From the first turbojet powered fighters of the 40's, to the Mach 2 interceptors of the 50's and 60's, to now multirole stealth fighters powered by thrust vectoring turbofan engines, and armed with deadlier missiles than ever, fighter jets have come a long way.

Each new "generation" of fighters will bring new technologies and designs, focusing on different priorities as per the time. But what exactly defines these "generations"? And what are some of the core attributes of each? Today, we'll explain each generation of fighters in detail, and the factors that make a fighter belong to one generation over another.