Although F-35 Lightning II is neither the fastest, nor the most returnable multi-tasking fighter aircraft in the world, most experts point to this device as the best among those produced in its class. Low detection and versatility in combat activities – these are strengths and strengths that separate F-35 from competition.
The American army is considered the strongest in the planet not only due to the evidence budget it has at its disposal, not only due to the number of soldiers, ships or tanks, but primarily due to the possible and capabilities of the US Armed Forces. As awesome as it is against the background of another leading troops in the world, the modernisation plans of 30 years ago show well. erstwhile in the early 1990s the Pentagon began the process of comprehensive replacement of combat aircraft, the number of aircraft needed to acquisition aircraft for all types of troops there—air force, US Marine Corps, Navy, and Land Army—was initially estimated at about 4,000 copies.
The gigantic scale of needs shown at the time found direct translation in purchasing decisions – it was decided that the withdrawn machines would not be replaced by the same types of aircraft, but more modern ones. It was assumed that 1 fresh kind of multitasking aircraft would be acquired, which will be produced in 3 versions due to the characteristics of the kind of troops to be carried out in the end. – classical, vertical take-off and landing and on-board (for aircraft carriers).
To realise how hard the Pentagon has done, it is adequate to indicate how different aircraft would replace the fresh plan in the line – from US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10C, utilized by the F/A-18C/D Navy to specified advanced machines as the "invisible" F-111 and F-117A.
The military's method requirements for the fresh "future" aircraft so assumed that it would be a two-engine, long-time flight, with a importantly reduced level of detection by radars and a wide spectrum of radio and reconnaissance combat systems that would enable it to fight at long distances (relative to enemy aircraft).
What is very crucial in the case of the JSF – Joint Strike Fighter program, due to the fact that that's the name that was yet adopted by the task – Washington decided that it wanted to importantly internationalize it (and thus reduce costs). In the autumn of 1995, an agreement was signed to join the UK programme, which was to put 10 percent of the cost of the concept-demonstration phase. And 2 years later, in 1997, Canada joined the JSF program.
At the same time, due to the fact that in 1996, the U.S. Department of defence reported that the $750 million (each) contract for the improvement of flying JSF technology demonstrators (two pieces) received Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and after 5 years of trials and tests announced that the tender winner was the construction offered by Lockheed Martin, a plane marked with X-35.
First public presentation of an aircraft that yet received its own name F-35 Lightning II, occurred in February 2006. It is worth noting at this point that at that time the programme of its improvement and production became even more global – it was joined by another countries: Denmark, Norway, Turkey, Australia, Italy and the Netherlands.
Developed first, Classical variety F-35 received the designation A. The 15.67 m long machine, wingspan 10.67 m (with a surface of 42.70 m2) and a tallness of 4.38 m, drives the Pratt & Whitney F135-100 engine with a thrust: with a booster: 191.3 kN and without a booster: 128.1 kN (Pentagon resigned in the late 1990s to require the JSF to be dual-engined).
The F-35A is equipped with AESA AN/APG-81 radar – Active Electronically Scanned Array, an optoelectric strategy of self-defence against missiles and reflection of AN/AAQ-37 ships – Electro-Optical (EO) Distributed Aperture strategy (Northrop Grumman companies), avionics and targeting strategy (EOTS- Electro-Optical Targeting System) AN/AAQ-40 by Lockheed Martin, as well as an AN/ASQ-239 electronic combat package (Barracuda) from Bae Systems and in the communication, navigation and recognition strategy AN/ASQ-242.
As far as weapons are concerned, the F-35A has a GAU-22/A 25 mm cannon, and in the interior bomb hatch it can carry e.g. two AIM-120 AMRAAM rockets And 2 GBU-31 JDAM bombs.
The F-35B version, or vertical take-off and landing, was presented in 2008 and the F-35C on-board model, in 2010. The first F-35 version A aircraft went to US Armed Forces on July 14, 2011. Model B debuted in the line in 2012, but in the British Army, Model C entered service in the US Navy in 2013.
![24 Hours of Le Mans: Poles Shine Again! Toyota Reigns ultimate at the French classical [RESULTS]](https://wrc.net.pl/media.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Focs-pl.oktawave.com%2Fv1%2FAUTH_31b548cfed58484085a001af5d8ac982%2Fwrc-prod%2F2026%2F06%2Fle-mans-toyota-wyniki-1024x683.webp)
