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 F-35A is for conventional takeoffs and landings where the full runway is available. The F-35B is for short takeoff and vertical landings like helicopters. While F-35C is to land and take off from aircraft carriers. All three variants have Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan, 28 000 lbf thrust dry, 43 000 lbf with afterburner.

Some Interesting Facts About The F-35 Lightning II:

• The main attraction of the Lightning II is its diverse armaments – the equipment that transforms it from technical marvel into a master of destruction.
• F-35 capable of launching AIM-120 AMRAAMs, AIM-9X Sidewinders, IRIS-Ts and the futuristic beyond-visual-range MBDA Meteor. Moreover, for maximum air-to-ground penetration, there are AGM-154 JSOWs, SOM Cruise Missiles and Brimstone anti-tank warheads.