It is said that fighter planes are the war winners of the twenty-first century. They had displayed their power in the two World Wars. The world had then woken up to the power of the nation who has superiority in the air. Bombing by air resulted in far more military casualties than any other mode of warfare. The aircraft was the vehicle of modern wars. This was finally a deviation from the era of supremacy by sea, where the British held pride of place as the foremost nation of the world. Finally, a new era had begun.

However, in the world of today, war is growing increasingly unpopular. With the rise of the media, greater stress is being put on talks between the sparring nations. However, one never knows how the tide of international relations might turn. No nation wants to be unprepared for possible war. The result has to be armament. There was a time when the arms race was being pursued with great fervor. That fervor has now been replaced by practicality. Every country wants to be ready to meet the contingency of war. Hence, defense deals are full and plenty.

Defense deals can be very profitable for the military equipment producers. Great demand is exercised by various nations for aircraft of a certain makes. For instance, the MiG-21 Fishbed is the aircraft of preference in countries as far apart and as different as Cuba and Sri Lanka and Madagascar and the People's Republic of China.

It makes sense to invest in aircraft that will fulfill a number of functions. During wars, things do not always go as planned. One must also be ready with a second game plan. One must be prepared with something to fall back on in case of an unexpected problem. As a result, most countries are keener to invest in aircraft that are multi-functional. It is more sensible to invest in a French Mirage III/5 which efficiently performs the functions of ground attack, fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft.

These were just one of the many military aircraft that are being demanded by the armed forces of various countries. The arms race may not be carrying on in quite the same manner as fifty years ago. However, the danger of war continues to loom large over all the nations of the world. A small spark somewhere in the world could result in an explosion. No country wants to be caught unawares if that happens.