The Speed of a Jet
Modern fighter jets are incredibly fast machines capable of reaching speeds well over the speed of sound. The current record holder for the fastest jet aircraft is the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, which could reach astonishing speeds of over Mach 3, or three times the speed of sound. At top speed, the SR-71 could travel over 2,000 miles per hour.
Other extremely fast jets include the MiG-25 Foxbat, which can fly at Mach 3, and the MiG-31 Foxhound, which has a top speed of Mach 2.83. The F-15 Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet can both exceed Mach 2. The fastest commercial airliner, Concorde, could reach Mach 2.04, over 1,300 miles per hour.
So in general, modern fighter jets and some other very fast aircraft can travel between 1,000 – 3,500 miles per hour at their top speeds. This is incredibly fast by human standards, but how does it compare to the speed of a bullet?
The Speed of a Bullet
Bullets fired from handguns and rifles can travel at speeds ranging from 700 miles per hour to over 4,000 miles per hour, depending on the size, shape, and propellant load of the bullet in question. Here are some examples of different bullet speeds:
– .22 LR bullet – 1,100 mph
– 9mm handgun bullet – 1,100 – 1,300 mph
– 5.56x45mm rifle bullet – 3,100 mph
– .300 Winchester Magnum rifle bullet – 3,000 – 3,400 mph
– .50 BMG rifle bullet – 2,700 mph
In general, larger and more powerful bullets designed for rifles can achieve higher speeds than smaller handgun bullets. The fastest rifle bullets can exceed 4,000 miles per hour as they leave the barrel.
Handgun bullets generally travel between 700 – 1,500 miles per hour. The very fastest handgun bullets approach 2,000 miles per hour. So handgun bullets travel at roughly the same speed as the slower end of rifle bullets.
Comparing Bullet and Jet Speeds
When looking at maximum speeds, fighter jets are generally capable of flying faster than handgun bullets, but slower than the very fastest rifle bullets.
For example, an F-15 Eagle maxes out around Mach 2.5, or approximately 1,900 miles per hour. This is faster than most handgun bullets, but slower than high-velocity rifle bullets traveling over 3,000 miles per hour.
The SR-71 Blackbird, however, can handily outpace even the fastest magnum rifle bullets, with its top speed of over 2,200 miles per hour.
Here’s a comparison of maximum speeds:
| .22 LR bullet | 1,100 mph |
| 9mm handgun bullet | 1,200 mph |
| .50 BMG rifle bullet | 2,700 mph |
| F-15 Eagle jet | 1,900 mph |
| SR-71 Blackbird jet | 2,200 mph |
So while the SR-71 Blackbird can outrun any bullet, an F-15 Eagle or other slower jet would likely be outsped by fast rifle bullets, although they could still potentially outrun handgun bullets.
Of course, the comparison is not perfectly direct, since jets and bullets achieve these speeds in very different scenarios. Bullets only travel at max velocity for a second after leaving the barrel, while jets can sustain supersonic speeds for extended periods. But in a direct side-by-side matchup, the fastest rifles could potentially outpace an F-15 or F/A-18 jet.
Could a Jet Dodge or Outmaneuver a Bullet?
Even if a jet cannot necessarily outrun a bullet at its top speed, could it dodge or outmaneuver a bullet with rapid changes in direction?
Jets are capable of very advanced aerial maneuvers at high speeds. However, bullets fired from rifles have massive velocity advantages at close ranges. For example, consider an engagement range of 500 yards. At this distance, a jet traveling at 700 miles per hour would require 0.35 seconds to traverse the distance. But a rifle bullet traveling at 2,500 miles per hour would cover the same 500 yards in a mere 0.09 seconds.
This demonstrates that in close combat scenarios, jets are unlikely to be able to dodge incoming bullets due to the bullets’ overwhelming speed advantage. A jet pilot might not even realize he or she was being fired upon before the bullets struck home.
At very long ranges, a jet may have a better chance of employing evasive maneuvers or countermeasures to avoid being hit by slower moving bullets at distance. But at close to medium range, a jet aircraft simply could not outmaneuver or dodge rifle bullets traveling at over 2,000 miles per hour.
Advantages of a Jet
While a jet may not be able to outrun or dodge a bullet in close quarters, it does have some advantages:
Speed
While the SR-71 Blackbird can outpace any bullet, even slower jets are still extremely fast machines. An F-15 Eagle is capable of outracing most handgun bullets, which could make hitting a jet with a handgun very difficult.
Maneuverability
A jet can’t dodge a bullet at close range, but it is highly maneuverable and could potentially evade fire from longer ranges by employing defensive flying techniques.
Armament
Jets are armed with powerful onboard cannons and missiles, allowing them to destroy ground targets from long standoff distances. This gives jets the initiative in most combat scenarios.
Sensors
A jet’s advanced sensors and radar could allow it to detect an attacker on the ground and engage them before being fired upon. State-of-the-art electronics give jets excellent situational awareness.
Hard to Hit
Jets are small, fast-moving targets that are not easy to accurately hit with a rifle over long ranges. Their speed and maneuverability force gunners to “lead” the target.
Advantages of a Bullet
Bullets have some advantages of their own in a matchup against military jets:
Speed
Rifle bullets are extremely fast, which makes hitting a jet very possible at close to medium ranges. The bullet’s speed advantage only increases as range decreases.
Accuracy
Modern rifles are very accurate, especially at the close ranges where they can leverage their massive velocity advantage against a jet.
Simplicity
A bullet simply travels an extremely fast, straight line to the target. In terms of ballistic performance, you can’t get much more simple and reliable than a traditional rifle bullet.
Kinetic Energy
The extreme speeds of large-caliber rifle bullets give them tremendous kinetic energy at impact. A bullet carrying thousands of foot-pounds of energy can certainly cause major damage.
Key Factors in Jet vs. Bullet Matchup
There are several key factors that would determine the outcome if a jet aircraft and a sniper with a rifle squared off:
Engagement Range
At very long ranges (over 1 mile), the jet’s speed, maneuverability and sensors likely give it the advantage. But within 1,000 yards, rifle bullets are hard to outrun or dodge. The closer the range, the more advantageous for the bullet.
Speed of Aircraft
The SR-71 Blackbird can outrun any bullet, but an F-15 or other slower jet may have trouble outpacing the fastest magnum rifles. Slower planes are more vulnerable to being overtaken by bullets at close range.
Caliber of Rifle
Smaller caliber sniper rifles have less chance of hitting a fast-moving jet than high velocity .50 BMG rifles firing massive bullets at over 3,000 feet per second.
Skill of Pilot and Shooter
An expert jet pilot and an expert marksman could employ tactics allowing them to best leverage their weapon’s advantages. Skill level is a major factor.
Could an Jet Outrun or Evade a Surface to Air Missile (SAM)?
Another interesting question is how fighter jets compare against surface to air missiles (SAMs) fired from the ground. In this case, the SAM generally has the speed advantage:
SA-2 Guideline Missile
The SA-2 SAM used by many countries around the world has a top speed of Mach 3.5, or 2,700 miles per hour. It can engage targets at altitudes up to 60,000 feet.
S-300/S-400 Missiles
The advanced S-300 and S-400 missiles deployed by Russia can travel at speeds of up to Mach 12, around 9,000 miles per hour. Their range is up to 250 miles.
FIM-92 Stinger Man-Portable SAM
The US Stinger missile is more limited, with a top speed of Mach 2.2 and range of 5 miles, but it is deadly against low flying aircraft.
Against these supersonic SAM threats, most fighter jets cannot rely on outrunning the missiles in the same way they could potentially outrun bullets. Instead, they use countermeasure like chaff and flares, and maneuvers like zig-zagging to defeat missile guidance systems.
But the SAMs have a significant speed advantage – the SA-2 can run down early jets like the F-4 Phantom, while modern missiles like the S-400 are nearly impossible to outrun and can only be defeated with countermeasures. This demonstrates that SAMs are a much greater threat than small arms bullets to fast jets.
Conclusion
In summary, rifle bullets do have a speed advantage against fighter jets at close range, before air resistance slows them down. The very fastest jet, the SR-71 Blackbird, can handily outrun any bullet. But slower jets may have trouble outrunning the fastest high velocity rifle bullets when engaging at short distances.
However, jets have advantages in maneuverability, armament, sensors and training that allow them to effectively control combat scenarios in most situations. At longer ranges, it becomes very difficult for even expert marksmen to hit fast, evasive jets with rifle fire.
Against surface to air missiles like the SA-2 and S-400, jets are much more evenly matched and have to rely on countermeasures rather than speed and maneuverability alone to survive. But properly employed, fighter jets still remain extremely effective weapons, even in the face of small arms fire or missile attacks. Their speed, when combined with good tactics, makes them very formidable and difficult targets to strike, even for bullets traveling at several times the speed of sound.