Is it accurate to say the U.S. is already developing 7th generation fighters while Russia and China have yet to fully deploy 5th generation jets?

Is it accurate to say the U.S. is already developing 7th generation fighters while Russia and China have yet to fully deploy 5th generation jets?

Russia is essentially out of the game—they simply can’t afford to develop stealth fighters at scale. China, on the other hand, is quietly pushing ahead. Without much fanfare, they've already surpassed Russia in stealth aircraft development.

Meanwhile, the U.S. isn't necessarily building a 6th or 7th generation fighter in the traditional sense. Instead, it's rethinking what a "next-generation" fighter even means—whether a 6th generation will exist as a distinct platform or just be a continuation of evolving technologies integrated into existing airframes like the F-35 or even legacy jets like the F-15 and F-16.

Europe is developing what it calls 6th generation fighters, but these are arguably more like heavily upgraded F-35s—more advanced in terms of AI, sensor fusion, and connectivity, but not fundamentally different in platform concept.

Countries like Turkey and South Korea are starting with semi-stealth fighters as stepping stones toward full 5th generation capabilities. Turkey gained some know-how through its former participation in the F-35 program, and South Korea is partnering with Indonesia and getting help from the U.S. on its KF-21 project.

So why is the global fighter jet development landscape unfolding this way?

It comes down to economics.
Russia simply doesn’t have the financial capacity to support a true stealth fighter program. China does. Europe can, but only by pooling resources across multiple nations. Turkey and South Korea are emerging players, developing incrementally and strategically.

What we’ve learned is that the smallest economy capable of sustaining an independent, full-scale stealth fighter program right now is China.