Tech & Auto
5 Fighter Jets That Can Compete With The Iconic F-16
By JOWI MORALES
Chengdu J-10
The Chinese Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon can fly up to Mach 1.85 and has a combat range of almost 300 nautical miles, making it ideal for defensive operations.
The J-10’s armament includes an internal 23mm twin-barreled cannon and up to 9,900 pounds of external ordinance mounted across 11 hardpoints.
Dassault Mirage
While it’s not longer in production, France’s impressive Dassault Mirage 2000 is a supersonic jet that can reach Mach 2.2 and has an 830-nautical-mile combat range.
The Dassault Mirage 2000 has nine hardpoints that can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. The jet can also be equipped with various explosives, like laser-guided bombs.
HAL Tejas
The Indian government replaced the MiG-21 with the HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, a jet capable of Mach 1.8 with a combat range of about 270 nautical miles.
The HAL Tejas features a single twin-barrel 23mm cannon and eight hardpoints for mounting different weapons, such as air-to-air, air-to-surface, and anti-ship missiles.