The Supersonic Evolution: 1970-1980 Fighter Jets
The 1970-1980 era, an exhilarating chapter in aviation history, highlighting formidable fighter jets like the F-14 Tomcat, MiG-25 Foxbat, F-15 Eagle, and the Dassault Mirage F1. This period was marked by a significant leap in avionics technology, enhanced maneuverability, and the introduction of precision-guided munitions, setting new standards in aerial combat capabilities.
Click on the name of any fighter jet for a deep dive into its technological innovations, operational history, and strategic impact. Or, browse at your leisure through our series of articles to experience the technological renaissance of fighter jets in the 1970s.
F-16 Fighting Falcon, General Dynamics | A-10 Thunderbolt II / Warthog, Fairchild | F-15 Eagle
Super Etendard, Dassault
The Super Etendard is a development of the Etendard IVM, reengined and with many changes in structure and equipment. The Super Etendard is a shipboard attack aircraft. The French Aeronavale bought 71; fourteen were sold to Argentina and five were loaned to Iraq. The Argentinian and Iraqi aircraft saw combat and proved effective in combination…
F-111 Aardvark / EF-111 Raven, General Dynamics
The swing-wing F-111 was designed as a multi-role aircraft, but ended as an attack/strike aircraft. It was the result of an unwise and unhappy attempt to fulfill different USAF and Navy requirements with a single aircraft. The F-111B shipboard fighter, developed in cooperation with Grumman, was a complete failure. The F-111 strike fighter itself had…
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat
This was the USSR’s answer to the design in the US of fast, high-flying aircraft as the B-70, F-108 and SR-71. The MiG-25 lacked technological refinement, but its performance caused much concern in the west. It was designed to function both as long-range interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft (which in the Middle-East proved invulnerable to the Israeli F-4 Phantom IIs)…
F-21 Kfir, IAI
The Kfir is a development of the French Mirage 5 with an J79 engine, built in Israel after France refused to deliver the original aircraft. Some changes to the fuselage were necessary to accomodate the engine; the Kfir also had sturdier landing gear and wing extensions. The Kfir C.2 introduced canards. The Kfir is mainly…
Su-25 Frogfoot, Sukhoi
Heavily armoured attack and anti-tank aircraft. The Su-25 is a well-armoured aircraft, capable of carrying a large load under its shoulder-placed wing. Compared to its US counterpart, the A-10, it is faster and more agile. The Su-25 saw combat in Afghanistan, and experience there led to major improvements. A navalized version was built for the large…
Mirage 4000, Dassault-Breguet
The twin-engined Mirage 4000 was developed by Dassault, presumably to be used in a high/low mix with the Mirage 2000. It was virtually a scaled-up Mirage 2000. The French air force showed no interest in this canarded delta. No production. Technical Specification and Dimensions Mirage 4000, Dassault-Breguet Type Mirage 4000 Country France Year 1979 Function Fighter…
Hawk, BAe
A low-wing, single-engined jet trainer of fairly common appearance. BAe managed to sell the Hawk to the USN as the T-45 Goshawk, but considerable modifications were required to make this aircraft carrier-capable. The standard Hawk has been exported to several countries, including Finland, Saudi-Arabia, Switzerland and Indonesia. There is also a single seat attack ‘fighter’…
Alpha Jet, Dassault-Breguet/Dornier
The Alpha Jet is a French/German jet trainer and strike aircraft. That is, the French version is a trainer, and the German one is primarly a strike aircraft, replacing the Fiat G.91. The Alpha Jet is a twin-engined aircraft with a high-set, moderately swept wing. The Alpha Jet shows that an aircraft need not be a…
JA-37 Viggen, Saab
The Saab Viggen is a STOL-jet fighter of canarded delta configuration. It was designed to fulfill several roles with one basic airframe, but in multiple versions: fighter-bomber, attack aircraft, tactical recce, sea surveillance, operational trainer, and pure fighter. The canards and a thrust reverser — the combination of this with an afterburner is unique –…
F-14 Tomcat, Grumman
Large and powerful two-seat, twin-engine, shipboard fighter with variable geometry wings. The weapons system and the Phoenix missile armament are unrivalled for long-distance interceptions, making the F-14 one of the most effective heavy fighters. The original F-14A model was powered by TF30 engines, but the TF30 was too unreliable and not powerful enough. After a lot of…
A-10 Thunderbolt II / Warthog, Fairchild
Battlefield tank-killer, heavily armoured and built around a powerful 30mm 7-barrel GAU-8/A anti-armor gun and its enormous munition drum. The large unswept wing, the two turbofan engines in pods on top of the fuselage, and twin tailfins are all designed to keep the A-10 flying after suffering serious damage. The cockpit is armoured to resist…
F-15 Eagle / F-15E Strike Eagle, McDonnell Douglas
Big twin-engined air-superiority fighter. The F-15 was the US answer to the MiG-25. While not as fast, it is a better all-round fighter. The armament was optimised to down any opponent, although the basic missile types (AIM-9 and AIM-7) are the same as carried by the F-4. F-15’s made nearly all air-to-air ‘kills’ in the (second) Gulf…
F-16 Fighting Falcon, General Dynamics
The F-16 stands out as the most successful fighter aircraft of its generation. As of early 1997, around 3,600 units were delivered, serving in over 17 air forces. Total production was expected to exceed 4,000. Initially, the F-16 was a lightweight fighter project, focusing on air combat. Despite being designed for dogfighting, practical needs meant…