For over 80 years, the fighter jet has dominated the sky. An engineering marvel forged in combat and capable of flying six times the speed of sound, the fighter jet is the race car of aviation and every aviation enthusiast’s dream to fly one.
Mastering the art of flying these aircraft takes years of training, and only the best pilots in the world are allowed to operate them. They come loaded with the latest technology and countermeasures systems designed for aerial combat, but are they safe to fly?
Fighter jets are safer to fly today than they were in the past, but still, flying a fighter jet is not completely risk-free. According to statistics from Air Force Safety Center, fatality rates reside around 0,8 deaths per 100,000 flown hours, when looking at the F16 Hornet specifically. While lower than similar numbers for general aviation, it far overshoots those of commercial aviation, which usually reside somewhere around 0,3 fatalities per one MILLION FLIGHTS.
The fighter jet has come a long way since the 1940s, and technological breakthroughs have vastly improved safety. As conflicts arose during the mid-20th, the need for faster, more advanced aerial weapons systems with safety features that would extend the life of the crew and equipment was needed.
Today, modern fighters boast the latest in safety equipment, but what makes them so dangerous to fly is the complexity of the aircraft combined with human factors.
Table of Contents
Fighter Jet Safety Features
Built for performance on the battlefield and armed with the latest in safety sensors to defend against enemy attacks, they lead the world in aerial combat safety.
Most modern fighter jets like the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lighting II are equipped with an Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-CGAS). The collision avoidance system utilizes terrain mapping, geolocation, and automation to anticipate and eliminate potential ground collisions.
When the system’s software recognizes an impending impact, it will alert the pilot of danger. If the pilot fails to act in time, the Auto-GCAS will engage automatically, and override manual inputs from the pilot to assume temporary control to recover the aircraft to a safe trajectory.
The collision avoidance system was initially designed in part with NASA for the F-16 and has been operating for over five years. According to Lockheed-Martin, The Automatic GroundCollision Avoidance System (Auto-CGAS) is credited with saving eight F-16 pilots’ lives since 2014.
ATS
5th generation stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35 come equipped with Air-to-Surface (ATS), and Air to Air (ATA) integrated safety sensors. This gives the aircraft a crucial advantage by possessing the ability to remain undetected by radar behind enemy lines.
Air-to-Surface (ATS) sensor technology has an active electronically-scanned radar that allows the pilots to engage with ground targets from longer distances without being detected. This keeps the aircraft away from potential danger.
ATA
The Air to Air (ATA) sensors system gives 5th Generation aircraft air superiority by allowing pilots to spot enemy aircraft, and take action first. The ability to strike without being seen by the enemy is a huge advantage that keeps the plane out of harm’s way.
The benefits of stealth, advanced sensors, real-time data integration provides a 360-degree view of the battlefield that enhances the pilot’s situational awareness. It prioritizes potentially hazardous conditions of the combat zone.
Ejection Seats
The most well-known safety feature found on a fighter jet has to be the ejection seat, and believe it or not, it’s a feature that has been around since the early 40’s.
When a fighter pilot senses that he has completely lost control over the airplane, he may pull the ejection handle to be ejected from the airplane. Of course, this adds immensely to the safety of fighter jets, since the pilot gets a chance to survive even the most dangerous situations. However, there are always risks involved with ejecting as well, which makes ejection the last resort for any pilot.
Here is a video that goes into more detail on how ejection seats work.
What is the Safest Fighter Jet in the World?
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the newest model of multi-role strike fighter jet added to the United States Defense forces arsenal of air combat systems.
Equipped the latest in technology, the Lightning II is touted as the safest and most advanced fighter jet in the sky. It combines advanced stealth aircraft capabilities with the most powerful and comprehensive integrated sensor platform in the world. It was developed in 2006 and first introduced to service in 2015 with the United States Marine Corps.
Recently, Lockheed Martin announced that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program will integrate the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-CGAS) on Airforce F-35A models. The introduction of the AGAS system will prevent more than 26 ground collisions over the service life of the aircraft.
Earlier integration of an AGAS System could have possibly prevented the April 2019 crash of a Japanese F-35A into the Pacific Ocean. The pilot became disoriented and didn’t realize he was losing altitude. According to Japanese authorities, mechanical failure was ruled out.
How Often Do Fighter Jets Crash?
According to statistics from Air Force Safety Center, fatality rates reside around 0,8 deaths per 100,000 flown hours, when looking at the F16 Hornet specifically. While lower than similar numbers for general aviation, it far overshoots those of commercial aviation, which usually reside somewhere around 0,35 fatalities per one MILLION flights.
Military aviation accidents in the US had spiked almost 40 percent over the past five years, killing 133 service members during the five years between 2013 -2018.
Although these statistics represent a combination of all military aircraft types, mishaps involving the United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet has more than doubled.
There have been 17 fatal and non-fatal crashes involving F-22 or F35a model jets in those five years as well. Government budget cuts for pilot training and maintenance, along with a consistent deployment schedule, are partly to blame for an increase in aviation-related incidents.
What are the Reasons Behind Most Crashes?
Let’s now have a closer look at some of the most common reasons behind fighter jet crashes. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, we’ve included some of the most notable ones:
1. Human Factors
Human factors play a significant role in aviation-related incidents. According to a study done by Boeing, the most common cause of aviation accidents is pilot error, which accounts for approximately 80% of all crashes.
2. Harsh Operating Conditions
Fighter jets are made to operate in harsh environments, and difficulties of perceiving distance, ground clearance, and position under these conditions can create stress on the aircraft. Pilots put their mind and body under extreme pressure flying at excessive speeds, and the G-force of basic maneuvers can cause them to lose consciousness or control of the aircraft.
At high speeds, a pilot does not have as much time to make decisions or react to potential danger.
3. Mechanical Failure
Another major factor in crashes is mechanical failure. Fighter jets are flown harder at faster speeds that can put a stressful load on aircraft components, causing them to wear out faster. An estimated 20% of crashes are due to component failure. Fighter jets account for more than 23% of the crashes in the military. However, the number of incidents has decreased over the past two years.
4. Poor Gliding Capabilities
Fighter jets are built with high speeds and performance in mind. Their small wings equal poor gliding capabilities in case of engine failure, which means that the pilots have limited options at their hands in case the engine would stop working.
Gliding capabilities are often expressed as the glide ratio of an airplane. Many high-performance fighter jets have a glide ratio of anywhere somewhere in the ranges of 3:1, which means that they are able to glide the three times the distance as they loose in altitude.
For reference, a Cessna 172 has a glide ratio of around 9:1, while commercial airliners can have glide ratios as high as 20:1.
The implication is that many fighter jets won’t be able to make it to an airport in the event of an engine failure.
5. Newer Planes are Intentionally Unstable
Many newer fighter planes aren’t directly controlled by the pilot, but by a computer, which is called the Flight Control Computer System (FLCCS). The pilot uses his controls to tell the computer what he wants the aircraft to do, after which the FLCCS then carries out the maneuver itself.
The reason why the pilot isn’t directly in charge of the controls, like on many older planes, is that many new fighter jets have been made to be intentionally unstable to increase maneuverability. This means that a computer has to constantly monitor the airplane to make it fly in a stable manner, and perform as the pilot tells it to.
While this isn’t an issue as long as the FLCCS works properly, a unit failure would have devasting consequences for the maneuverability of the airplane, and the pilot’s chances of getting the airplane safely down to the ground
How to Prevent Fighter Jet Crashes
Continuous training and an extensive maintenance schedule are two of the most essential things that can be done to reduce fighter jet crashes.
Fighter jets are expensive and can exceed $150 million of taxpayer money, so the military doesn’t just let anybody fly them. These jets are operated by the best pilots in the world, and most of them spend thousands of hours learning to control the plane under extreme circumstances in austere conditions.
Are Fighter Jets Safer Than Private Jets?
Unlike private planes, fighter jets are equipped with the latest sensors and stealth technology making it safer for the battlefield, but they are inherently harder to fly.
They have fewer backup systems because they are built for combat instead of passenger carry. Most passenger carriers are equipped with 2 or more engines. In contrast, some legacy generation fighter jets are equipped with one engine, making an “engine malfunction” in-flight highly dangerous. Most modern fighter jets are now equipped with 2 engines.
The Defense Force aircraft operate at high speeds giving the pilot less time to react to hazardous situations. These high speeds and flight characteristics of these aircraft make them more prone to component failure in flight.
Military aviation operates under different flight safety standards as well. Military aircraft are often flying in Mach conditions, and low altitude missions while civilian rules do not allow for this type of flying. This puts a lot more stress on the aircraft, which increases the chances of some sort of failure.
Like most military aircraft, fighter jets are considered un-regulated airframes and doesn’t fall under FAA guidelines. These aircraft are authorized to operate under different safety restrictions and maintenance schedules to accommodate their missions.
Summary
Safety is always a priority in aviation, and the fighter jet is one of the safest airplanes in the world. What makes flying these aircraft so dangerous is the skill needed to operate them under extreme circumstances. Fighter pilots are well trained and some of the best pilots in the world. Even the best-of-the-best can still get complacent from time to time. So continuous flight training and a frequent maintenance schedule are the best ways to increase fighter jet safety and increase the life of the aircraft and crew.
Recommended Course!
