{"id":2611,"date":"2021-02-24T15:18:40","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T09:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/?p=2611"},"modified":"2024-12-27T15:30:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T10:00:25","slug":"classification-of-jet-fighters-generations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/2021\/02\/24\/classification-of-jet-fighters-generations\/","title":{"rendered":"54: CLASSIFICATION OF JET FIGHTERS: GENERATIONS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #000080;\">Categorization of fighter jets in generations is a classification system used around the world. I have always maintained that this is a broad concept with hazy demarcation lines. Although dependent upon the advancement of technology it does not define specific features or capabilities and has a large scope for difference of opinion. Recent discussion with Former CAS, Air Chief Marshal NC Suri, triggered the quest for further research and study of the subject. Sharing few of the related aspects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #800080;\"><u>Classification.<\/u> \u00a0Relevant aspects are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #993366;\">This method of categorization is unofficial because there is no authorized classification concept based on features or performance of aircraft.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #333399;\">There is no clearly defined line between successive generations. Different authorities have identified different technology jumps as the key ones, dividing fighter development into different numbers of generations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #3366ff;\">Each category represents a certain class of technology used in the aircraft: avionics, systems, design, features, engines and weapons etc. Higher generation means a more technologically advanced aircraft.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #003366;\">A Generational shift in jet \ufb01ghter aircraft occurs when a technological innovation cannot be incorporated into an existing aircraft through upgrades and retrospective \ufb01t-outs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #0000ff;\">The criteria for the various generations are not universally accepted and are subject to differing opinions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #003300;\"><u>Genesis.<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #003300;\">The origin of the generational categorization of jet combat aircraft is debatable.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;\">The usage appears to have first appeared in Russia during the mid-1990s when officials were planning a competitor to the American\u00a0Joint Strike Fighter. They categorized previous fighters into four categories and concluded that the next one would be in the fifth generation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #339966;\"><em>Aviation Week <\/em>correspondent Bill Sweetman claims it originated from within Lockheed Martin\u2019s business development machine shortly after the X-35 was declared the successful JSF solution in 2001.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #993300;\"><u>Previous attempts at Classification<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #993300;\">In 1990 air historian Richard P. Hallion proposed a classification of jet fighters into six generations up to that time. Some others classified them into five generations up to around the same period.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #ff6600;\">Taylor and Guilmartin named four classifications based on the maximum speed; subsonic, transonic, supersonic and Mach 2, and added a fifth &#8220;new&#8221; generation with multi-mission capability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #800000;\">Russian and Chinese observers also categorize aircraft into generations, albeit with differing and broader definitions across fewer generations that relate more towards their own platforms and capabilities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #000000;\"><u>Accepted Classification Norms.<\/u> In 2004\u00a0<em>Aerospaceweb<\/em>\u00a0listed division into five generations.\u00a0The basic classification into five generations has since been widely accepted. Regardless of their origins Five generations are now widely recognised, with development of a sixth under way. Some accounts have subdivided the 4th generation into 4 and 4.5, or 4+ and 4++.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #ff0000;\">Coming Up: Generation wise description<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">References:<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.airforce-technology.com\/features\/top-sixth-generation-fighter-jets\/<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sldinfo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Air-Combat-Seminar-summary-AndrewMcL.pdf\">https:\/\/www.sldinfo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Air-Combat-Seminar-summary-AndrewMcL.pdf<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fighterworld.com.au\/az-of-fighter-aircraft\/five-generations-of-jets\">https:\/\/www.fighterworld.com.au\/az-of-fighter-aircraft\/five-generations-of-jets<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.codeonemagazine.com\/archives\/2005\/articles\/oct_05\/\">http:\/\/www.codeonemagazine.com\/archives\/2005\/articles\/oct_05\/<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fifth_generation_fighter<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.airforce-technology.com\/features\/top-sixth-generation-fighter-jets\/?utm_source=Army%20Technology&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=Must%20Read&amp;utm_content=Image\">https:\/\/www.airforce-technology.com\/features\/top-sixth-generation-fighter-jets\/?utm_source=Army%20Technology&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=Must%20Read&amp;utm_content=Image<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fighter-jet-generations\/\">https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fighter-jet-generations\/<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">http:\/\/www.aerospaceweb.org\/question\/history\/q0182.shtml<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 18pt; color: #993366;\">Comments and value additions are most welcome<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Categorization of fighter jets in generations is a classification system used around the world. I have always maintained that this is a broad concept with hazy demarcation lines. Although dependent upon the advancement of technology it does not define specific features or capabilities and has a large scope for difference of opinion. Recent discussion with &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/2021\/02\/24\/classification-of-jet-fighters-generations\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;54: CLASSIFICATION OF JET FIGHTERS: GENERATIONS&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,5,19,75,78,28,1],"tags":[109,6,47,42,51,110,38,52,30],"class_list":["post-2611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aircraft","category-airpower","category-article","category-iaf","category-military-capability","category-technology","category-uncategorized","tag-aircraft","tag-airpower","tag-defence-services","tag-fighter-pilot","tag-flying","tag-generation-of-ac","tag-indian-air-force","tag-strategic-thinking","tag-technology"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2611"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8526,"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611\/revisions\/8526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}