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Arsenal/Fighter/F-35 Lightning II
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United States · In service

F-35 Lightning II

Stealth multirole fighter

A fifth-generation low-observable combat aircraft built around sensor fusion, networked operations and multirole capability.

Introduced2015
SpeedMach 1.6
Range2,200 km
Crew1
Platform profile

Technical overview

Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin
Primary role
Stealth multirole fighter
Dimensions
15.7 m length · 10.7 m span
Operators
United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Australia and partner nations
Variants
F-35A · F-35B · F-35C
Operational status
In service
Complete platform dossier

F-35 Lightning II details

Identity

Type
Fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin
Country of origin
United States
First flight
15 December 2006
Entered service
2015
Crew
1 pilot

Primary roles

  • Air superiority
  • Precision strike
  • Ground attack
  • Electronic warfare
  • Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR)

Variants

F-35A
Conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) for air forces
F-35B
Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL)
F-35C
Carrier-based variant for aircraft carriers

Performance

Maximum speed
Mach 1.6 (approximately 1,975 km/h)
Combat radius
Approximately 1,090 km
Ferry range
Approximately 2,220 km without aerial refuelling
Service ceiling
50,000+ ft (15,240+ m)

Engine

  • 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan
  • Approximately 43,000 lbf (191 kN) thrust

Stealth features

  • Low radar cross-section shaping
  • Internal weapon bays
  • Radar-absorbent materials
  • Reduced infrared signature

Avionics

  • AESA radar
  • Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS)
  • Distributed Aperture System (DAS)
  • Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS)
  • Advanced sensor fusion

Armament

Internal gun
25 mm GAU-22/A — internal on the F-35A and podded on F-35B/C
Air-to-air missiles
AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder
Air-to-ground weapons
JDAM, Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), AGM-154 JSOW and AGM-158 JASSM on selected upgrades
Anti-ship capability
Selected anti-ship missiles depending on operator and configuration

Payload

Internal payload
Approximately 2.6 tonnes while maintaining stealth
Maximum external payload
Approximately 8.1 tonnes

Strengths

  • Excellent low-observable capability
  • Advanced sensor fusion and situational awareness
  • Network-centric warfare capability
  • Designed for first-day-of-war operations
  • Can share battlefield data with allied aircraft and command centres

Limitations

  • High procurement and operating costs
  • Maintenance-intensive low-observable coating
  • Limited internal weapon load in full-stealth configuration
  • Single-engine design compared with some twin-engine competitors

Operators and customers

United StatesUnited KingdomItalyAustraliaJapanSouth KoreaNorwayNetherlandsDenmarkBelgiumPolandFinlandIsraelSwitzerlandCzech RepublicGermanyCanadaSingapore (selected variants)

Interesting facts

  1. More than 1,000 F-35s have been delivered worldwide.
  2. It is the most widely deployed fifth-generation fighter currently in service.
  3. The F-35B can land vertically, enabling operations from amphibious assault ships and short runways.
  4. Software and mission systems are continuously upgraded to add weapons and capabilities.