The F-35 Is Really Three Stealth Warplanes
Story by Maya Carlin • Yesterday 1:36 PM
The Joint Strike Fighter program was a collaborative project undertaken by the U.S. and partner nations to develop a multirole fighter aircraft. The U.S. had even more in mind, however, expecting the F-35 to fill gaps in each of its three services with airborne components: the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.
As a result, the Lightning II comes in three variants. The A, B, and C models are all similar, but important distinctions allow them to meet the needs of their specific service.
Brief History
After a tense competition, Lockheed Martin was selected to develop its X-35 fighter, winning over Boeing’s X-32. Following this initial success, the program was plagued by delays and design struggles. Initial plans had the three variants sharing 70% of parts, but the final design ended up sharing only 25% of components. In the end, though, all three variants are highly capable fighters.
Specs & Capabilities
The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine is a marvel of modern engineering. While the Lightning II is not quite as powerful as the twin-engine F-22 Raptor, it still packs a punch with a top speed of Mach-1.6. Some of the biggest advances of the F-35 are in its complex suite of highly sophisticated sensors such as the AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, technology that allows the aircraft to detect, track, and engage targets at long ranges while synthesizing information and sharing it among platforms and combatants.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-f-35-is-really-three-stealth-warplanes/ar-AA1cR0Hz?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=6ce03ecf033843f39e6c5981a54ed07b&ei=25
