Maiden Flight: Friday, December 15, 2006
IOC: 2012
Total Production: 2,679
Production Cost: USD$299 billion
F-35A Lightning II
IOC: 2011
Production: 1,861
Unitary Cost: USD$40 million
Also Known As:
F-35 CTOL, Joint Strike Fighter
Origin:United States of America
Program Status:Under Development
Contractor/s:
Lockheed Martin
Description:
The conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A is being developed to replace current F-16 and A-10 in the US Air Force inventory. Its maneuverability characteristics are similar to those of the F-16, and its stealthy airframe gives the first-look, first-shoot capability to the F-35 fighter. The first-look, first-shoot seems to be the cornerstone of air-to-air engagements of the 21st century as it did the maneuverability during the second half of the 20th century.
Due to stealthy restrictions, the F-35 carries the weaponry in a single inner bay and not externally attached to hard points and additionally that reduces the drag providing a better aerodynamic performance. Less drag also means increased range and higher sustained speed.
The F-35 will feature the fully integrated, nose-mounted EOTS providing day, night and all weather air-to-air/surface targeting, situational awareness, and target recognition. The EOTS advanced sensor will assume the functions of current LANTIRN, LITENING, and Sniper XR systems with the asset to be useful for air-to-air engagements using its IR search and track capability.
The F-35 main sensor, its radar, has not been determined yet, but an active electronically scanned array (AESA) seems to be likely.
The F-35 primary role is air-to-surface precision strike with a secondary air-to-air capability. The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF/F-35) concept is flexible enough to perform any mission.
One key element of the F-35 JSF program is to reduce the aircraft's logistics support needs with less than half the people, parts and equipment to deploy rapidly anywhere in the world. The program also will focus on minimizing the reliance on aerial refueling aircraft. For fourth generation aircraft operation-and-support costs meant more than 60 percent of aircraft's total ownership costs. JSF will amend that figure by 20 - 30 percent. This will be done primarily through built-in Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) capabilities will monitor the status of aircraft systems and automatically transmit the information to maintainers on the ground. PHM will enable technicians to meet the aircraft with all necessary tools, people and parts to conduct the maintenance and get the plane airborne again quickly.
As of 2005 the United States and the partner countries the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, Denmark, and Norway are involved in the F-35 program. Israel and Singapore are security cooperative participants. The partner countries are expected to sign orders for 500 to 600 F-35s in late 2006. Low rate initial production of operational F-35 is expected to commence in 2007.
In early 2006 the F-35A joint strike fighter first flight was anticipated by August 2006. On April 28, 2006 Lockheed Martin was awarded the first advance acquisition contract in support of Lot 1 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for five F-35A Joint Strike Fighters. The contract was valued at $901 million and was slated for completion by January 2010.
On 7 July 2006, the US Air Force chief of staff - General T. Michael Moseley - announced Lightning II as the F-35 name. The P-38 was the first aircraft named Lightning. P-38 was also a strike fighter and played an important role during World War II.
Specifications Accommodation: Crew 1
Dimensions: Length 15.4 m, Wingspan 10.7 m
Weights: Payload 907 kg (2,000 lb)
Engine/s Performance: Thrust 40,000 lb (18,144 kg)
Netherlands / 85 / 
United States of America / 1,776 / 