The F-35 has earned its reputation as one of the most advanced and lethal fighter jets in service today.
Manufacturer Pratt & Whitney (part of RTX) was awarded a contract to deliver a new batch of engines for the F-35 Lightning II fighter platform. The deal, valued at nearly $3 billion, will cover the production of 141 new engines for the 18th production lot of the fighter series. According to reports, the Navy will provide the bulk of procurement funding to purchase the engines, followed by the Air Force, foreign military customers, and non-US participants. Pratt & Whitney has already delivered more than 1,200 F135 engines over the years, ensuring the top-tier fifth-generation platform is operational with a dozen countries worldwide. While the upcoming Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and F/A-XX platforms are intended to ultimately replace the Lightning II down the line, the F-35 will remain relevant for years to come.
The F-35 has earned its reputation as one of the most advanced and lethal fighter jets in service today. The fifth-generation platform has it all, from avionics and versatility to stealth and sensors. As a product of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, the top-tier platform incorporates the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Advanced Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing research. Lockheed Martin’s infamous Skunk Works division led the development effort for the Lightning II, incorporating STOVL technologies among other advanced features.
The F-35 program is driven not just by American procurement but by international participation. Initially, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Canada, and Turkey joined the JSF initiative. However, Ankara was later dismissed for purchasing Russia’s S-400 air-defense system in violation of US policy.
The Lightning II prototype embarked on its maiden flight in 2000 and subsequently underwent numerous flight tests for range, flying qualities, and maneuver performance. Three distinct Lightning II variants exist: the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C. The US Marine Corps’ F-35B iteration entered service with the military branch in 2015. The Air Force would receive its initial F-35A one year later, followed by the Navy’s F-35C in 2019.
While the Lightning II platform is widely considered to be unmatched in the skies due to a litany of qualities, perhaps the most significant feature is the aircraft’s stealth. Similar to its F-22 Raptor predecessor, the F-35 was designed with a small radar cross-section coated in radar-absorbent materials in order to reduce the chance of being detected by adversarial aircraft or radar. Although the F-35 is still capable of carrying a load of lethal armaments while in stealth mode, including the AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles for air-to-air missions or a combination of four AIM-120/GBU-31 JDAM smart bombs, the platform is also capable of functioning in “beast mode.” While in this position, the F-35 can lug even more ordnance.
In terms of the future, the F-35 is well-positioned to remain relevant for years to come. Due to its secure data link transmission, any emerging technologies will be seamlessly incorporated into the platform down the line.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: DVIDS.
