F-35 Lightning II - Lockheed Martin's stealth multirole combat jet for air superiority

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The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor, with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier-based (CV/CATOBAR) F-35C.

The aircraft descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, which in 2001 beat the Boeing X-32 to win the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Its development is principally funded by the United States, with additional funding from program partner countries from NATO and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Italy, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft. The program has drawn much scrutiny and criticism for its unprecedented size, complexity, ballooning costs, and much-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.

The F-35 first flew in 2006 and entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps 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 used in combat in 2018 by the Israeli Air Force. 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 will be a cornerstone of NATO and U.S.-allied air power and is expected to operate until 2070.

The F-35 was the product of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which was the merger of various combat aircraft programs from the 1980s and 1990s. One progenitor program was the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Advanced Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (ASTOVL) which ran from 1983 to 1994; ASTOVL aimed to develop a Harrier Jump Jet replacement for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and the U.K. Royal Navy. Under one of ASTOVL's classified programs, the Supersonic STOVL Fighter (SSF), Lockheed Skunk Works conducted research for a stealthy supersonic STOVL fighter intended for both U.S. Air Force (USAF) and USMC; a key technology explored was the shaft-driven lift fan (SDLF) system. Lockheed's concept was a single-engine canard delta aircraft weighing about 24,000 lb (11,000 kg) empty. ASTOVL was rechristened as the Common Affordable Lightweight Fighter (CALF) in 1993 and involved Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, and Boeing.

In 1993, the Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) program emerged following the cancellation of the USAF's Multi-Role Fighter (MRF) and U.S. Navy's (USN) Advanced Fighter-Attack (A/F-X) programs. MRF, a program for a relatively affordable F-16 replacement, was scaled back and delayed due to post–Cold War defense posture easing F-16 fleet usage and thus extending its service life as well as increasing budget pressure from the F-22 program. The A/F-X, initially known as the Advanced-Attack (A-X), began in 1991 as the USN's follow-on to the Advanced Tactical Aircraft (ATA) program for an A-6 replacement; the ATA's resulting A-12 Avenger II had been canceled due to technical problems and cost overruns in 1991. In the same year, the termination of the Naval Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), an offshoot of USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program to replace the F-14, resulted in additional fighter capability being added to A-X, which was then renamed A/F-X. Amid increased budget pressure, the Department of Defense's (DoD) Bottom-Up Review (BUR) in September 1993 announced MRF's and A/F-X's cancellations, with applicable experience brought to the emerging JAST program.

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 51.4 ft (15.7 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft (11 m)
Height: 14.4 ft (4.4 m)
Wing area: 460 sq ft (43 m2)
Aspect ratio: 2.66
Empty weight: 29,300 lb (13,290 kg)
Gross weight: 49,540 lb (22,471 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 70,000 lb (31,751 kg)
Fuel capacity: 18,250 lb (8,278 kg) internal
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan, 28,000 lbf (125 kN) thrust dry, 43,000 lbf (191 kN) with afterburner
Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 1.6 at altitude
Range: 1,500 nmi (1,700 mi, 2,800 km)
Combat range: 669 nmi (770 mi, 1,239 km) on internal fuel
760 nmi (870 mi; 1,410 km) interdiction mission on internal fuel, for internal air to air configuration
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
g limits: +9.0
Wing loading: 107.7 lb/sq ft (526 kg/m2) at gross weight
Thrust/weight: 0.87 at gross weight (1.07 at loaded weight with 50% internal fuel)

#f35 #f35lightning #f35lightningii
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It is going to be sad to see the F/A-18 be retired, but this plane is coming together amazingly now. It is scary how much this plane has evolved.

IgoByaGo
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It's truly an honor to work on these engines. I'd give just about anything to fly one

sholland
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In my humble opinion, this is the most beautiful and awesome aircraft ever built. When I first heard about it I was totally against it, but, thank God for utube. As I started watching videos on this amazing aircraft, I had a whole new outlook on this aircraft. It is now my favorite of all time! Thanks for sharing this interesting and informative video.

normandauphin
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Came here after seeing the F35 demonstrations at the Avalon airshow Australia 2023. No words...just 🤯

EspireMike
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Recently went to an airshow hosted by Tinker AFB and Hill AFB had their F35 demo team there and let me tell you.. the videos do no justice on how insanely badass and powerful this JSF is. You could feel the power of the engines and the agility is INSANE. Pilot, call sign Beo was the pilot of the aircraft and she was AMAZING. Experienced my first sonic boom when she did her high speed pass and she climbed a mile to THREE miles in SECONDS it is truly the future of air superiority. An experience I’ll never ever forget. She stole the show the same show the incredible Blue Angels were at!

thehunterstruck
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What an amazing machine. Technology has come so far. Only 100 or so of flying and look what we can do.

spfadden
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Most Advanced Fighter Jet The World Has Ever Produced 🇺🇲

al-hudarahman
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Any country in the world would give anything to have even 1 of these aircraft. Fantastic

Anthony-hcib
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Thank you USAF for this plane.
Netherlands Royal Air Force!

fredschriks
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Vampire! Vampire! I was the first person to control an F-18 (Libya 1986) in combat. I like the way you presented the aircraft. We want to be aggressive while pointing out strengths, but never underestimating (through humility) the opponent. Reagan would call it, "Peace through Strength." V/R, J. Cryer

ministryofyahushua
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What an entertaining and informative video! Well done!

AgricultureTechUS
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Production on the 1000th F-35 begins. Wildly successful program.

calcrappie
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Questo F35 è un arma magnifica, la sfida è che nessuno sia così presuntuoso da affrontare sul campo una simile Re dei cieli.

vc
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Most countries only fly one fighter. The F35 combines air superiority with strike capabilities for the modern combat environment.

tbo
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I've been on the ground in the UK and witnessed two f35s practice thier flight and cannon blanks and they are gently scary in thier manoeuvres. Researching thier capabilites, Wow. A border weapon immense for air to ground skirmishes

salvatorecreative
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The engineering behind these machines is remarkable.

AgricultureTechUS
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Thank you so much!! What a fantastic video and I am very happy that the USA is not resting on our competitive position with the F-22 Raptor and pushed into the F-35 Lightning II work!

robertemeott-dor
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Gripens provide situation awareness also. At least they say so

Wolfpack
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How I wish that Philippines can acquire this kind of aircraft weapons, F- 35 lighting 11 to modernize Philippines and can't be bullied by China...

nestorlasta
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BTW.. at 0:42 - it should say groundBREAKING not groundbraking

glenn_r_frank_author