Highest-flying fighters

57 of the 65 fighters in the WeaponSpecs database publish a service ceiling figure, and the top 25 are listed here. Ranked on the published number alone, highest first, with no weighting and no composite score. The 8 fighters with no published figure are not ranked, absent data is never treated as a low value.

13 of the 25 entries below (Russia, China) rest on manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, marked † in the table. Treat their position in this ranking as directional, not tested.

Highest-flying fighters, ranked by published service ceiling
#	System	Service ceiling	Source
1	MiG-31 † Mikoyan (MiG)	20,600 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
2	J-8II † Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC)	20,200 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
3	Su-57 † Sukhoi	20,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01
4	F-15C Eagle Boeing	20,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
5	J-20 † AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)	20,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01
6	Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	20,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
7	AMCA Hindustan Aeronautics Limited	20,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-24
8	F-22A Raptor Lockheed Martin	19,812 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01
9	Eurofighter Typhoon Eurofighter GmbH	19,812 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01
10	F-15EX Eagle II Boeing	19,200 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01
11	Su-27 † Sukhoi	18,500 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
12	F-4E Phantom II Boeing	18,300 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
13	F-15E Strike Eagle Boeing	18,200 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
14	MiG-29 † Mikoyan (MiG)	18,013 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
15	Su-35S † Sukhoi	18,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-01
16	J-10C † Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG)	18,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
17	Mitsubishi F-2 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	18,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
18	J-15 † Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC)	18,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
19	J-11B † Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC)	18,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
20	Kfir Israel Aerospace Industries	17,680 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
21	MiG-35 † Mikoyan (MiG)	17,500 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
22	Su-30SM † Sukhoi	17,500 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
23	Mirage 2000-5 Dassault Aviation	17,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
24	J-16 † Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC)	17,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
25	Tejas Mk2 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited	17,000 m	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02

Compiled from public manufacturer, defense-ministry and reference sources. Published defense figures are approximations and are often stated under different conditions, so treat this ordering as directional rather than a tested result. A board is only generated where at least 5 systems in the class publish the figure. How we compile specs →

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