, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and strategic bombing. First introduced on July 18, 1964, a total of 566 F-111s were produced across all variants. The aircraft was operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
One of the F-111’s most notable features was its variable-geometry wings, making it the first production aircraft with this design. The wings could be swept forward for takeoffs, landings, and slow-speed flight, or swept rearward for high-speed flight. The aircraft also excelled at low-altitude penetration, allowing it to fly low and strike targets in poor weather conditions.
With a top speed of Mach 2.5, the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark set a record for the longest low-level supersonic flight in November 1966, covering 172 miles (277 kilometers) at an altitude of less than 1,000 feet (304 metres).
While the exact number of air-to-air victories remains uncertain, the F-111 flew more than 4,000 combat missions during the Vietnam War, where it played a significant role in precision strikes.
Main Variants
- F-111A – The initial production version for the USAF, used in Vietnam.
- F-111B (Proposed) – A planned carrier-based interceptor for the United States Navy, canceled before production.
- F-111C – A variant for the RAAF with extended wings and upgraded landing gear.
- F-111D – An upgraded version with improved avionics, more powerful engines, and digital cockpit displays.
- F-111E – A simplified version of the F-111D with different avionics but maintaining advanced capabilities.
- F-111F – The final and most advanced USAF version, featuring upgraded engines and modernized avionics.
- FB-111A – A strategic bomber variant with increased fuel capacity and payload, later redesignated as the F-111G.
Specialized Variants
- EF-111A Raven – An electronic warfare aircraft developed from the F-111A, used for jamming enemy radar systems.
- F-111K (Proposed) – A planned British version with modifications, canceled before production.
- F-111G – Former FB-111A bombers converted for a tactical role, later sold to Australia.
- RF-111C – A reconnaissance variant of the F-111C for the RAAF, equipped with cameras and sensors.
7. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31
Max Speed: Mach 2.83 (1,864 mph, 3,000 km/h)
Mentioned previously, the MiG-31 is a fourth-generation fighter jet currently in service with the Russian Air Force, with 128 active units. Designed as a successor to the legendary MiG-25, it remains a key component of Russia’s air defense. As of 2025, it ranks as the second-fastest active fighter jet in the world.
6. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25
Max Speed: Mach 2.83 (1,900 mph, 3,000 km/h)
Also mentioned previously, the MiG-25 Foxbat remains the fastest fighter jet still in service today. Originally designed as a Soviet supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft, it continues to see limited operation. As of 2025, Libya and Syria each maintain two active units.
5. North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie
Max Speed: Mach 3.1 (2,056 mph, 3,310 km/h)
The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was a prototype to the planned B-70 nuclear bomber. It was a supersonic strategic bomber developed for the USAF in the early 1960s. Designed to fly at speeds exceeding Mach 3 at 70,000 feet (21,000 metres), its purpose was to evade enemy defenses, making it the fastest bomber ever built.
The aircraft was also built with elegance, featuring a distinctive delta-wing design and six powerful engines. Despite its impressive design, only two prototypes were ever created due to advancements in Soviet air defenses and surface-to-air missiles. This weakness prompted USAF to conduct lower-level test flights. However, the aircraft provided little additional performance compared to the B-52, which it was intended to replace, and as a result, the program was ultimately canceled.
Now in the museum, XB-70A (AV-1) was the first prototype built and the first Valkyrie to reach Mach 3 or around 2,000 mph (3,218 km/h), completing its maiden flight on September 21, 1964. Over its flight career, it completed 83 flights, totaling 160 hours and 16 minutes in the air.
The second XB-70A prototype (AV-2) was able to exceed Mach 3 multiple times, including a sustained 32-minute Mach 3 flight in May 1966. Unfortunately, AV-2 was lost in a mid-air collision with an F-104 while flying in a multi-aircraft formation.
4. Bell X-2
Max Speed: Mach 3.2 (2,094 mph, 3,370 km/h)
The Bell X-2, also known as Starbuster, was an experimental research aircraft part of X-series developed to investigate flight characteristics in the Mach 2 to 3 range. This rocket-powered, swept-wing research aircraft was a joint project between Bell Aircraft Corporation, the USAF, and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), initiated in 1945. It aimed to explore the aerodynamic challenges of supersonic flight and extend the speed and altitude limits achieved by its predecessor and already mentioned, the Bell X-1.
Designed to fly faster and higher than the X-1, the Bell X-2 successfully provided crucial research on high-speed aerodynamic heating and extreme high-altitude flight conditions. It became the first aircraft to exceed Mach 3 of over 100,000 feet (30,480 metres)..
Only two Bell X-2 aircraft were built. The first flight took place on June 27, 1952, with Bell test pilot Jean “Skip” Ziegler at the controls. Tragically, on May 12, 1953, the second aircraft was lost in an in-flight explosion during a captive flight meant to test its liquid oxygen system. Ziegler and another crew member died in the accident, and the wreckage fell into Lake Ontario, never to be recovered. This devastating incident ended the program on September 27, 1956 before NACA could conduct detailed flight research with the aircraft.
3. SR-71
Max Speed: Mach 3.4 (2,500 mph, 4,023 km/h)
Excluding rockets, the SR-71 Blackbird remains the fastest jet aircraft ever made. Designed in the 1960s during the Cold War, it was primarily used for reconnaissance missions by both NASA and the USAF. Entering service in 1966, the SR-71 remained operational until NASA decommissioned the last aircraft in 1999, as advancements in satellite technology had taken over many of its reconnaissance functions.
Beyond its fast speed, the Blackbird was also designed for sustained high-altitude flight. While many jets can climb to great heights, few can cruise at such altitudes for extended periods. The SR-71 could effortlessly maintain a cruising altitude of 85,069 feet (25,929 meters), allowing it to conduct surveillance from a safe and nearly untouchable distance.
In 1974, the SR-71 set a transatlantic flight record, traveling from New York to London in just 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 56.4 seconds—a feat unmatched even by Concorde, which took 2 hours and 52 minutes for the same journey.
Variants of the SR-71 Blackbird
- SR-71A – The primary production variant.
- SR-71B – A dedicated trainer variant.
- SR-71C – A hybrid trainer built using the rear fuselage of the first YF-12A and the forward fuselage from an SR-71 static test unit.
The YF-12: The SR-71’s Predecessor
The Lockheed YF-12 was the prototype and direct forerunner of the SR-71 Blackbird. The YF-12 was initially designed as a high-speed interceptor intended to replace the F-106 Delta Dart. Only three prototypes were built, logging fewer than 300 flights and accumulating approximately 450 flight hours over a nine-year service period.
Despite its brief career, the YF-12 was one of the fastest aircraft ever flown. It set records with a maximum altitude of 80,257 feet (24,462 metres) and a top speed of Mach 2.7 or 2,070 mph (3,331 km/h) —both of which were later surpassed by the SR-71.
The SR-72: Son of Blackbird
The Lockheed Martin SR-72 is a proposed hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft. First announced in 2013, Lockheed Martin envisions it as the successor to the SR-71, capable of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions at hypersonic speeds. In 2018, Lockheed executives predicted a test vehicle could fly by 2025, with potential operational service in the 2030s.
2. X-15
Max Speed: Mach 6.72 (4,520 mph, 7,274 km/h)
The X-15, an experimental hypersonic rocket-powered research aircraft, was operated by NASA and the USAF. The initial requests for proposals were published in December 1954 for the airframe and in February 1955 for the rocket engine. North American Aviation was contracted to build the airframe, while Reaction Motors was selected to design the rocket engines.
Only three X-15 aircraft were built, and these were carried aloft by two modified B-52 bombers before being launched mid-air. The aircraft was officially introduced on September 17, 1959, and flew a total of 199 test flights, with the final flight taking place on October 24, 1968.
Eight of the 13 pilots who flew the X-15 reached altitudes above 50 miles (80 kilometres), surpassing the USAF’s spaceflight criteria and automatically qualifying them as astronauts.
The X-15 program utilized five primary aircraft:
- X-15-1 – 81 free flights
- X-15-2 – 53 free flights
- X-15-3 – 65 free flights, including the tragic Flight 191
- NB-52A - known as The High and Mighty One, retired in October 1969
- NB-52B - known as The Challenger and later Balls 8, retired in November 2004
On November 15, 1967, tragedy struck when USAF test pilot Major Michael J. Adams lost his life during X-15 Flight 191. The aircraft, X-15-3, entered a hypersonic spin during its descent, oscillating violently as aerodynamic forces intensified after re-entry. The airframe broke apart at an altitude of 60,000 feet (18,288 metres), scattering wreckage across 50 square miles (130 square kilometers). The X-15-2 was rebuilt following a landing accident on November 9, 1962, which severely damaged the aircraft and injured its pilot, John McKay.
The X-15 achieved its highest speed on October 3, 1967, when William J. Knight piloted the aircraft at Mach 6.7 or 4,520 mph (7,274 km/h) at an altitude of 102,100 feet (31,120 meters), setting the official world record for the highest speed ever reached by a crewed, powered aircraft. This record remains unbroken to this day.
1.X-43
Max Speed: Mach 9.6 (7,366 mph, 11,854 km/h)
The NASA X-43, an experimental supersonic aircraft, holds the record as the fastest jet ever built, though it is no longer in service. Powered by a scramjet engine, it reached an astonishing speed of Mach 9.6 or 7,366 mph (11,854 km/h). It was made to test hypersonic flight technology.
Developed in the late 1990s as part of NASA’s Hyper-X program, the X-43 was a collaboration between NASA, Boeing, Micro Craft Inc., Orbital Sciences Corporation, and the General Applied Science Laboratory. Micro Craft Inc. constructed the X-43A, while GASL designed its advanced engine.
A total of three X-43 aircraft were built. Two successfully flew for ten seconds at hypersonic speeds before gliding for ten minutes and intentionally crashing into the ocean. The third (X-43A) was lost in a failed 2001 test. Despite requiring a B-52 Stratofortress bomber for launch, the X-43 was a remarkable technological invention.
In November 2004, NASA’s X-43A set a new record by achieving Mach 10. The hypersonic vehicle, carried by a B-52, was first propelled to 40,000 feet (121,92 metres) by a Pegasus rocket booster. Once released, the booster’s solid rocket motor accelerated the X-43A to Mach 10 at 110,000 feet (33,528 metres). After reaching the target speed and altitude, the booster was discarded, allowing the scramjet-powered X-43 to fly independently.
The program’s Phase I was a seven-year effort, costing approximately $230 million, aimed at validating scramjet propulsion, hypersonic aerodynamics, and advanced flight design. However, further development was discontinued, and by 2006, the X-43 series was succeeded by the X-51. Other planned X-43 variants were canceled, with no new developments as of June 2013.
