Asia’s military aviation explores a growing archive of fighters, bombers, and innovations from China, India, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, and historical Pacific powers. Highlights include China’s stealth J-20/J-35/J-36 series, India’s HAL AMCA, Japan’s F-2 Viper Zero, South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae, intense rivalries like Indian-Pakistani air power, and WWII classics such as the Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony and A6M Zero. More regional aircraft and comparisons coming soon!
Why the KF-21 is a game changer
South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae has moved from concept to production in just a decade—an unusually fast timeline for a modern fighter program. As a follow-on from our previous video on the KF-21, we break down how Korea achieved it: a modular, upgrade-driven design...
Kawasaki Ki-61 ‘Tony’ – Japan’s answer to the Bf 109
The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien, Allied codename "Tony," was a revolutionary Japanese fighter aircraft of World War II and Japan's only mass-produced fighter with a liquid-cooled inline engine. Introduced in 1942, its sleek design and Ha-40 powerplant (a licensed Daimler-Benz...
HAL AMCA – India’s 5th Gen Aircraft
The HAL AMCA is India's indigenous twin-engine, fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to achieve air supremacy with advanced features like internal weapons bays, supercruise capability, diverterless supersonic intakes,...
China’s new J-36
China's new J-36 stealth fighter, a sixth-generation tailless trijet from Chengdu since 2018, boasts diamond-double-delta wings, tandem cockpit, and WC-10 engines for supercruise and reduced RCS. Prototypes spotted in December 2024 feature advanced inlets, long-range...
F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero
F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero compares WWII Pacific fighters: Grumman's sturdy Wildcat boasted armor, self-sealing tanks, and high-altitude prowess (39,500 ft ceiling) against Mitsubishi's agile Zero with superior turn radius, 3,000 km range, and low-speed control. Despite...
Indian vs Pakistani Air Power
Indian vs Pakistani air power compares India's dominant 715 combat jets, featuring BrahMos-armed Su-30MKIs, Meteor-equipped Rafales, and Tejas fighters for superior standoff strikes, against Pakistan's 450 aircraft like PL-15 BVR J-10Cs, F-16s, and JF-17s emphasizing...
Viper Zero: Japan’s Mighty F-2 Fighter
Japan's mighty F-2 fighter, a Mitsubishi-developed derivative of the F-16 Viper enhanced for maritime defense, features enlarged wings for greater fuel/range, composite materials reducing radar signature, and the world's first operational AESA radar (J/APG-1)....
China’s J-36 & J-50 – First Impressions
China's J-36 and J-50 first impressions showcase advanced sixth-generation fighter concepts: the Chengdu J-36, a tailless stealth bomber with double-delta wings, three engines, extended combat radius, and weapons bays for strikes and drone control; the Shenyang J-50,...
J-20 China’s Answer to the F-22
The Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, China's answer to the F-22, emerged from the 1990s F-XX program as a fifth-generation stealth fighter, achieving first flight in 2011 and service in 2017. Powered by evolving WS-15 engines for supercruise, it features AESA radar,...
Top Vietnam War Aces
Top Vietnam War aces showcase elite pilots on both sides, with US Navy's Randall "Duke" Cunningham and William Driscoll achieving five MiG kills each in F-4 Phantoms using innovative tactics like loose deuce maneuvers, alongside Air Force's Richard Stephen Ritchie....
The J-16 | Is it the best Flanker?
The J-16, China's advanced multirole variant of the Su-27 Flanker family, features AESA radar, thrust-vectoring engines, superior electronic warfare suite, and long-range PL-15 missiles. With greater payload, range, and sensor fusion than legacy Flankers, it excels in...
China’s new J-35
China's new J-35 stealth fighter, evolved from the Shenyang FC-31 prototype since 2012, entered PLAAF service as the land-based J-35A in 2024 with twin WS-19 engines, AESA radar, diverterless inlets, and internal bays for PL-15/10 missiles. Achieving Mach 1.8 speed...
KF-21 Boramae
The KF-21 Boramae, South Korea's advanced 4.5-generation fighter developed by Korea Aerospace Industries since 2010 with Indonesian partnership and Lockheed Martin support, first flew in 2021 to replace aging F-4 and F-5 fleets. Powered by twin GE F414 engines for...
Bf 109 vs A6M Zero: Which Axis fighter was superior?
Bf 109 vs A6M Zero compares WWII Axis fighters: Messerschmitt's adaptable Bf 109 boasted 20,000 victories, superior speed (452 mph), climb rate (4,850 ft/min), and versatile armament against Mitsubishi's maneuverable Zero with unmatched range (1,160 miles), low-speed...