Top 10: stealth combat aircraft

For combat aircraft, this means avoiding detection by radar (as well as other sensors). Thanks to careful shaping and use of materials, stealthy aircraft are hard to detect on radar, giving them a vital edge. Stealth aircraft ideally also minimise the chance of detection by infra-red sensors by controlling their ‘heat signature’, and the careful management of their own tell-tale emissions of electromagnetic energy through radios and sensors.

Though difficult to maintain, expensive and causing other compromises, stealth can offer a decisive edge. Here are ten of the world’s best stealth combat aircraft: