Category:Light Fighter

The Light Fighter was introduced in update 1.1, with the addition of the MiG-21 Fishbed. Later, in update 1.1.2, the F-5E Tiger II was added to oppose it. This aircraft class is the only class not included at the start of the game, and must be unlocked by achieving a low enough time in the race modes under Training.

Light fighters are the most fragile and oldest aircraft in the game, and lacking any specialized weapons such as the semi-active missile or air-to-ground missile. They can carry anti-radar missiles and bombs, but do not come with any by default. This has two implications when it comes to using these planes against FOBs: you must purchase the Bomber Loadout upgrade to even have bombs which deal reduced damage compared to the Close Air Support (CAS) and Multirole Fighter classes, and you must also purchase the 1000lb Bombs upgrade to deal comparable bomb damage to a multirole. However, they do have excellent guns, only falling behind the Su-25 in this regard, making them capable at attacking enemy Creeps. And the light fighters, in their own way, are quite superior platforms for those guns, even if they have much less health. As a result, many players who appreciate gun-centric gameplay include a light fighter in their decks.

The MiG-21 and F-5E do play differently from each other. The former is the fastest aircraft in the game with excellent acceleration but mediocre turning and poor radar, while the latter is the slowest non-CAS aircraft in the game with poor afterburner duration, decent radar, and the best turning power currently in the game.