News
02 Jul, 2025
Now fighter jets are not just about big missiles or crazy speed… It’s also about who hides best in the sky.
Let’s check 2025’s most powerful fighter jets - And their shocking price tags!
One jet may cost more than an IPL team (and still left some cash).
Who is the ultimate air dominator? Is it the U.S.-made F-22, the Russia-made Su-57, or the China-made J-20?
The ranking of the world's strongest fighter jets is being reshuffled!
The American-made F-22 Raptor is currently the best fighter jet in the world. Flies fast, stays invisible, hits with precision – a perfect all-in-one.
Radar can barely detect it, and its speed reaches up to Mach 2 (around 2450 km/h).
One unit costs around ₹29,000 crore! It was fully developed in 2005.
The F-22 also has＂supercruise＂ ability, which means it can fly faster than the speed of sound without using afterburners. This greatly improves its combat range and endurance.
Just imagine - you haven’t even spotted yet but it’s already rushing in at high speed from far away... almost impossible to dodge in short time!
F-35 is another 5th generation fighter jet from the USA. Its stealth is slightly weaker than F-22, but it’s all-rounder!
It can bomb, it can dogfight, and it can even act like a spy to gather intel!
It also has advanced sensors, when the pilot wears the helmet, it’s like playing VR game - they can＂see through＂ the battlefield in 360 degrees!
One F-35 costs around ₹6,000 – ₹10,000 crore. It entered service in 2015, so it’s a very new jet!
China's first fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. Fast, highly stealthy, and capable of carrying long-range missiles.
Military enthusiasts probably know this J-20 was inspired by the U.S. F-22 fighter! Not only does it resemble it, but its combat capabilities are nearly on par.
Recently in the India-Pakistan tension, China’s J-10 (the “younger brother” of J-20) reportedly shot down an Indian fighter jet!
This move made people even more curious about the true power of the J-20!
The price of J-20 is a mystery, but it's estimated to be around ₹9,100 crore per unit. China doesn’t sell this jet publicly - super secret!
It has been in service for 10 years (since 2016), still a new generation fighter!
Su-57 is Russia’s 5th generation fighter jet. Its stealth is a bit weaker than F-22, but the firepower is insane - it can carry a huge number of missiles, like a flying weapons warehouse!
It can also perform crazy rolling moves in the air!
One Su-57 costs around ₹4,150 crore, it's much cheaper than F-22.
Due to financial difficulty, even Russia didn't build many.
This jet entered service in 2019, so it’s only been used for 6 years.
Rafale is a 4.5 generation fighter jet made by France. Fast speed, lots of weapons, can also do both air combat and bombing missions.
India spent big money in 2016 to buy 36 jets, deployed on the northern and western borders, ready to face strong enemies!
One Rafale costs around ₹12,500 crore – because it's so expensive to caused big fights in Indian Parliament!
India started using Rafale in 2020, so it’s only been used for 5 years.
During 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, several Rafales were shot down by Chinese-made J-10s, exposing system integration problems. This gave Indian Air Force a big headache!
Different jets have different top speeds.
F-22 can reach up to 2750 km/h, while India’s own Tejas goes up to 1950 km/h.
For Tejas (Mk1A) with a fuel tank capacity of around 2400 liters, filling from empty to full costs about ₹21 crore.
Flight time (endurance) depends on mission type, speed, and fuel use.
Here’s the estimated endurance without aerial refueling:
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has over 1,700 military aircraft in total, and more than 600 of them are fighter jets! The main one include:
The Indian Air Force currently has 36 Rafale jets, delivered gradually since 2019.
They are deployed at Ambala (near Pakistan) and Hasimara (near China).
Another 26 naval Rafale jets have been ordered, but not delivered yet.
As of 2025, the Indian Air Force has around 40 Tejas Mk-1 fighter jets, forming two squadrons (each with about 16–18 jets).
In addition, 83 Tejas Mk-1A have been ordered, with deliveries starting from 2025.
Another 97 Mk-1A have been approved, so the total may reach 180 jets in the future
HAL AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is still under development.
No production or operational jets yet.
The first prototype is expected around 2026 - 2027, first flight by 2028, and mass production may begin by 2034.
Yes! it's already started!
India’s defence aerospace company HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) has successfully developed a homegrown fighter jet - Tejas.
The Tejas project began in the 1980s, with the goal to build an indigenous light fighter to replace the old MiG-21.
Tejas finally entered service in 2015, but the journey was super rough. It took almost 30 years to develop, and the cost is very high - around ₹300 crore per unit.
It was even criticized by the Indian Air Force for not being powerful enough!
Besides Tejas, India is also developing the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) - a future 5th generation stealth jet, expected to enter service around 2030.
| Fighter Jet | Approx. Cost (INR) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| F-22 | ₹29,000 crore | Top stealth jet, not for export |
| Rafale | ₹12,500 crore | India-specific version, higher cost |
| J-20 | ₹9,100 crore | Chinese stealth fighter, not for sale |
| F-35 Lightning II | ₹6,000–10,000 crore | Multirole jet, used by many countries |
| Su-57 | ₹4,150 crore | Russian fighter, performance debated |
| Tejas | ₹3,570 crore | Made in India, good price but limited power |
Different configurations greatly affect the price of a fighter jet.
India’s Tejas, the cheapest, still costs ₹3,570 crore per unit to build;
while the American-made F-22, currently the best in the world, costs ₹29,000 crore.
Most modern fighter jets have a service life of 25–35 years or even more.
But they keep getting upgrades in between – like phone updates, with new systems and parts.
For example, India’s Su-30MKI has been used for nearly 20 years, but with upgrade programs, it’s expected to last beyond 2040.
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