What was the name of the first jet fighter to enter service?

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the first jet fighter to enter operational service.

Designed in Germany before World War II, the Me 262 used two Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines and featured swept-back wings. Its first flight with jet engines took place on 18 July 1942, but engine reliability, production problems, and interference from Germany’s leadership delayed its combat introduction until 1944.

The aircraft was dramatically faster than piston-engined fighters and carried four 30-millimetre MK 108 cannons. It served mainly as a fighter, but versions were also used for bombing, reconnaissance, and night fighting. Its engines were fragile and had a short service life because wartime shortages forced the use of materials that could not withstand sustained high temperatures.

A common mix-up is the Gloster Meteor, Britain’s first jet fighter. The Meteor entered British squadron service soon afterward and was the only Allied jet to see combat in World War II. The Me 262 nevertheless remains recognized as the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter.