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A key design goal of light/lightweight fighter design is to satisfy standard air-to-air fighter effectiveness requirements at minimum cost. These criteria, in order of importance, are the ability to benefit from the element of surprise, to have numerical superiority in the air, to have superior maneuverability, and to possess adequate weapon systems effectiveness. Light fighters typically achieve a surprise advantage over larger aircraft due to smaller visual and radar signatures, which is important since, in the majority of air-to-air kills, the element of surprise is dominant. Their comparative lower cost and higher reliability also allow for greater numbers per budget. Finally, while a single-engine light fighter would typically only carry about half the weapons load of a heavy twin-engine fighter, its surprise and maneuverability advantages often allow it to gain a positional advantage to make better use of those weapons.
A requirement for low cost and therefore small fighters first arose in the period between World War I and World War II. Examples include several RAF interceptor designs from the interwar era and French "Jockey" aircraft of the immediate pre-World War II. None of these very light fighters enjoyed success in World War II, as they were too hampered in performance. Similar to the meaning of lightweight fighter.

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