Active Modern Military Aircraft Question...Need Input

[P51Fan]

I have been working on a project for some time now and was hoping to get some advice from other aircraft enthusiasts. I have been working on identifying 52 fighter planes that are currently still active in the armed forces somewhere around the world. I tried to create a list that best represents aircraft from all over. I would love if you could take a moment and look over the list of fighter planes below and let me know if you think I either missed one that deserves to be on there or if there is one on the list that is no longer in service anywhere. Here are the fighters:

1. Aero Vodochoy L-159 Alca

2. AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo

3. AMX A-1

4. Atlas Cheetah

5. BAE Systems Hawk

6. Boeing EA-18G

7. Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet

8. Chengdu FC-1

9. Chengdu J-7

10. Chengdu J-10

11. Dassault Mirage 2000

12. Dassault Mirage III

13. Dassault Rafale

14. Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano

15. Eurofighter Typhoon

16. Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt

17. FMA IA 58 Pucara

18. FMA IA 63 Pampa

19. Grumman A-6 Prowler

20. HAL Tejas

21. HESA Saeqeh

22. IAI Kfir

23. IAI Lavi

24. Lockheed Martin F-104S Starfighter

25. Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon

26. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

27. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightening II

28. Lockheed Martin T-50 Golden Eagle

29. McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom

30. McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Plus

31. McDonnell Douglas CF-18

32. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Strike Eagle

33. Mikoyan MiG-23

34. Mikoyan MiG-27

35. Mikoyan MiG-29

36. Mikoyan MiG-31

37. Mitsubishi F-1

38. Mitsubishi F-2

39. Nanchang Q-5

40. Northrop Grumman F-5A Freedom Fighter

41. Northrop Grumman F-5AE Tiger II

42. Northrop T-38 Talon

43. PAC JF-17

44. Panavia Tornado

45. Saab JAS 39 Gripen

46. Sepecat Jaguar S16

47. Shenyang J-11

48. Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark

49. Sukhoi Su-27

50. Sukhoi Su-30

51. Sukhoi Su-34

52. Sukhoi Su-35

What's the reason for the list? I have been designing a deck of playing cards that are a modern twist to what are known as Spotter Cards created during WWII for Allied forces to help memorize and identify the silhouettes of aircraft so that they can tell friend from foe. I just started a Kickstarter project using the planes above as the inspiration for the playing cards. I even have two drones for the Jokers (Elbit Hermes 450 Drone and the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator Drone). I really would like your input on whether or not these planes are the best to have. What do you think?

 

[Brett327]

I wouldn't put the Prowler (EA-6B) on your list. It's not a fighter.

 

[webmaster]

You lost me at fighter only. Long live maritime!!!

 

[jmcquate]

I wouldn't put the Prowler (EA-6B) on your list. It's not a fighter.

Neither is a T-38 or A-10, thus the T and A............ he he he..............I said T and A.

 

[ryan1234]

I can't think of anyone who still flies the F-104 in a military capacity (only few civilian owned ones flying out there). IIRC, Italy retired them in the mid 2000's.

 

[P51Fan]

I wouldn't put the Prowler (EA-6B) on your list. It's not a fighter.

Thanks for your response, any thoughts on what I should replace it with?

 

[P51Fan]

I can't think of anyone who still flies the F-104 in a military capacity (only few civilian owned ones flying out there). IIRC, Italy retired them in the mid 2000's.

I've been using wikipedia a lot as one of my sources for these planes, I went back to look and you are right, all the nations I thought it had listed were former users of the plane. Need to find another one...

 

[BigJeffray]

Replace F-15 Strike Eagle with F-15C Eagle. Minor distinction but AF guys get spooled up about it. But on second thought...

 

[P51Fan]

Replace F-15 Strike Eagle with F-15C Eagle. Minor distinction but AF guys get spooled up about it. But on second thought...

Since my son wants to be one of those AF guys I probably should not spool them. Thanks for the tip. Please keep them coming!

 

[Swanee]

The Hawk is a trainer airplane as well...

 

[Flash]

1. Aero Vodochoy L-159 Alca

18. FMA IA 63 Pampa

Trainer aircraft with only a limited combat capability.

5. BAE Systems Hawk

You may want to specify it as a Hawk 200, that is the single-seat 'fighter/attack' version.

8. Chengdu FC-1

43. PAC JF-17

They are the same aircraft, FC-1 is the name for international sale.

23. IAI Lavi

Never got past the experimental phase, cancelled after 82 test flights.

24. Lockheed Martin F-104S Starfighter

As already noted, no longer in service.

28. Lockheed Martin T-50 Golden Eagle

Trainer version, the F/A-50 is the 'fighter/attack' version.

37. Mitsubishi F-1

No longer in service.

42. Northrop T-38 Talon

Not a fighter, only a trainer.

46. Sepecat Jaguar S16

The Indian Air Force Jaguar IS/IB/IM's are the only ones left in service, S16 makes no sense.

47. Shenyang J-11

48. Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark

49. Sukhoi Su-27

50. Sukhoi Su-30

51. Sukhoi Su-34

52. Sukhoi Su-35

Good luck trying to differentiate between all of the FLANKER versions, the Russians can't even keep the designations straight half the time and there are often multiple versions with the same designation, there are at least 6 different operational versions of the Su-30 alone and that doesn't count the proposed or defunct versions. The Su-34 is the most distinctive with the side-by-side seating (with a different reporting name of FULLBACK) but the rest are a bit of jumble and can be hard to tell apart except for a layman, the 'experts' will often spot them right away though. For example, the J-11A is the license-built Chinese Su-27 but the J-11B is the modified and unlicensed version of the J-11A while the J-15 is apparently the unlicensed version of the Russian Su-33. Good luck with all of that.

 

[ryan1234]

Replace F-15 Strike Eagle with F-15C Eagle. Minor distinction but AF guys get spooled up about it. But on second thought...

What?

 

[ryan1234]

Trainer aircraft with only a limited combat capability.

The ALCA is fairly capable and not really a trainer

 

[Flash]

The ALCA is fairly capable and not really a trainer

A modification of a small jet trainer that hasn't sold to any air force but the country of manufacture, big difference between what the paper says and reality.

 

[armada1651]

Good luck trying to differentiate between all of the FLANKER versions, the Russians can't even keep the designations straight half the time and there are often multiple versions with the same designation, there are at least 6 different operational versions of the Su-30 alone and that doesn't count the proposed or defunct versions. The Su-34 is the most distinctive with the side-by-side seating (with a different reporting name of FULLBACK) but the rest are a bit of jumble and can be hard to tell apart except for a layman, the 'experts' will often spot them right away though. For example, the J-11A is the license-built Chinese Su-27 but the J-11B is the modified and unlicensed version of the J-11A while the J-15 is apparently the unlicensed version of the Russian Su-33. Good luck with all of that.

There are very significant other differences between the J-11A and B, and between the Su-33 and J-15, most of which are not usually visually significant. And the FULLBACK isn't a member of the FLANKER family (maybe a cousin), nor really a fighter.

Elsewhere in the list, the Super Tucano isn't a fighter, and I don't understand the previous Strike Eagle comment - the F-15C is the Eagle, the F-15E is the Strike Eagle. Both are fighters, although hardcore C guys might argue that the E isn't.