F-35A Lightning II
Fighter / 43,000 lbf / 70,000 lbs / Single Jet
Year: Introduced 2016 (U.S. Air Force IOC)
Role: Multirole stealth fighter
Crew: 1
Engine: 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan
Thrust: ~43,000 lbf (191 kN) with afterburner
Top Speed: Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph / 1,930 km/h)
Combat Range: ~670 mi (1,080 km)
Ferry Range: ~1,350 mi (2,200 km)
Service Ceiling: ~50,000+ ft (15,240+ m)
Rate of Climb: ~45,000 ft/min (228 m/s)
Empty Weight: ~29,300 lbs (13,290 kg)
Max Takeoff Weight (MTOW): ~70,000 lbs (31,800 kg)
Length: 51.4 ft (15.7 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft (10.7 m)
Armament: 1× 25 mm GAU-22/A cannon; AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X Sidewinder, JDAM, SDB, and other guided munitions
The F-35A Lightning II is the conventional takeoff and landing variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35, a fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter developed through the Joint Strike Fighter program to replace several aging U.S. and allied aircraft types. First flying in 2006 and entering U.S. Air Force service in 2016, the F-35A was designed to combine advanced stealth shaping, powerful sensors, and networked data sharing to dominate both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Its sophisticated sensor fusion system integrates radar, electronic warfare, and infrared targeting data to give pilots an unprecedented view of the battlefield. The aircraft has been widely adopted by allied air forces around the world, becoming one of the most internationally operated combat aircraft programs in history and a cornerstone of modern NATO and allied airpower.
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