How high can military aircraft fly?

The altitude a military aircraft can fly depends partly on the type of aircraft and whether it is "in flight" or not.

SR-71 Blackbird aircraft. Photo: Simple Flying — SR-71 "Blackbird" aircraft. Photo: *Simple Flying*

By some measures, the SR-71 “Blackbird” is the world’s fastest manned aircraft and also holds the record for highest flight. But both the X-15 and the MiG E-266M compete for that title. All three military records were set during the Cold War arms race of the 1960s and 1970s and have never been broken since, according to Simple Flying . It seems that flying higher is not the primary focus of military aviation.

According to PhysLink.com, most US military aircraft can exceed 50,000 feet if they really try, but their exact limits are mostly classified. Many wide-body commercial jets have an operating limit of 45,000 feet (though they can fly higher). When planes fly high in the atmosphere, they need to be pressurized (like commercial jets) or pilots need to wear pressurized suits.

As you go higher in the Earth's atmosphere, oxygen becomes thinner until there isn't enough oxygen in the air to keep burning jet fuel. Commercial jets typically cruise at altitudes of 30,000 to 45,000 feet (mostly a maximum of 40,000 feet). According to the US Air Force, the famous U2 spy plane typically flies higher than 75,000 feet, while PhyLink.com says the U2 can cruise at altitudes as high as 90,000 feet. Stealth bombers cruise at 50,000 feet. The Russian MiG-31 has the highest altitude limit of any fighter jet in service today (at 85,000 feet).

The three military aircraft that are believed to have flown at the highest altitude are the American X-15, the Soviet MiG-25 E-266M, and the American SR-71 Blackbird. All three aircraft broke world records in their respective categories. While the MiG-25 E-266M and SR-71 records still stand today, the civilian SpaceShipOne aircraft surpassed the X-15's world record in 2004.

X-15

The X-15 was an experimental rocket ship built by the United States Air Force in partnership with NASA to explore the edge of space. It was the world's first manned hypersonic aircraft and the first aircraft to reach speeds of Mach 4, 5, and 6 (4,939, 6,174, and 7,409 km/h). It also holds the world record for fastest manned flight (Mach 6.7 or 8,273 km/h), set in 1967. The X-15 also set the record for highest manned military flight, reaching 107.8 km in 1963 with pilot Joseph Walker. But some argue that the X-15 was not really an aircraft. Instead, it was a rocket with its own oxygen supply.

MiG-25 (E-266M)

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the absolute altitude record belongs to Soviet pilot Alexandr Fedotov, set on August 31, 1977 when he flew a MiG E-266M to an altitude of 37,650 m. This is the absolute altitude record for aircraft taking off from the ground and has never been broken. Fedotov died on April 4, 1984 while test piloting a MiG-31.

SR-71 "Blackbird"

According to PhysLink.com, the world speed and altitude records for a ramjet-powered aircraft are 82,000 feet (25,949 m), set in 1976 by the Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird." The SR-71 was designed to cruise at Mach 3.2 (2,451 mph) and break the speed record for horizontal flight at constant altitude (2,250 mph). The SR-71 can fly at higher speeds and altitudes, but these limits are classified. NASA says the SR-71 is the fastest and highest aircraft ever built.

An Khang (According to Simple Flying )

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