Global Defense Spending has been on a major upswing led by the resurgence of great power competition among leading geopolitical powers and spearheaded by R&D-led technological evolution. The transition of traditional world order towards multi-polarity, marked by the resurgence of great power competition and escalating geopolitical tensions, has effectively heralded a renaissance for the Global Aerospace & Defense industry over the recent years with defense spending clearly on the surge & upswing. The rapid build-up of military capabilities by China and resurgence of Russia on the world horizon have effectively spiraled up defense spending across most regions & parts of the world. The global defense spending reached the $1.98 trillion level for 2020 growing by over 2.6% year on year for 2020 & 3% for 2019 echoing the Cold war-era trend.

Fighter jets have remained a traditional & core pivot of the fighting capabilities of Air Forces globally with their significant role & capabilities for conducting aerial combat, interdiction, penetration of enemy air defenses, ground attack and air dominance/superiority missions & roles. The surge in global defense spending over the recent years has driven a rapid recapitalization of legacy fighter jet aircraft programs as a key priority with the initiation of a bevy of next generation aircraft programs across most parts of the globe for build-up of capacity & military capabilities. The replacement of global in-service fleet of legacy F-18 Hornet program is being pursued actively across parts of Europe and North America along with upgrade & modernization of the sizeable, older F-16 fleet & variants globally. Around 250+ in-service Tornado combat jets are also due for replacement with decisions likely over near term. Other parts of the world, too, are accelerating & scrambling for the retirement & replacement of their Cold-war era, Soviet-origin legacy fighter jet aircraft programs with latest & next generation capabilities through fast tracked procurement of in-production aircrafts supplemented by scratch-up, domestic aircraft development programs. India, for instance, operates a fleet of 100+ MiG-21s while seeking replacements for them & other aircrafts under its MMRCA 2.0 program and supplementing the deficit with the procurement of the home grown Tejas Light Combat Aircraft program.

In term of capabilities, 5th generation aircraft programs are already proving to be favorites to replace the 4/4.5 generation aircrafts with the Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet program spearheading the charge & the generational shift. The 6th generation aircraft programs are also on the anvil geared towards the future with their potential EIS slated for late 2030s. Continental Europe is committing itself to the development of two such programs, namely, the Franco-German-Spanish consortium led FCAS program and the Tempest program being spearheaded by the triad of Great Britain-Italy-Sweden. In the U.S., the NGAD program collectively represents the efforts being made towards the development of 6th generation combat aircraft to be powered by the upcoming Adaptive Cycle Engine (ACE) program.

Against this backdrop, the report provides a detailed, comprehensive analysis on the World’s Top 5 Medium Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs, including:-

  • Detailed Program Factsheets, including, Technical Specifications, Production Numbers, Variants & Key Global Operators
  • Overarching Strategy Focus across OEMs for the Programs
  • Comprehensive Comparative SWOT Analysis with Direct, Competing Aircraft Programs of Commensurate Size & Class
  • Latest Contract Awards, Upcoming Aircraft Competitions & Developments for the Programs
  • Upgrade Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs



The report categorizes the aircraft programs into Medium jets based on their Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of between 15,000 kg. to 30,000 kg. and compares them accordingly. This is the one of the rare reports providing a comprehensive, Comparative SWOT analysis on World’s leading Medium Fighter Jet Aircraft among each other at the program level backed by deep domain competence & acumen.

For Whom:

The report is a niche, vital & must-have information resource on World’s Leading Medium Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs with its unique disposition & focus. The report would be quintessential for those having strategic interest & stakes in the in the Global Fighter Jet Aircraft Market and are seeking a quick yet comprehensive resource for a direct comparison of leading global medium fighter jet aircraft programs & respective OEMs among each other from a combined business & technical perspective. The report will be extremely useful for Key Decision-Makers, Program Offices & Managers, Defense Departments & Contracting/ Procurement Executives, Defense Personnel and Global Procurement Managers, Leaders & Top Management of Key Industry Players & Other Companies, Industry OEMs, Suppliers, Vendors, Associated Equipment Manufacturers and other Key Players in the Industry Value Chain. The report will also be useful for existing & potential Investors, Industry & Company Analysts, M&A Advisory Firms, Strategy & Management Consulting Firms, Researchers and all those associated with the Global Fighter Jet Aircraft Market and the Aerospace & Defense Industry.