fourth-generation jet fighter

Fourth-generation jet fighter is a general classification of jet fighters in service from approximately 1980 to the present, and represent design concepts of the 1970s. Fourth-generation designs are heavily influenced by lessons learned from the previous generation of combat aircraft. Long-range air-to-air missiles, originally thought to make dogfighting obsolete, proved less influential than expected, precipitating a renewed emphasis on maneuverability. Meanwhile, the growing costs of military aircraft in general and the demonstrated success of aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom II gave rise to the popularity of Multirole combat aircraft in parallel with the advances marking the so-called fourth generation.