With small control surfaces and no thrust vectoring, the F-35 cannot change direction rapidly in close-range engagements.
While hyper maneuverability has become a cornerstone of modern fighter jet design, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, an advanced, expensive, fifth-generation multi-role fighter, is conspicuously limited with respect to maneuverability. While it might seem counterintuitive to design a modern fighter that is not highly maneuverable, designers were fully aware of the shortcomings as they made deliberate trade-offs to enhance the F-35’s stealth, situational awareness, and multirole versatility instead of raw aerodynamic performance.
The F-35A Lightning II’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 2015
- Number Built: Over 1,000 (as of 2025)
- Length: 51 ft 4 in (15.7 m)
- Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.36 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft (10.7 m)
- Weight:
- Empty: 29,300 lb (13,300 kg)
- Standard conditions: ~49,000–50,000 lb (22,200–22,700 kg) (typical combat configuration)
- Maximum takeoff weight: 70,000 lb (31,800 kg)
- Engines: 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan
- Top Speed: Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph or 1,930 km/h)
- Range: ~1,380 mi (2,220 km) with internal fuel
- Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
- Loadout:
- 1 × GAU-22/A 25 mm rotary cannon (internal on F-35A only)
- Internal bays: Up to 4 × AIM-120 AMRAAMs or 2 bombs + 2 AMRAAMs
- External hardpoints: Up to 18,000 lb (8,160 kg) of ordnance (compromises stealth)
- Aircrew: 1
The F-35 Isn’t Very Maneuverable—but It Doesn’t Have to Be
One of the primary factors preventing the F-35 from being maneuverable is its low thrust-to-weight ratio. Designed around a single Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, the F-35 is capable of 43,000 pounds of thrust. The F-35’s empty weight is over 29,000 pounds, and it can weigh over 50,000 pounds when fully loaded. That leaves the F-35 with a thrust-to-weight ratio beneath 1:1, meaning the F-35 is poorly equipped to sustain high-G maneuvers or accelerate vertically.
Also limiting the F-35’s maneuverability is its airframe, which was designed primarily for stealth and not for aerodynamic performance. Stealth shaping requirements restrict the use of canards, leading-edge extensions, or large control surfaces, all of which are features that heighten an aircraft’s radar cross-section (RCS) and its maneuverability. Without these aerodynamic features, the F-35’s stealth performance increases while its maneuverability decreases. The F-35 also features a blended body design, internal weapon bays, and serrated edges, all of which contribute to lower RCS, at the cost of aerodynamic performance.
With small control surfaces and no thrust vectoring, the F-35 cannot change direction rapidly in close-range dogfights. In addition, the F-35’s maximum angle of attack is quite limited relative to thrust-vectoring platforms such as the F-22, while the instantaneous turn rate and sustained turn rate are typically inferior even to fourth-generation fighters such as the F-16 or McDonnell Douglas F/A-18.
Wing loading is yet another factor limiting the F-35’s maneuverability. The F-35 has a higher wing loading than aircraft optimized for dogfighting, meaning more weight is carried per unit area of wing surface. This, in turn, typically results in decreased agility and reduced turning performance.
With so many aerodynamic limitations, the F-35 was simply not designed for dogfighting. However, this was by design; anticipating the emergence of beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagement as the primary mode of future aerial combat, F-35 designers built an aircraft that could detect, engage, and destroy targets from miles away using the most advanced sensors, data fusion, and network-centric systems in any aircraft in the world. While less flashy than its contemporaries, the somewhat unmaneuverable F-35 is a sign that the days of in-tight dogfighting are over.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a Senior Defense and National Security Writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
