F-35

F-35
Name	F-35 Lightning II
Type	Multirole stealth fighter
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
First flight	2006
Introduced	2015
Primary user	United States Marine Corps
Produced	2006–present
Number built	(see text)

F-35 is a family of single-seat, single-engine multirole stealth fighters designed and built by Lockheed Martin for advanced strike, air superiority, and reconnaissance missions. The program involved multinational partners including the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Turkey, and it has interacted with institutions such as the United States Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and the United States Marine Corps. Development, procurement, and deployment have linked the program to industry participants like Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, BAE Systems, and Rolls-Royce, while operational use has connected the aircraft to operations and exercises around regions such as the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific.

Development

Development began under the Joint Strike Fighter competition involving users and contractors such as the United States Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. The program drew on research from earlier efforts including the Advanced Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing concepts, the YF-23 prototypes, and lessons from platforms like the F-22 Raptor, the Harrier family, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Negotiations, cost-sharing arrangements, and testing schedules involved partner nations such as the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Canada, and Turkey, and were overseen by organizations including the Joint Program Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Government Accountability Office. Milestones included first flight in 2006, carrier trials with the United States Navy, and initial operational capability declarations by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, alongside evolving industrial participation by companies like BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.

Design and Variants

Design features integrate stealth shaping, internal weapon bays, and sensor fusion developed by contractors such as Northrop Grumman and Pratt & Whitney. Major variants were produced to meet service requirements of the United States Air Force, United States Navy, and United States Marine Corps, and to satisfy partner requirements from nations such as the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan. The short takeoff/vertical landing configuration required collaboration with suppliers including Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems for structural adaptations and lift systems, while carrier-capable modifications engaged Navy test squadrons, the Naval Air Systems Command, and shipbuilders involved with the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Nimitz classes for deck compatibility. Export configurations have been tailored for customers like Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Norway with unique avionics and armament integrations supported by companies including Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Leonardo.

Operational History

Operational deployments have connected the aircraft to units in the United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Israeli Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Air Force for exercises and missions alongside allies such as NATO and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Training, basing, and forward deployments involved air bases like Eglin Air Force Base, Luke Air Force Base, RAF Marham, MCAS Yuma, and facilities in Japan and South Korea. The type has participated in exercises with units from USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), Carrier Strike Group, and multinational maneuvers including those tied to USCENTCOM and EUCOM. Operational experience has prompted updates coordinated by agencies such as the Joint Program Office, industrial partners including Lockheed Martin, and allied ministries of defense.

Avionics and Systems

Avionics integration centers on sensor fusion, helmet-mounted displays developed with suppliers and research institutions, active electronically scanned array radar supplied by companies such as Northrop Grumman, and electro-optical targeting systems interoperable with allies including the United Kingdom and Israel. Data-links and communications have been developed to operate within allied networks overseen by entities like NATO communication standards and national authorities in partner states such as Japan and Australia. Mission systems involve partnerships with companies such as BAE Systems for electronic warfare suites, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman for radar and countermeasures, and Pratt & Whitney for propulsion diagnostics, all coordinated through bodies including the Defense Acquisition Board and test facilities at Edwards Air Force Base and Patuxent River.

Performance and Specifications

Performance metrics reported by agencies such as the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and independent analysis from think tanks like the RAND Corporation emphasize speed, range, stealth, and payload trade-offs relative to contemporaries such as the F-22, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Sukhoi Su-35, and Chengdu J-20. Specifications published by manufacturers and oversight offices cover maximum speed, service ceiling, combat radius, internal fuel, and internal weapon bay capacities, and these figures are used in comparative studies by institutions including the Congressional Budget Office and defense research organizations in partner nations such as the UK Ministry of Defence and Japan's MOD.

International Operators and Procurement

Procurement programs have linked the aircraft to national procurement agencies and legislative bodies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Japan, Israel, South Korea, Belgium, Poland, Singapore, Finland, Switzerland, and other countries. Sales and offsets involved exporters and prime contractors such as Lockheed Martin, negotiations with ministries including those of the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and industrial participation by companies like BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Canadian firms during debates in bodies such as the Canadian Parliament. Multinational logistics, sustainment, and training agreements have been coordinated through partner forums and allied interoperability initiatives involving NATO and bilateral security arrangements.

Controversies and Criticisms

Controversies have involved cost growth, schedule delays, sustainment expenses, software development challenges, and industrial disputes scrutinized by oversight organizations such as the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and national audit offices in partner states. Criticisms have referenced comparisons with other platforms in analyses by think tanks such as RAND Corporation and institutions including Johns Hopkins University and policy debates in legislatures like the United States Congress, British Parliament, and parliaments in partner states. Operational safety incidents, maintenance issues, and export control disputes have drawn attention from media outlets, investigative bodies, and parliamentary committees in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Norway, prompting program reforms overseen by the Joint Program Office and procurement authorities.

Category:Military aircraft