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Fighter Aircraft

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Military aircraft such as the F-16 and Joint Strike Fighter, which are designed to perform air-to-air combat operations, are the primary means by which armed forces gain air superiority over their opponents in battle. RAND has studied fighter aircraft for many decades to provide civilian and military decisionmakers with critical recommendations on logistics, acquisition support, fleet modernization, and maintenance, to maximize effectiveness and innovation.

Report
Fighter Basing Options to Improve Access to Advanced Training Ranges
The U.S. Air Force has determined that its fighter pilots do not currently have sufficient access to training ranges that are capable of representing advanced potential adversaries. What squadron restationing and range upgrade policies maximize access to advanced training ranges?
Feb 5, 2021
Content
Where Russia Markets and Sells Advanced Conventional Weapons
Russia uses arms exports to further relations with other countries, influence their political and military leaders, and further its broader foreign and defense policy goals. A series of maps show the extent of its marketing, negotiating, and sales of key weapons systems.
Jun 11, 2021

Explore Fighter Aircraft

Commercial Book
Troubled Partnership: A History of U.S.-Japan Collaboration on the FS-X Fighter
In this book, Mark Lorell traces the evolution of the FS-X, disclosing the conflicting economic and security objectives advanced by U.S. officials, the flawed U.S. policy of technology reciprocity, and the challenges of international collaboration.
Jan 1, 1996
Report
Making Military Force Structure Choices in an Uncertain World: An Analyst's Perspective
In an uncertain world, the United States faces difficult decisions regarding the structure of its military forces. Critical issues to be decided include the future of manned fighter aircraft, the composition and nature of the army of the future, whic...
Jan 1, 1996
Research Brief
Conflicting U.S. Objectives in Weapon System Codevelopment: The FS-X Case
Did the outcome of the divisive struggle over the FS-X serve U.S. aims? What can be learned for future interaction on the FS-X program in particular and cooperative development in general?
Jan 1, 1995
Report
Troubled Partnership: A History of U.S.-Japan Collaboration on the FS-X Fighter
In the end, the FS-X program has failed to meet many of the original U.S. expectations, and Japan has reaped an unexpected reward -- experience in developing a world-class fighter aircraft. This book presents a history of the program.
Jan 1, 1995
Report
Troubled Partnership: An Assessment of U.S.-Japan Collaboration on the FS-X Fighter
In the end, the FS-X program has failed to meet many of the original U.S. expectations, and Japan has reaped an unexpected reward -- experience in developing a world-class fighter aircraft. This book summarizes and assesses the program.
Jan 1, 1995
Report
Measuring Effects of Payload and Radius Differences of Fighter Aircraft
Measures how differences in F-15E and F-16C Block 50 payload and radius characteristics influence the ability of these aircraft to deliver GBU- and CBU-class weapons against a variety of target sets.
Jan 1, 1993
Report
Pilot Report: MiG-29
Describes the author's experience as the first American to fly the Soviet MiG-29 fighter and the first Westerner to fly any type of combat aircraft in Soviet airspace since World War II.
Jan 1, 1990
Report
The Cost and Performance Implications of Reliability Improvements in the F-16A/B Aircraft
This Note suggests the magnitude of the effects of policies and strategies to enhance reliability of Air Force aircraft weapon systems. Using the F-16A/B fighter aircraft program as a case study, the authors found that the benefits of improved reliab...
Jan 1, 1988
Report
Tactical Dispersal of Fighter Aircraft: Risk, Uncertainty, and Policy Recommendations
This Note examines U.S. Air Force policy on the basing of tactical fighter aircraft.
Feb 1, 1987
Report
A Case Study of the F-20 Tigershark
Examines the F-20 program from both a research-and-development (R&D) and a marketing perspective.
Jan 1, 1987
Research Brief
Moscow's Lessons from the 1982 Lebanon Air War
Summary of research that reviews Soviet impressions of Israeli air operations during the 1982 Lebanon war.
Jan 1, 1984
Report
Moscow's Lessons from the 1982 Lebanon Air War
Reviews Soviet impressions of Israeli air operations during the 1982 Lebanon war. It evaluates a 1983 article published in Soviet Air Force Monthly that assesses the implications of the Israeli-Syrian air battles.
Jan 1, 1984
Report
Reflections on an F-4C inflight emergency
Summarizes the highlights of an emergency that occurred in May 1981 in an F-4C assigned to the 159th Tactical Fighter Group, Louisiana Air National Guard. The aircraft, in which the author was flying as an observer, sustained structural damage durin...
Jan 1, 1981
Report
Performance advances in fighter aircraft: measuring and predicting progress
A new approach has been developed for measuring advances in jet fighter air vehicle performance. The approach recognizes the multiparameter trade-offs imposed by the development process by simultaneously considering trends in a number of performance...
Jan 1, 1980
Report
A Comparison of Cost Models for Fighter Aircraft
An exercise is described in which the estimates of fighter aircraft are shown to be essentially the same whether the model is based on fighters only or a more heterogeneous group of aircraft.
Sep 1, 1977
Report
TACTICS II: Maneuver Logic for Computer Simulation of Dogfight Engagements
A description of maneuver logic for fighter aircraft for computer simulation of one-on-one, close-in air combat.
Jan 1, 1972
Report
Theaterwide Tactical Fighter Combat Operations Model (TAFCOM): A Program Description
An updated programmer's manual for TAFCOM, which simulates large-scale air attack; it can handle thousands of aircraft with hundreds of bombers attacking tens of targets and penetrating through up to 20 air defense systems of varying effectiveness.
Jan 1, 1969
Report
Jet Fighter Accident/Attrition Rates in Peacetime: An Application of Reliability Growth Modelling
Two statistical examinations of accident and attrition data for all jet fighters that had seen substantial Air Force usage by 1963.
Mar 1, 1968
Report
Fighter Aircraft Performance Modeling, Simulation, and Flight Testing for Research and Development
A comparison of the effectiveness of current methods which measure fighter aircraft system performance.
Jan 1, 1968
Report
An Estimating Relationship for Fighter/Interceptor Avionic System Procurement Cost
An examination of the procurement cost of aircraft electronic systems.
Jan 1, 1966

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Fighter Aircraft

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