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F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin · USA · Digital Age (2010–present)

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The F-35 Lightning II is an American single-engine stealth multirole fighter — Lockheed Martin Skunk Works's principal 5th-generation fighter + the most-produced 5th-generation fighter worldwide. Lockheed Martin developed the F-35 in 2001-2016 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme; first flight (F-35A) 15 December 2006; service entry 2016 (USMC F-35B) + 2016 (USAF F-35A). About 1,200 F-35s have been delivered as of 2026; the production goal is ~3,000 aircraft worldwide. The F-35 is operated by 16+ air forces including USAF, USMC, US Navy, RAF, IDF, JASDF, ROKAF, Italian Air Force, RAAF, RNorAF, others.

The F-35 uses 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135 afterburning turbofan (43,000 lbf — the most-powerful fighter engine ever produced). Maximum speed Mach 1.6, range 2,200 km (unrefuelled) or unlimited (with aerial refueling), service ceiling 15,240 m, MTOW 31,800 kg (F-35A). Internal weapons capacity: 4 × AIM-120 AMRAAM + 2 × 900 kg JDAM (clean stealth loadout) or 8,150 kg total (external pylons in non-stealth configuration). Three variants: F-35A (CTOL, USAF + most allies), F-35B (STOVL, USMC + UK + Italy + Japan), F-35C (CV, US Navy). The F-35 incorporates the X-35's lift-fan STOVL design, low-observable stealth shaping, + sensor fusion across an AN/APG-81 AESA radar + AN/AAQ-37 distributed-aperture system + 360° helmet-mounted display.

F-35 combat use began in 2018 — Israeli F-35I Adirs flew the first F-35 combat strikes (against Iranian + Hezbollah targets in Syria, May 2018) + the first acknowledged F-35 air-to-air kill (a downed Iranian drone, 2024). USAF F-35As flew counter-ISIS strikes from 2019 onwards. The October 2023-present Hamas conflict + April + October 2024 Iranian missile attacks all involved heavy F-35I participation. The F-35 has become the principal US + allied airborne strike + air-superiority platform; programme cost stands at ~$1.7 trillion lifetime. As of 2026 the F-35 remains in production at Lockheed Martin Fort Worth at ~150 aircraft/year, with planned production extending through ~2050.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The F-35 Lightning II is the newest American stealth fighter. It's so hard to see on enemy radar that ground operators usually can't tell it's coming. The F-35 is about 51 feet long — bigger than a school bus.

The F-35 is made by Lockheed Martin, and almost 1,200 have been built since 2006. The U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marines, and 16 other countries use F-35s.

The F-35 comes in three versions. The F-35A takes off from regular runways (Air Force). The F-35B can take off short and land straight down like a helicopter (Marines). The F-35C takes off from aircraft carriers (Navy). All three versions look almost identical, but each has clever modifications inside.

The F-35's most amazing feature is its helmet. The pilot's $400,000 helmet has six cameras looking outside the plane in all directions, plus computer screens that show what each camera sees. When the pilot looks down at the floor, the helmet shows the camera under the plane — so the pilot can "see through" the airplane's body. No other fighter has anything like it.

F-35s have flown combat missions since 2018. Israeli F-35s have struck targets in Syria. American F-35s have flown over Iraq and Syria against ISIS. As of 2026, no F-35 has been lost in combat — the stealth and helmet combination work very well. The F-35 will keep being built through the 2030s, and many countries will fly F-35s through the 2070s.

Fun Facts

The F-35 pilot's helmet has six cameras built in — pilots can "see through" the airplane in any direction.
Each F-35 pilot's helmet costs about \$400,000 — more than a family house.
Almost 1,200 F-35s have been built since 2006.
The F-35 comes in three versions: F-35A (Air Force), F-35B (Marines, vertical landing), F-35C (Navy carrier).
F-35s use stealth shaping that makes them as visible on radar as a small bird.
16 countries have ordered F-35s — including the UK, Japan, Israel, Norway, and Italy.
An F-35 costs about \$80 million each — making it one of the most expensive fighter planes ever.

Kids’ Questions

Why does the F-35 have three versions?

Different branches of the U.S. military need different types of takeoff. The Air Force has long runways at bases everywhere, so the F-35A takes off normally. The Marines want fighters that can take off from short ships or rough fields, so the F-35B has a special engine that can rotate downward and let the plane land like a helicopter. The Navy operates from aircraft carriers, so the F-35C has larger wings (for slower landings) and an arrestor hook to catch a cable on the carrier deck. All three versions share most parts — engines, computers, weapons — so they can be made on the same factory line.

How does the helmet work?

The F-35's helmet (called the Helmet Mounted Display System) has tiny computer screens in front of each eye. Six cameras around the airplane send live video into the helmet. When the pilot looks down at the cockpit floor, the helmet shows the camera that's pointing at the ground under the plane — so the pilot can see straight through the floor. When the pilot looks behind, the helmet shows the rear cameras. The helmet also shows targets, missile aim points, and flight information overlaid on top of the camera view. It's like wearing virtual reality glasses while flying — and it works in real time, with almost no delay.

Variants

F-35A (CTOL): Conventional takeoff. USAF + most export operators.
F-35B (STOVL): Short takeoff + vertical landing. USMC + UK + Italy + Japan.
F-35C (CV): Carrier variant. US Navy + USMC carrier squadrons.

Notable Operators

USAF + USMC + US Navy (2016-present): Principal operator. 600+ aircraft across all three variants.
16+ allied air forces: RAF, IDF, JASDF, ROKAF, RAAF, Italian, Norwegian, Dutch, Belgian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Singaporean, Swiss, German, Romanian.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the F-35 score its first combat strike?

The Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir flew the F-35's first combat strike on 22 May 2018 — Israel publicly announced that F-35Is had conducted combat strikes 'over the Middle East' (later confirmed as Iranian-linked targets in Syria). USAF F-35As followed in April 2019 with strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq. The F-35's first acknowledged air-to-air kill came in 2024 — an Israeli F-35I shot down an Iranian Shahed-class drone during the April 2024 Iranian missile-and-drone attack on Israel. The F-35's stealth + sensor-fusion + helmet-mounted display proved decisive in dense + heavily-defended airspace; the aircraft has not been lost in combat as of 2026.

Sources

Wikipedia — F-35 Lightning II