Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
F-35 Lightning II
Gray fighter aircraft soars in a clear blue sky with sea coast below.
An F-35C Lightning II, marked CF-1, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay
Role Stealth multirole fighter
National origin United States
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
First flight 15 December 2006
Introduction 2016[1]–2018[2][3]
Status In initial production, in U.S. service as a training aircraft[4]
Produced 2006–present
Number built 13 flight-test aircraft[7]
Unit cost F-35A: US$122 million (flyaway cost, 2011)[8]
F-35B: US$150M (avg. cost, 2011)[9]
F-35C: US$139.5M (avg. cost, 2011)[9][10]
Note: Average costs excludes development cost[9]
F-35A weapons system unit cost is US$183.5M (FY 2011)[8]
Developed from Lockheed Martin X-35

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multirole fighters under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions with stealth capability.[11]

References [change]

  1. ↑ "Adjustments Put F-35 on Track, Program Director Says". US DoD, 23 February 2011.
  2. ↑ Cost Predictions Rattle Foreign Customers&next=0 "JSF Cost Predictions Rattle Foreign Customers." Aviation Week, 23 March 2011.
  3. ↑ Shalal-Esa, Andrea. "US Navy, Air Force may field F-35s later than 2016." Thomson Reuters, 21 April 2011.
  4. ↑ King, Samuel Jr. "First F-35 arrives at Eglin." U.S. Air Force, 15 July 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II". Jane's All the World's Aircraft. (online version, 21 January 2008).
  6. ↑ McKinney, Brooks. "Northrop Grumman Begins Assembling First F-35 Production Jet." Northrop Grumman, 1 April 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2008
  7. ↑ Less than eight were completed prior to 1 April 2008.[5][6]
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "FY 2012 Budget Estimates", p. 01–1. U.S. Air Force, February 2011.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 , Schwellenbach, Nick. "JSF Likely Far More Expensive Than Aircraft They're Replacing." Project on Government Oversight, 15 February 2011.
  10. ↑ Fulghum, David A. "Canada Expects Much Higher JSF Unit Costs." Aviation Week, 10 March 2011.
  11. ↑ "Knesset Finance Committee approves F-35 deal." Globes (Israel). Retrieved: 29 November 2010.
Retrieved from "http://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II&oldid=4279985"