Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor, with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the carrier-based F-35C (CV/CATOBAR).

The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant intended for the USAF and other air forces. It is the smallest, lightest version and capable of 9 g, the highest of all variants.

Although the F-35A currently conducts aerial refueling via boom and receptacle method, the aircraft can be modified for probe-and-drogue refueling if needed by the customer. A drag chute pod can be installed on the F-35A, with the Royal Norwegian Air Force being the first operator to adopt it.

Operators

• Royal Australian Air Force
• Belgian Air Component
• Royal Danish Air Force
• Israeli Air Force
• Italian Air Force
• Japan Air Self-Defense Force
• Royal Netherlands Air Force
• Royal Norwegian Air Force
• Polish Air Force
• Republic of Korea Air Force
• United States Air Force

Specifications (F-35A)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 51.4 ft (15.7 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft (11 m)
• Height: 14.4 ft (4.4 m)
• Wing area: 460 sq ft (43 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 2.66
• Empty weight: 29,300 lb (13,290 kg)
• Gross weight: 49,540 lb (22,471 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 70,000 lb (31,751 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 18,250 lb (8,278 kg) internal
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan, 28,000 lbf (120 kN) thrust dry, 43,000 lbf (190 kN) with afterburner

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.6 at altitude
• Range: 1,500 nmi (1,700 mi, 2,800 km)
• Combat range: 669 nmi (770 mi, 1,239 km) on internal fuel
  • 760 nmi (870 mi; 1,410 km) interdiction mission on internal fuel, for internal air to air configuration
• Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
• g limits: +9.0
• Wing loading: 107.7 lb/sq ft (526 kg/m²) at gross weight
• Thrust/weight: 0.87 at gross weight (1.07 at loaded weight with 50% internal fuel)

Armament

• Guns: 1 × 25 mm (0.984 in) GAU-22/A 4-barrel rotary cannon, 180 rounds
• Hardpoints: 4 × internal stations, 6 × external stations on wings with a capacity of 5,700 pounds (2,600 kg) internal, 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg) external, 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg) total weapons payload,with provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Missiles:
    
    • Air-to-air missiles:
      • AIM-120 AMRAAM
      • AIM-9X Sidewinder
      • AIM-132 ASRAAM
      • MBDA Meteor (Block 4)
    • Air-to-surface missiles:
      • AGM-88G AARGM-ER (Block 4)
      • AGM-158 JASSM
      • SPEAR 3 (Block 4)
      • Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM)
      • Joint Strike Missile (JSM, planned)
      • SOM
    • Anti-ship missiles:
      • AGM-158C LRASM
  • Bombs:
    
    • Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) series
    • Paveway series laser-guided bombs
    • Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
    • AGM-154 JSOW
    • Mk.20 Rockeye II cluster bomb
    • Mk 77 incendiary bombs
    • Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) capable
    • B61 mod 12 nuclear bomb

Avionics

• AN/APG-81 AESA radar
• AN/AAQ-40 E/O Targeting System (EOTS)
• AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System (DAS) missile warning system
• AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system
• AN/ASQ-242 CNI suite, which includes
  • Harris Corporation Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) communication system
  • Link 16 data link
  • SINCGARS
  • An IFF interrogator and transponder
  • HAVE QUICK
  • AM, VHF, UHF AM, and UHF FM Radio
  • GUARD survival radio
  • A radar altimeter
  • An instrument landing system
  • A TACAN system
  • Instrument carrier landing system
  • A JPALS
  • TADIL-J JVMF/VMF

Photos Rob Vogelaar and Marcel van Leeuwen