Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock/USAF
The US became the first country to field a 5th-generation fighter when the F-22 Raptor first flew in 2005.
Since then, China and Russia have introduced their own 5th-generation jets, and the US has fielded another one, the F-35.
Here s what sets this latest generation of fighters from the generations before them.
In 2005, the United States became the first nation on earth to field an operational 5th-generation fighter in the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
When you look at the F-22 compared to its 4th-generation predecessors, the aircraft clearly stands out … but what exactly made it the first of a
Cpl. Lewis Lupton Kaylor/US Army Air Service
On February 5, 1918, Lt. Stephen Thompson recorded the first combat victory in US aviation history.
Thompson was in France with the US s 12th Aero Squadron, and he wasn t initially scheduled to be flying on the day he made history.
Lt. Stephen Thompson recorded the first combat victory in American aviation history 103 years ago. It certainly wasn t the most conventional way to get a win. Thompson was in a French aircraft, and he wasn t even supposed to be in the air!
Lt. Thompson was in France assigned to the United States 12th Aero Squadron. The Americans, at this time, were leaps and bounds behind Europe in the development and logistics of aerial warfare. The 12th Aero Squadron didn t even have their planes at the time, and they needed training before taking off into the fight.
USGS/NASA Landsat data/Orbital Horizon/Gallo Images/Getty Images
In a remote section of the Arctic, there s a whisp of land that is subject to protracted conflict over ownership.
There s not much to say about Hans Island, but the debate between Canada and Denmark over who it belongs to stands out as one of history s most polite disputes.
Conflict over land is as old as recorded history, but the world has never seen another quite like the Whisky War. Wars have been fought, violently and continuously, over the rights to territories across the globe. In the case of Hans Island, however, the two countries at odds had a different way of staking their claim.
China has announced plans to build a new two-seat variant of the J-20 fifth-generation fighter that Chinese officials say will dramatically increase the platform s offensive capabilities.
The variant s new features would be major changes for the jet, but all of these changes should be regarded as notional at best right now.
China has announced plans to begin production of a new two-seat variant of the Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation fighter that would, according to Chinese officials, dramatically increase the platform s offensive capabilities.
This announcement comes on the heels of China s other significant J-20 announcement this week, relating to China s decision to stop sourcing Russian engines for their stealth fighter. China will instead modify an existing domestic power plant for its purposes.