How competitively capable are 4th and 5th generation fighter jets.

Let's first discuss the differences between fifth and fourth generation fighter aircraft before moving on to the topic.

5th Generation Fighter Aircraft

F -22 raptor 5th generation fighter jet 

• stealth with internal ammo storage.

• High manoeuvrability with a propensity towards short-field capabilities.

• Supercruise, also known as an extended supersonic cruise without reheat.

• advanced avionics, such as radar with low intercept probability (LPIR).

• Networked data fusion enables battlefield situational awareness.

• Multirole capabilities, like the C3 on the battlefield (command, control and communications).

4th Generation Fighter Aircraft

•  In the fourth generation, interception has been reduced to a supporting role with a renewed focus on close-range dogfighting and maneuverability.

• The Hawker Siddeley Harrier was the first aircraft to use thrust vectoring for vertical takeoff and landing, and pilots quickly perfected the art of "viffing," or vectoring in forward flight, to increase manoeuvrability. The Sukhoi Su-27, the first aircraft to officially demonstrate thrust vectoring in pitch, was the first fixed-wing type to demonstrate better manoeuvrability in this fashion.

• Because drag increases significantly in the transonic region and there is a limited amount of engine power available, it is necessary to minimise drag-creating equipment like external stores and their attachment points, preferably by using internal storage. By maintaining supersonic speed without using an afterburner, a ship's range and endurance are greatly increased.

Su 35 -  4.5 generation fighter jet

Now Lets Head Towards The Topic

Advantages of 5th gen fighter aircraft.

When the most potent air and ground threats are present, as well as those that are reasonably anticipated to be operational in the near future, a fifth generation aircraft is capable of operating successfully in highly contested combat environments.

An Event

A MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle from the United States Air Force was sent on a routine surveillance mission in international airspace in 2012. The Predator drone was operating around 16 miles from the Iranian border when it was stopped by two Iranian Air Force aeroplanes, which then started firing on the drone with their onboard cannons. Although even for such aircraft a slow-moving drone should have been a reasonably straightforward target, the implicated aircraft were Russian-made SU-25 Frogfoots, which are primarily deployed as ground assault aircraft and as such are not well suited to engage targets in the air.

Su 25 

The drone was once more encountered the next year by Iranian fighter aircraft. But this time the UAV was not alone; it was accompanied by an escort. 

A pair of Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantoms engaged the drone, which was once more flying close to the Iranian border. Though one of the oldest warplane designs still in use today, F-4s are designed to serve in an air-to-air capacity unlike the Su-25 and would have certainly posed a far greater threat to the drone.

Due to the event the previous year, two F-22 Raptors had escorted the drone on this particular occasion. One of the escorting Raptors made a move and flew up below one of the oncoming Phantoms as the two Iranian aircraft manoeuvred to intercept the drone. The F-22 pilot then approached the left wing of one of the enemy aircraft and called them, telling the Iranian pilots that they "really ought to go home," after taking a brief look up at the weapons carried by the two F-4s.

F 4 Phantom

The incident highlights the Raptor's amazing stealth capabilities, as it was able to approach the two Iranian fighters covertly, check out their armaments, and then scare them away.

Therefore, this occurrence has made it abundantly evident that fifth-generation fighters are well-developed to evade detection by both radar and heat sensors.

But how effective are they in close combats

Although missile approach systems are included in fifth generation fighters to give the pilot a heads-up to execute evasive manoeuvres. Additionally, the aircraft's construction and engines are built to have a lower infrared signature. Still, notably for fifth generation fighter aircraft, infrared guided missiles outperform radar guided missiles in terms of performance.

In a close-quarters dogfight with a sukhoi 27, 30, or 35, fifth-generation fighters are more successful when they are far away from the opposing aircraft. Due sukhoi's high maneuverability.

4th generation fighter jet event.

F 15 

In actual air to air combat, the F-15 has a claimed combat record of 101 victories and 0 losses. And its a 4th gen fighter jet but that's sure 5th generation fighter were not so send to combats.

Conclusion

According to the analysis, there would be a 1:1 chance of victory in an aerial battle between 5th and 4th generation fighter jets equipped with the same weapons because when the 5th generation fighter jets detect and fires a missile on  the 4th generation fighter jet, the pilot will be aware of the approaching missile so they will perform high maneuverability and will escape the missile when the 4th generation fighter jet gets its air to air missile lock on the 5th generation fighter jet, the jet could escape with the advantages of low heat signature and flares. 

Note: This is only a light analysis, and the outcome may differ from analyses conducted in the future. Consequently, not to be taken seriously.