Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Compilation

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• published: 02 Dec 2015
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The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters undergoing final development and testing by the United States. The fifth generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground attack, aerial reconnaissance, and air defense missions. The F-35 has three main models: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, the F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant, and the F-35C carrier-based Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) variant. On 31 July 2015, the first squadron was declared ready for deployment after intensive testing by the United States. The JSF program was designed to replace the United States military F-16, A-10, F/A-18 (excluding newer E/F "Super Hornet" variants) and AV-8B tactical fighter and attack aircraft. To keep development, production, and operating costs down, a common design was planned in three variants that share 80 percent of their parts:[dated info] F-35A, conventional take off and landing (CTOL) variant. F-35B, short-take off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant. F-35C, carrier-based CATOBAR (CV) variant. Engineer handling a metallic scale model of jet fighter in wind-tunnel An F-35 wind tunnel testing model in the Arnold Engineering Development Center's 16-foot transonic wind tunnel George Standridge, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and a naval aviator who flew the F/A-18 Hornet in both the U.S. Navy and the Naval Reserve, predicted in 2006 that the F-35 will be four times more effective than legacy fighters in air-to-air combat, eight times more effective in air-to-ground combat, and three times more effective in reconnaissance and Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses – while having better range and requiring less logistics support and having around the same procurement costs (if development costs are ignored) as legacy fighters. The design goals call for the F-35 to be the premier strike aircraft through 2040 and to be second only to the F-22 Raptor in air supremacy. The JSF development contract was signed on 16 November 1996, and the contract for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) was awarded on 26 October 2001 to Lockheed Martin, whose X-35 beat the Boeing X-32. Although both aircraft met or exceeded requirements, the X-35 design was considered to have less risk and more growth potential. The designation of the new fighter as "F-35" is out-of-sequence with standard DoD aircraft numbering, by which it should have been "F-24". It came as a surprise even to the company, which had been referring to the aircraft in-house by this expected designation. The Defense Department has cleared the F-35 Lightning II to return to service after a cracked fan blade in one plane triggered a grounding of all planes across the services.Arrival of F-35 Lightning II Nellis AFB. Las Vegas, Nevada.The United States Air Force Weapons School received an F-35 Lightning II at Nellis AFB, NV.The F-35 Lightning II gets refueled on June 10, 2015. 2014 - The first F-35 to arrive at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., touched down with an F-16 escort and a cheering crowd awaiting its arrival.The F-35B Lightning II landed at MCAS Miramar for the first time, July 30. The Lightning II is a 5th generation stealth fighter capable of short take offs and vertical landings. This compilation contains images protected by US copyright laws.