F-4 Phantom, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-86 Sabres (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

Three generations of American jet fighters in an air force "Heritage Flight" formation at the 2005 Oceana airshow in Virginia, an F-4 Phantom II in the lead, flanked by two F-86 Sabres and a trailing F-16 Fighting Falcon.   More Sabres were manufactured than any other American jet fighter, just under 10000, and the Phantom is the runner-up, with 5195 built.

The F-86 Sabre was America's first swept-wing fighter and proved to be significantly more capable than earlier jets like the straight-winged P-80 Shooting Star.   The F-86 was able to tackle the Russian-designed MiG-15 on equal terms and unlike earlier jet fighters it remained in service for many years, rather than becoming obsolete quickly.

The F-4 Phantom II is one or two generations more advanced than the Sabre, and was the most important American fighter of theVietnam War, like the Korean war a struggle carried out in Asia against communist forces.   The Phantom was very capable, but since Korea the gap in training between American and communist pilots had closed, and instead of the roughly 10 to 1 kill ratio enjoyed by Sabre pilots during the Korean war, Phantom pilots achieved only about a 3 to 1 ratio, and were now frequently shot down by ground-to-air missiles, a threat absent in Korea.   As a result, the navy started the TOPGUN training course near the end of the war, which significantly improved navy figures, while air force performance in the Phantom actually decreased during the same time period.

The F-16 was developed as the successor to the Phantom II, and incorporated many lessons learned by use of the Phantom inVietnam, such as the need for a cannon to be built into the basic design of the aircraft.   The F-16 Fighting Falcon remains the backbone of the modern US Air Force, providing effective service in greater numbers than the more capable but more expensive F-15 Eagle and F-22 Raptor.