The last confirmed, significant dogfight with actual shootdowns was likely the February 27, 2019, clash between India and Pakistan, where a Pakistani F-16 downed an Indian MiG-21, though claims of kills were contested, and other skirmishes have occurred, like a Greek Mirage vs. Turkish F-16 in 2020 without shots fired, and US forces shooting down Iranian drones, highlighting how BVR missiles have made traditional dogfights rarer.
Despite the F-22 Raptor's reputation as the world's most capable air superiority fighter, the stealth jet has lost a number of notional dogfights over the years to older and less advanced platforms like the F-16 and even the Navy's electronic-warfare specialist, the EA-18G Growler.
Dogfights continue in modern warfare
Dogfighting continued in wars for decades after the Football War dogfight, but the fights were now between jet aircraft with new and deadly technology. In the 1980s, there were dogfights between the British and Argentine forces during the Falklands War.
Second Lebanon War (2006)
The only reported F-16 loss was an IDF F-16I that crashed on 19 July when one of its tires burst as it took off for Lebanon from an air base in the Negev.
India Touts the Capabilities of the S-400 Air Defense System
According to Singh, the Russian-made S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system was used to shoot down “most” of the adversarial planes. Among those may have been at least one F-16, but Singh also indicated that “a few” were targeted on the ground.
Between January and July 2025 there were 623 aviation accidents in the US, across all sectors. These are the latest statistics available. In the same period in 2024, there were 729 accidents across all US aviation. This is representative of the general downward trend in aviation accidents across the past three decades.
The Eagle took its maiden flight in July 1972, and entered service in 1976. It is among the most successful modern fighters, with 104 victories and no losses in aerial combat, with the majority of the kills by the Israeli Air Force.
Looking at speed capabilities, the F-22 Raptor is definitely superior to the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Look at the fastest NATO fighter jets and you'll find that the former has a top speed of Mach 2.25, while the latter can only manage Mach 2.0.
M.M. Alam is the most famous and also the most controversial fighter pilot from the Indian sub-continent. On 07 September 1965, he claimed achieving five aerial victories in a very short time, many believe it to be only 30 seconds.
10 Largest Air to Air Battles in Military History
Handlers wash and examine their opponent's dog in order to remove any poisonous or caustic substance that might have been applied to a dog's coat (a method of cheating). IF YOU SUSPECT THAT DOGFIGHTING IS TAKING PLACE AT A RESIDENCE: 1.
The F-47, envisioned as the replacement for the F-22 Raptor, is expected to incorporate advanced stealth, sensing and communications capabilities.
Air-to-air combat testing suggested "The Six" was a reasonable match for the F-4 Phantom II in a dogfight, with superior high-altitude turn performance and overall maneuverability (aided by the aircraft's lower wing loading).
The key point of China's claim is that China says it can detect and target stealth aircraft (like the F-22) using an “integrated combat system.” This could, theoretically, also include satellites, airborne early-warning planes, and anti-stealth radar networks, all feeding data to fighters like the J-16.
During the flight over the Pacific Ocean west of California, the X-43A set the world speed record for a jet -powered aircraft, reaching Mach 9.6, or nearly 7,000 mph. The mission originated from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
Jammie Jamieson is a United States Air Force officer and the first operational female fighter pilot selected to fly the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
And that is your lot for today. While the “Darkstar” featured in “Top Gun: Maverick” is not a real aircraft, its real-life inspiration, the SR-72, certainly appears to be. Still under development and shrouded in secrecy, there is little if anything definitive known about it publically.
However the F-15C stands a good chance in a dogfight, and the F-15E has a distinct BVR advantage over the F-16 due to powerful radar and lots of fuel (=can stay in AB for a long time for energy advantage).
Tactical stealth fighter aircraft The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, supersonic all-weather tactical stealth fighter aircraft. It was developed for the United States Air Force and first flew in 1990.
National Transportation Safety Board analyzed all the airplane accidents between 1983 and 2000. Of the 53,487 people involved, 51,207 survived. That's a survival rate of 95.7 percent.
Pilot error is the number one cause of aviation accidents. Piloting an aircraft requires lengthy training, a knowledge of the mechanical components of an aircraft, and hand-eye coordination skills to effectively and safely maneuver an aircraft. Pilots also have to think ahead.