In flight, speed is always more than a figure—it’s the ultimate edge. A quicker plane can intercept before the enemy responds, outrun danger when outnumbered, or deliver killing blows. For decades, countries tested the limits of technology and pilot reserves to determine just how quickly a machine was capable of going. From Cold War icons to test rocket airplanes, these planes are the epitome of human courage and engineering. Below is a top-ten list of the fastest military planes ever constructed.
10. Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker
The Su-27 was the Soviet response to America’s top-of-the-line fighters, and it did not disappoint. With a speed of Mach 2.35, the Flanker melded brute power with revolutionary maneuverability due to fly-by-wire controls. First taking to the skies in 1977, it became the basis for an entire family of jets—Su-30, Su-33, Su-34, Su-35, and Su-37—which continue to control the skies across the globe. With a 30 mm cannon and 10 points for missiles, it showed that firepower and speed could coexist.
9. General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
The F-111 was not a fighter but an attack aircraft that flew like one. Breaking Mach 2.5, it delivered over 14,000 kg of bombs, nukes, or missiles. Its variable-sweep wing was groundbreaking, allowing it to fly low and at high speeds in terrain-following strike missions. Although it never did become a carrier plane as originally envisioned, the Aardvark was a workhorse with many uses until retirement in 1998.
8. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
One of the greatest combat aircraft ever constructed, the F-15 has a cruise speed over Mach 2.5 and a nearly 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio, which allows it to climb and accelerate without rival. First entering service in 1976, the Eagle is still a gold standard of air-to-air combat today, having registered over 100 verified kills and no losses in air-to-air combat. Equipped with a 20 mm Vulcan gun and an extensive variety of missiles, the F-15 subsequently developed into the F-15E Strike Eagle for precision ground attack.
7. Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound
The MiG-31 was designed to pursue supersonic bombers and cruise missiles, and its double engines produced Mach 2.83. Equipped with sophisticated radars, it could sweep huge expanses of airspace and coordinate intercepts along a front virtually 900 km wide. Equipped with a 23 mm gun and long-range missiles, the Foxhound is still operational decades after it was first introduced, a testament to its timeless design.
6. XB-70 Valkyrie
The Valkyrie was as much a representative as it was an aircraft. A 240,000 kg six-engine giant, it could fly at Mach 3 with its skin glowing to more than 300°C. Meant to outrun both interceptors and nuclear shockwaves, it was the absolute Cold War bomber concept. Just two were constructed, but their bold lines and stunning speed rendered them legends of experimental flight.
5. Bell X-2 Starbuster
The Starbuster was built solely for research, probing flight above Mach 2. Sleek and streamlined, it hit Mach 3.196 in 1956, taking pilots into unexplored regions. But the project came to a crashing halt when test pilot Milburn G. Apt lost control following a tight turn and was killed. Despite this, the X-2 yielded information that would help develop the next generation of speedy flyers.
4. Mikoyan MiG-25 Foxbat
Few planes have generated as much wonder as the MiG-25. Designed to chase American spy planes at high altitude, it howled through the air at Mach 3.2, with four missiles in its arsenal. It was manufactured in massive quantities—more than 1,100—and although it never shot down an SR-71, it was a respected foe in wars such as the Iran-Iraq War. Even today, decades later, its raw speed is still breathtaking.
3. Lockheed YF-12
The YF-12 was the direct precursor to the Blackbird and had a top speed of Mach 3.35. Constructed as an interceptor prototype, it carried missiles and achieved several speed and altitude records in the 1960s. Only three were constructed, but their design and specifications directly led to one of the greatest aircraft ever constructed—the SR-71.
2. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
No roll of high-speed aircraft would be complete without the SR-71. With a top speed of more than Mach 3.3, this spy plane was the emblem of American innovation and Cold War might. So high and fast that no interceptor and no missile ever were able to catch it, the Blackbird was unbeatable during its service life. Its titanium skin would heat up and expand to the point where it would leak fuel when the aircraft touched down—a peculiarity that only heightened its aura.
1. North American X-15
The X-15 still reigns supreme. Experimental and rocket-powered, it flew at Mach 6.7 into the fringes of space in 1967, under the command of William J. “Pete” Knight. Launched from a B-52 before firing up its engines, the X-15 employed rocket thrusters for control where air was too thin to support conventional control surfaces. It flew higher than 100 km altitude, making it not only the fastest flying machine ever, but the first genuine spaceplane.
These ten planes are more than mere speed—they’re benchmarks of human ambition, each expanding what was thought possible. They serve as a reminder that in war flying, being faster isn’t simply about record-breaking—it can be a matter of survival, dominance, and history.