The US Military’s Fastest Planes
Story by Maria Wood • Thursday
The US Military’s Fastest Planes
20. McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender
1 of 21 Photos in Gallery Aircraft first became a significant weapon of war in World War I. At first, the planes were used to scout out enemy positions from the air. As the conflict progressed, the aircrafts were repurposed for aerial combat with mounted machine guns, giving rise to WWI flying aces. (These are the greatest fighter pilots in aviation history.) Since then, military aircraft have evolved considerably. Today, demonstrating air superiority with increasingly more sophisticated fighter jets is an essential element of warfare. No military force can win a war without controlling the skies. Gaining an advantage in the air depends on how fast the plane can fly. Fighter planes that can whip across the skies at tremendous speeds can evade enemy missiles and hit their target sooner. (Here are the most common planes in the US Air Force.) The U.S. military has some of the fastest war planes on the planet. To determine the fastest war planes in the U.S. military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a list of U.S. military aircraft from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more. We ranked all aircraft according to their top speed, choosing the 20 fastest. Supplemental information on the military branch using the aircraft and the aircraft’s role came from the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft. First flown dates came from both WDMMA and from Military Factory. Six of the 20 fastest planes are classified as trainers, or aircraft used to train pilots on complex aircraft. Others are fighters, refuelers, or tankers. Some are deployed for special missions. The “slowest” aircraft on the list is the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, an aerial tanker and refueler transport. It tops out at 600 mph, about the same as large commercial jets with top speeds of 550 to 580 mph. The majority of commercial planes are much slower at 160 to 180 mph.
1 of 21 Photos in Gallery©guvendemir / E+ via Getty Images
Aircraft first became a significant weapon of war in World War I. At first, the planes were used to scout out enemy positions from the air. As the conflict progressed, the aircrafts were repurposed for aerial combat with mounted machine guns, giving rise to WWI flying aces. (These are the greatest fighter pilots in aviation history.)
Since then, military aircraft have evolved considerably. Today, demonstrating air superiority with increasingly more sophisticated fighter jets is an essential element of warfare. No military force can win a war without controlling the skies. Gaining an advantage in the air depends on how fast the plane can fly. Fighter planes that can whip across the skies at tremendous speeds can evade enemy missiles and hit their target sooner. (Here are the most common planes in the US Air Force.)
The U.S. military has some of the fastest war planes on the planet. To determine the fastest war planes in the U.S. military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a list of U.S. military aircraft from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more. We ranked all aircraft according to their top speed, choosing the 20 fastest. Supplemental information on the military branch using the aircraft and the aircraft’s role came from the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft. First flown dates came from both WDMMA and from Military Factory.
Six of the 20 fastest planes are classified as trainers, or aircraft used to train pilots on complex aircraft. Others are fighters, refuelers, or tankers. Some are deployed for special missions.
The “slowest” aircraft on the list is the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, an aerial tanker and refueler transport. It tops out at 600 mph, about the same as large commercial jets with top speeds of 550 to 580 mph. The majority of commercial planes are much slower at 160 to 180 mph.
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