Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic <a href="/facts/Stealth_aircraft/yzFCw70N">stealth</a> <a href="/facts/Strike_fighter/DB0W39ds">strike fighters</a>. A <a href="/facts/Multirole_combat_aircraft/8l6FfCI9">multirole combat aircraft</a> designed for both <a href="/facts/Air_superiority_fighter/FmwaInsI">air superiority</a> and <a href="/facts/Attack_aircraft/Rkc7Ft5I">strike</a> missions, it also has <a href="/facts/Electronic_warfare/c6XGz9y0">electronic warfare</a> and <a href="/facts/Intelligence%2c_surveillance%2c_and_reconnaissance/MUkzKVxz">intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance</a> capabilities. <a href="/facts/Lockheed_Martin/URp9BQpA">Lockheed Martin</a> is the prime F-35 contractor with principal partners <a href="/facts/Northrop_Grumman/M6keKE1A">Northrop Grumman</a> and <a href="/facts/BAE_Systems/W1wLXh5x">BAE Systems</a>. The aircraft has three main variants: the <a href="/facts/CTOL/1qYWcEC5">conventional takeoff and landing</a> (CTOL) F-35A, the <a href="/facts/STOVL/aH2tyeFW">short take-off and vertical-landing</a> (STOVL) F-35B, and the <a href="/facts/Carrier-based/JvQSNSke">carrier variant</a> (CV) <a href="/facts/Catapult_Assisted_Take-Off_But_Arrested_Recovery/HA8pPGRr">catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery</a> (CATOBAR) F-35C.
The aircraft descends from the <a href="/facts/Lockheed_Martin_X-35/Cl6n6HKT">Lockheed Martin X-35</a>, which in 2001 beat the <a href="/facts/Boeing_X-32/HbpHYfTS">Boeing X-32</a> to win the <a href="/facts/Joint_Strike_Fighter_program/0JXzRYfw">Joint Strike Fighter</a> (JSF) program intended to replace the <a href="/facts/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon/0KRD0Gqy">F-16 Fighting Falcon</a>, <a href="/facts/McDonnell_Douglas_F%2fA-18_Hornet/hsKrCHym">F/A-18 Hornet</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Harrier_jump_jet/Prvgs7RB">McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II</a> "jump jet", among others. Its development is principally funded by the United States, with additional funding from program partner countries from the <a href="/facts/North_Atlantic_Treaty_Organization/dCeTddMY">North Atlantic Treaty Organization</a> (NATO) and close U.S. allies, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and <a href="/facts/S-400_missile_system/J0GUgjWd">formerly Turkey</a>. Several other countries have also ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft. The program has <a href="/facts/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II_development/spmFncnM">drawn criticism</a> for its unprecedented size, complexity, ballooning costs, and delayed deliveries. The acquisition strategy of concurrent production of the aircraft while it was still in development and testing led to expensive design changes and retrofits. As of July 2024, the average <a href="/facts/Flyaway_cost/X2TcvemR">flyaway costs</a> per plane are: US$82.5 million for the F-35A, $109 million for the F-35B, and $102.1 million for the F-35C.
The F-35 first flew in 2006 and entered service with the <a href="/facts/U.S._Marine_Corps/J8JDlJG2">U.S. Marine Corps</a> F-35B in July 2015, followed by the U.S. Air Force F-35A in August 2016 and the U.S. Navy F-35C in February 2019. The aircraft was first <a href="/facts/Operation_House_of_Cards/nb3UpNWP">used in combat in 2018</a> by the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Air_Force/bcm4GjTf">Israeli Air Force</a>. The U.S. plans to buy 2,456 F-35s through 2044, which will represent the bulk of the crewed tactical aviation of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps for several decades; the aircraft is planned to be a cornerstone of NATO and U.S.-allied air power and to operate to 2070.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II open-in-new

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II