Fourth-generation fighter jets remain in demand despite stealth era

Fourth-generation fighter jets, decades after their first flights, remain widely used and are still attracting new customers, even as stealth aircraft are billed as the next step in military aviation.

The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, originally developed by General Dynamics and first flown in 1974, remains in service with the United States Air Force and roughly 28 other countries, among them Egypt, Israel, Pakistan, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates. Around 2,800 examples are reportedly still active.

The Dassault Rafale belongs to a slightly newer sub-generation, sometimes called four-and-a-half generation. France, Qatar, Croatia and Indonesia fly it, and France is expected to keep flying the type into the 2060s. Serbia became the latest operator to join what is described as the Rafale club, following an announcement involving French President Emmanuel Macron in 2024.

The Saab Gripen, whose name means "griffin" in Swedish, is also cited as a long-lasting member of this fighter category. So is the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31, though it serves a different operational role.

Lower operating costs, large weapons payloads, mature technology and continuous upgrades explain why air forces keep favoring these aircraft instead of retiring them in favor of stealth designs, according to the article. It frames this as evidence that fourth-generation fighters still have a long service life ahead of them, even as newer alternatives enter fleets around the world.