The 1980s was the last decade of real air-to-air combat. It was probably the last great decade for combat aircraft-in which tiny details of radar design, missile technology and human factors in design contributed to an aircraft that was astonishingly effective and vastly easier to fly than most of the aircraft that it was replacing. Radar generations of the era had been far too primitive to detect low flying aircraft-as of 1985 the systems made the skies more dangerous than ever for the enemy.

This new era of military aviation was all about technology as well. Aircraft designers tried everything from carrier-based vertical takeoff jets to highly maneuverable, land-based dog fighters to find the right set of tools for the job. The result was an unprecedentedly diverse line-up of fighters that could-and did-bring all sorts of combination of speed, maneuverability, sensors, weapons and operational flexibility to the fight.On top of all that, 1985 was the dawn of a new era in air combat.

Analog systems were either being replaced or supplemented by digital computers, more sophisticated radar and electronic jamming and navigation systems, helmet-mounted sights, and superior weapons. Airspeed had ceased to be the only, much less the decisive, determinant of the superiority of one fighter over another.The pilot’s vantage point of his enemy, data sharing, passive sensors, and ability to locate and take out his opponent before a traditional dogfight had become equally, if not more, important.Check out the ten most advanced combat aircraft of 1985.

1. BAe Sea Harrier FRS. Mk 1

Sea Harrier (Mk 1) was one of the weirdest combat aircraft in service in 1985. It was slow, had a poor missile loadout and was out-ranged by contemporary air-superiority fighters. Sea Harrier survived the battle, however, to become one of the most successful fighters ever to serve in the Navy. In the 1982 Falklands war Sea Harrier shot down 20 Argentine planes without loss, proving that a combination of good training, good tactics and good technology could always beat a whole load of performance.

Key Strengths of the Sea Harrier:

• Strong thrust-to-weight ratio and agility
• Small visual profile during engagements
• Highly trained Royal Navy pilots
• Advanced AIM-9L Sidewinder missile capability
• Short takeoff and vertical landing capability

There were plenty of reasons for that success. The aircraft had a very good thrust/weight ratio, a small visual footprint and good low speed handling qualities. The pilots flying the aircraft were well trained and the American-built AIM-9L Sidewinder missile granted the fighter an enormous advantage over the Argentinian aircraft as it was able to engage the enemy aircraft from angles that earlier models of Sidewinder could never hope to achieve.

The Sea Harrier was another key development for naval aviation as it combined STOVL with a true fighter aircraft. Also based on the Harrier family, the Sea Harrier used vectored thrust to achieve exceptional manoeuvrability. Adapted for deployment from the smaller Royal Navy fleet carrier decks, it was capable of operating from locations where larger fleet fighters could not and entered service as the FRS1 in 1980, upgraded to a new FA2 standard, with just India as a further customer.

2. Dassault Mirage F1

Fighters had been a thriving Dassault business during the post-Second World War years, and the company’s Mirage family was perhaps the best known of all the type lines. All proved a sound commercial proposition since they were a way out of purchasing combat aircraft from either the United States or the Soviets. The original Mirage III adopted a conventional delta wing design however the Mirage F1 adopted a swept-wing design which changed its flight performance.

Key Features That Defined The Mirage F1:

• Conventional swept-wing aerodynamic configuration
• Reduced drag and overall aircraft weight
• Shorter runway requirements for takeoff
• SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine
• Cyrano IV all-weather interception radar

The new wing reduced drag and weight while lowering take-off roll distance for the aircraft, transforming the Mirage F1 from a dedicated interceptor to a multirole fighter aircraft. It was powered by a single SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet, with dry power of about 7 t-of-force of thrust, and could be armed with a variety of French and American weaponry. The F1 entered service with the French Air Force as an all-weather interceptor, with some aircraft fitted with Thomson-CSF’s Cyrano IV monopulse radar.

But the most fantastic combat record of the Mirage F1 was with the foreign operators. During the Iran-Iraq War the Iraqi Mirage F1s had air-to-air successes as well as 35 Iranian aircraft claimed to have been shot down in combat with Mirage F1s. They also shot down a F-14 Tomcat for the first time in history of fighters.In the South African service Mirage F1s were equipped with an advanced helmet-cueing system and Kukri short-range missiles.About 726 aircraft of all variants and trainers were built from 1966 to 1992.

3. Saab JA37 Viggen

Cold war neutrality made for aircraft that could not only fly in harsh environments but could also survive them. Rather than using extensive large airfields in support of their fighters, the Swedish designed Saab 37 Viggen to operate from widely dispersed operating sites, including paved or unpaved road shoulders. Such an aircraft had to be one of the most capable in Europe.

Key Technologies Behind The JA37 Viggen:

• Dispersed operations from highway airstrips
• Advanced integrated avionics and weapons
• Secure encrypted tactical datalink system
• Powerful 30mm Oerlikon cannon
• Sky Flash medium-range missile capability

The JA37 was purpose built for its air intercept mission, following earlier versions of the Viggen being designed around strike and other roles. The JA37 was less agile than many newer international competitors, but the aircraft was equipped with one of the most sophisticated systems of avionics, armament and electronic warfare equipment. Swedish pilots had the ability to exchange encrypted tactical data between aircraft and ground stations using a secure datalink, providing a hugely comprehensive picture of the air situation.

In addition to the vicious 30mm Oerlikon cannon and Sky Flash medium-range missiles. The aircraft had a canard-delta shape and incorporated an on board digital computer to ease the work of the manual pilot at the stick. The first prototype Viggen was rolled out in 1967, and it was on strength with the Swedish air-force by 1971 the JA37 model would come in the late 1970s as a weather resistant interceptor that served with the Swedish air-force until the Viggen was phased out and replaced by the Saab JAS 39 Gripen.

4. Dassault-Breguet Mirage 2000C

Of course Conquest1.com 2000-The Mirage (2K) 2000C was a step forward with the Dassault delta wing clan of aircraft emerging from their long history of delta wing type fighters. My pilots considered it as an agile, nimble, well balanced, easy-to-fly aircraft. The fly-by-wire flight-control computer was intended to translate pilot control inputs into control surface movements that softened the handling qualities of a pure delta wing.

Key Advantages Of The Mirage 2000C:

• Responsive fly-by-wire flight-control system
• Excellent instantaneous turn performance
• Effective high-speed interceptor characteristics
• Thomson-CSF RDM look-down radar capability
• Matra Super 530F radar-guided missile

This stack-up gave the Mirage 2000C both high agility and the high speed of an interceptor. Its true strength was in good instantaneous turn rate; once the pilot identified an attacking missile or enemy aircraft, the aircraft could execute a sharp turn and get on the attacker’s tail. The high responsiveness of the aircraft allowed the pilot to readily turn either right or left in a dogfight.

Designed for low-level attack, it was not a clear requirement but by 1985, its Thomson-CSF RDM radar gave the Mirage 2000C basic look-down/shoot-down capability. The close-combat arm comprised the Matra Super 530F semi-active radar missile as the main weapon. The first production true Mirage 2000C was completed in 1982, entering service soon afterwards and becoming the mainstay of French air power until the introduction of later variants which expanded its multirole capability.

5. General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon

Other factors were quite key in regard to the fighter’s name, those being that General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon was designed differently from big and heavy aircraft like the F-15. Small, light and highly powered, easily maintained close air combat dog-fighting was not a problem for this craft. Lacking any real gun direction, the pilots gain a good range of view thanks to the frameless bubble cockpit windscreen.

Key Design Features Of The F-16:

• Compact lightweight fourth-generation fighter design
• Frameless bubble canopy for excellent visibility
• Relaxed static stability for greater agility
• Fly-by-wire flight-control system
• Side-stick control and reclined ejection seat

In keeping with the design brief, the aircraft’s static stability was relaxed and the aircraft features fly-by-wire controls to maintain this. Its physical burden on the pilot was also reduced. Other features such as its side-stick controller and its reclined ejection seat also contributed towards better control and survivability in high-G manoeuvres, and was part of what made the F-16 one of the iconic lightweight fighters of the fourth generation.

The Israeli Air Force proved an excellent first operational environment for the F-16. Israeli F-16s were credited with destroying 44 aircraft during the 1982 Lebanon War without losing a single one in air-to-air combat. Eight Israeli F-16s had flown in the 1981 attack on the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq. By 1985, the Block 25s were delivering a Sparrow missile capability to the F-16s while the software and its supporting systems were still being refined.

6. Mikoyan MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’

New tactical aircraft for the USSR In the 1980s the Russians supplied the USSR with two all-new major tactical fighters. They were the Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter and the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. The more important of the two was the MiG-29, which was a twin-engined, twin-canted vertical tail, twin-engine, rugged, twin-engined aircraft intended to operate from semi-prepared fields. A new feature of the MiG-29 was the addition of auxiliary intakes above each wing root, which, like the main intakes, had doors to block runway dirt from the engines.

Key Combat Features Of The MiG-29:

• Strong aerodynamic performance in close combat
• Infrared search and track capability
• Laser range finder for passive targeting
• R-27 medium-range missile capability
• R-73 missile with helmet-mounted targeting

The MiG-29 was able to take full advantage of its outstanding aerodynamic properties with its sensor systems. In close to being an advantage, the range of advantage sensor, the infrared search and track system was used along with a laser-ranged finder to allow pilots to locate and engage an aircraft without using their radars. This cloaking-like feature could be particularly challenging to locate for an attacking aircraft, especially if coupled with a ground-controlled interception.

However, in 1985 its armament made the MiG-29 particularly deadly. R-27 medium-range missiles offered advantages against the other aircraft at any range, while the R-73 short-range missile and helmet-mounted target system gave the MiG the advantage in dogfights firing the missile whenever the pilot merely looked at the target, offering an off-bore kill opportunity that Western fighters would not have for another two decades. The weaknesses: short range, smoky engines, and an antiquated cockpit and human-machine interface.

7. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet

Attains all the light weight fighter performance to the most exacting of amphib world missions. The F/A-18 is a versatile Multirole Fighter and Attack aircraft, and features elegant handling qualities in high angle-of-attack flight, powerful excellent fighter traits, including an instant turn capability, and the capacity to remain under control at high angle-of-attack and at a high nose-up attitude.

Key Strengths Of The F/A-18A Hornet:

• Strong maneuverability at high angles
• User-friendly cockpit and avionics systems
• Reduced workload through advanced controls
• Multimode radar for varied missions
• AIM-7 Sparrow beyond-visual-range capability

In 1985, the Hornet rated among the easiest Western combat aircraft to fly. Cockpit, avionics, and flight-control system simplicity was a big factor in reducing pilot workload, while a sophisticated multimode radar provided the ability to perform a wide range of missions. As delivered, the aircraft was equipped with a mature AIM-7 Sparrow, a handy over-the-horizon missile for naval aviators.

Such significant weaknesses would become apparent as the Hornet was tested against the more capable large air-superiority fighters. Its combat radius was unimpressive, and it was no match for larger aircraft like the F-15 or Su-27 at the very high speed/altitude regimes in which they specialized. However, its ability to carry out a multitude of roles with a single aircraft meant that it was ultimately the most versatile aircraft in the carrier air wing. The Hornet entered service in 1983, replacing the aging A-7 Corsair II and F-4 Phantom II.

8. Grumman F-14A Tomcat

The Grumman F-14A Tomcat was conceived and built mainly for the USN fleet-defence role. Size, twin-engines, variable-sweep wings and an incredible, long-range radar the Tomcat’s Mach 2+ platform had the firepower to extend its defensive tentacles against many of its potential adversaries. The missile of choice for the Tomcat was the AIM-54 Phoenix, which could take out aircraft out to an effective maximum of almost 100 miles.

Key Capabilities Of The F-14A Tomcat:

• Powerful long-range fleet-defense radar
• Variable-sweep wings for mission flexibility
• AIM-54 Phoenix long-range missile system
• AIM-7 and AIM-9 short-range options
• Internal M61 cannon for close combat

It could also hit targets at close range. This would include AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and an internal M61 rotary cannon. A mix of armaments meant that crews would be able to attack enemies over a wide range of distances. The Tomcat provided the Navy with an aggressive tool to lead the way in directing air-defence encounters.

The F-14A Tomcat Another problem with the F-14A was the jet engines, the Pratt & Whitney TF30 which suffered from compressor stalls and did not have the power a fighter of this size should have had. The Tomcat also lacked a little bit of maneuverability in close combat when compared to the plane designed for this task, the F-15 or Su-27. In spite of this, however, the Iranian F-14s had proved to be pretty effective during the Iran-Iraq War, Iran claiming to have destroyed 160 Iraqi aircraft during the war.

9. Sukhoi Su-27

After years of development, the Su-27 entered Soviet service in 1985. It was immediately identified as one of the most capable air-superiority aircraft of its era. Its large airframe was paired with excellent aerodynamics and enormous fuel, missile, and gun loads, along with ultra-high-performance engines; the aircraft exhibited impressive low-speed maneuvering capability, and was destined to be a defining characteristic of the Flanker family.

Key Features Of The Su-27:

• Excellent low-speed maneuverability in combat
• Large fuel capacity for extended missions
• Six R-27 medium-range missile capability
• R-73 short-range missile and cannon
• Passive infrared tracking and range finding

The Su-27 was equipped with six R-27 medium range missiles and two R-73 short range missiles, and it also had a 30mm internal cannon. The fighter was equipped with an on-board infrared search and track (IRST) system and laser range finder, enabling the Soviet pilots to passively monitor the movements of other aircraft, and the fighter might have kept track of the enemy while not emitting active radar signals.

The aircraft had a great range, and was designed to perform both the long-range air-defence role as well as missions against other aircraft, but its size and enormous fuel tanks were its primary assets. It would have taken a heavy combat payload to influence the aircraft’s ability to manoeuvre. Since entering service in 1985, the Sukhoi Su-27 was not as combat-ready as some of the more mature Western options, but it had great potential and would go on to become a large family of formidably capable fighters.

10. McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle

McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle was the best air-superiority fighter of 1985. Evolved from the F-15A, the F-15C was larger, with additional internal fuel and other enhancements that contributed to higher operational range and combat endurance. The F-15C’s pair of thrust-vectoring engines drove it with an enormous thrust-to-weight ratio above 1.0 at its maximum combat weight, enabling it to accelerate rapidly and achieve superior climb.

Key Advantages Of The F-15C Eagle:

• Powerful engines with exceptional acceleration
• Long-range APG-63 radar detection capability
• Capacity for eight air-to-air missiles
• Internal M61 cannon with 940 rounds
• Improved processing and weapons support

Another major asset was the APG-63 radar which could detect targets at a long range but could also null out the effect of jamming by the EW systems. The F-15 could be equipped with up to 8 air-to-air missiles and an M61 cannon with 940 rounds in the internal gun system. The later versions of the Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles coupled with the additional processing power introduced by the Multistage Improvement Program upgrade would only make it even better By the year 1985, the F-15 had already built up a rather impressive record of combat. Israeli pilots had used it extensively in combat and had achieved multiple kills without losing a single air-to-air combat.

Add in its sensors and its high-end weapon systems and the speed, acceleration, combat radius and maneuverability of the F-15C made it the ultimate air-superiority package. It was not all too slow and lightly armed, but neither was it too fast or overly expensive. These fighters were phenomenal milestones for military air power and in this game, the planes from 1985 utilized its very good engines and aeronautics, air-to-air capability, onboard digital cryptography, effective radar, electronic countermeasures, and its weapons to its peers of the gods.