| Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Stealth multirole fighter | |
| Crew | 1 | |
| Passengers | 0 | |
| First flight | 2006 | |
| Entered service | 2015 | |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin | |
| Produced | 140 (as of July 2015) | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 15,67 m | |
| Wingspan | 10,67 m | |
| Height | 4,57 m | |
| Wing area | 42,70 m² (F-35C: 62,06 m²) | |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 13,170 kg | |
| Loaded | 22,280 kg | |
| Maximum takeoff | 30,000 kg | |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engine | ||
| Power (each) | ||
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | Greater than Mach 1.6 | |
| Cruising speed | ||
| Range | 2222 km | |
| Ceiling | 15,240 m | |
| Rate of climb | classified | |
The F-35 Lightning II was the winner of the Joint Strike Fighter program. It is a single-seat single-engine multi-role fighter under development. The F-35 is intended to carry out ground attacks, reconnaissance, and air defense missions with stealth capability. Furthermore, it is considered the first stealth multi-role fighter.
Development
JSF Program history
The origins of the JSF program date back to the Soviet era and given advancements in their air defense technologies. With the following collapse of the Soviet Union, these problems in terms of Close Air Support Capabilities remained. For example the A-10 being too slow and the and the A-7 having insufficient fuel capacity. F-16s equipped with a head steered thermal imaging turret seemed to be a solution for the problem. However with Operation Desert Storm during the 1980's, the weaknesses in terms of strike capability got even clearer, showing an inadequacy in terms of combat radius of the F-16. As a result, each, the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines voiced their respective requirements for a new multirole strike aircraft.
- USN: Need for a survivable strike fighter aircraft to complement F/A-18E/F and to replace the F/A-18C fleet
- USAF: Need for multirole aircraft (primary-air-to-ground) to replace the F-16 and A-10
- USMC: STOVL aircraft to replace the AV-8B and F/A-18
The resulting aircraft should also include similar stealth capabilities to the already existing F-22 Raptor fighter, while carrying a majority of its payload internally and being cheaper to produce than the F-22.[1]
Gallery
