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Hello everybody. I’d like to re-introduce and suggest the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II as a future addition to the US Aviation tech tree. It is an American single-seat, single-engine, stealth multirole combat aircraft designed for air superiority and strike operations. This variant is the Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) for the United States Air Force and is the smallest and lightest variant.
Key Characteristics
- Stealth Fighter / Multirole Fighter
- Conventional Takeoff and Landing variant
- Highly integrated digital avionics, including AN/APG-81 AESA radar
- Internal 25mm rotary cannon and weapons bays to carry four AIM-120D AMRAAMs
- A P&W F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan with more than 40,000 lb force thrust
History
DevelopmentThe development of the F-35 originated from the Joint Strike Fighter program in 1993-1994 to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries. An aircraft would be developed and equipped with advanced weapons and sensor technology, so the new aircraft in massive numbers would replace F-16s, F/A-18s, AV-8s, and other 1980s aircraft technology. McDonnell Douglas, Northrop, Lockheed, and Boeing submitted their proposals to the Department of Defense to enter the competition. Lockheed Martin and Boeing were selected to be rewarded with a contract to develop their prototypes on November 16, 1996. Each competitor would have to produce two aircraft: one would demonstrate conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) and carrier takeoff and landing (CV), and the other one would demonstrate short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL).
Lockheed Martin developed its X-35A (later converted to X-35B) and X-35C, while Boeing developed its X-32A and X-32B, all powered by Pratt & Whitney F119. The X-32A first made its first flight on September 18, 2000, for CTOL and CV trials, and the X-35A first flew on October 24, 2000, to conduct 28 flight tests for flying qualities and performance. The X-35A was converted into the X-35B for STOVL testing. The X-35B would successfully demonstrate STOVL in a test flight by taking off in less than 500 feet, going supersonic, and landing vertically. This test flight would put Lockheed Martin ahead of Boeing.
On October 26, 2001, Lockheed Martin won the production contract, and Pratt & Whitney secured a development contract for the new F135 engine for the F-35 series.
Production DesignThe JSF program now evolved into the System Development and Demonstration phase, intending to produce F-35 combat aircraft. Lockheed Martin made differences on the production F-35 distant from the prototype X-35. The production F-35 has a lengthened forward fuselage by 5 inches more, moved horizontal stabilizers by 2 inches rearward, changed diverterless supersonic inlet from a four-sided to a three-sided cowl shape and moved 30 inches rearward, and raised top surface of fuselage section by 1 inch more to accommodate weapons bays. From this point, the designs of production F-35s were diverged for F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C. All of them are designed with a service life of 8,000 hours. Lockheed Martin is responsible for the overall systems integration and final assembly and checkout, while Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems supply components of mission systems and airframes.
The F-35A is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 low-bypass augmented turbofan. It is derived from the Pratt & Whitney F119 used by the F-22A Raptor with a larger fan, more subsonic thrust, and better fuel efficiency; however, it does not enable supercruise for the F-35 platform, unlike the F-22. Rated 28,000 lb force thrust at military power and 43,000 lb force thrust with an afterburner, it allows the F-35 to have a top speed of Mach 1.6 with the full internal payload. The F-35’s engine section was built and covered with radar-absorbent materials to conceal the turbine and contribute stealth. The engine consists of a low-observable axisymmetric nozzle with 15 overlapping flaps that provide a sawtooth pattern to reduce the radar signature and infrared signature of the exhaust plume. The power and thermal management, environment control, auxiliary power unit, and engine functions were all integrated into a single system. The F-35’s sound power is comparable to the F-16C and F/A-18E, though the low-frequency noise was pretty noticeable from the F-35.
The F-35 has two internal weapons bays, each with two weapons stations capable of mounting AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and Joint Direct Attack Munitions. The F-35 also has four external outboard weapon stations, and each carries a payload of up to 2,500 pounds and mounts a JDAM, Paveway, or Joint Standoff Weapon. In addition, the F-35 has wingtip pylons, which can only mount an AIM-9X Sidewinder. A stealth air-to-air weapon configuration would consist of four AIM-120 missiles in the weapons bay and two AIM-9X missiles on the wingtip pylons, while the possible non-stealth air-to-air weapons configuration could consist of eight AIM-120s and two AIM-9Xs. Behind the weapons bays, there are two compartments containing flares, chaff, and towed decoys. The F-35A is armed with a 25 mm GAU-22/A rotary cannon, mounted internally near the left root, with 182 rounds carried and a rate of fire up to 3,300 shots per minute or 55 rounds per second.
The surface of the F-35’s fuselage and wings are covered with radar-absorbent materials and intentionally shaped to continuously curvatures to reduce radar cross-section. In addition, the F-35’s diverterless supersonic inlet uses a compression bump and forward-swept cowl, further reducing the radar signature. It is reported that the F-35’s radar signature was measured to less than a metal gift ball depending on frequencies and angles. The latest stealth technology on the F-35 is comparably better than the F-22 because the F-22 is the first fighter to possess stealth technology, and the F-35’s stealth design benefited from the lessons learned from the F-22. The low-frequency radars can detect the F-35 due to Rayleigh scattering; however, these radars are susceptible to clutter and lack precision.
The F-35 has a glass cockpit designed to increase the pilot’s situational awareness. It has a large and wide touchscreen as the main display that shows flight instruments, store management, CNI information, and caution and warning information for the pilot. It does not have a head-up display; instead, the flight and combat information is fed into the visor of the pilot’s helmet in a helmet-mounted display system, allowing the pilot to see it no matter which way they are facing. The infrared and night vision imagery from the Distributed Aperture System can be displayed directly on the HMDS for the pilot. The HDMS provides a high-angle off-boresight capability to fire missiles at targets.
The F-35’s mission systems are the most complex, sophisticated, and expensive of all parts. Digital avionics and sensor fusion, combining sensor data from multiple sensor sources to obtain more accurate location estimates of targets, are installed to facilitate network-centric warfare and improve the pilot’s situational awareness. The key sensors include the AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system, AN/AAQ-37 Electro-optical Distributed Aperture System, AN/AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) and AN/ASQ-242 Communications, Navigation, and Identification system, capable of sharing communication data to other friendlies without compromising the stealth. These sensors are designed and installed to work together to provide a clear image of situations on the battlefield.
The APG-81 AESA radar uses electronic scanning for rapid beam agility and incorporates passive and active air-to-air and strike modes. It has synthetic aperture radar capability of tracking and scanning multiple targets at a range of about 90 miles. The antenna has to be titled backward for stealth. It is complemented by the AAQ-37 Electro-optical Distributed Aperture System, which consists of six infrared sensors. It provides all-aspect missile launch warning, target tracking, and spherical infrared and night-vision imagery on the helmet visor. Behind the radar radome, the AAQ-40 EOTS is mounted under the nose and performs laser target, forward-looking infrared, and long-range IRST functions.
The ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system has ten radio frequency antennas embedded into the edges of the wing and tail for an all-aspect radar warning receiver. It provides sensor fusion of radio frequency and infrared tracking functions, geolocation threat targeting, and multispectral image countermeasures for self-defense against missiles. They assist in estimating the approximate location of targets. It is reported that this electronic warfare system could detect and jam hostile radars.
All of these features on the F-35 are designed to require less intensive maintenance than prior stealth aircraft, such as the F-22.
United States Air Force ServiceThe first F-35A was built and rolled out at Fort Worth, Texas, on February 19, 2006, only about five years after Lockheed Martin spent developing the F-35 from the X-35. The first F-35 ran its engine test in September 2006 and flew on December 15, 2006. The aircraft was given the name “Lightning II.”
The first F-35A and five new-built F-35As were to be used in test flights to assess the performance capabilities and mission systems. Consequently, the flight tests revealed several issues in the F-35B and F-35C that required expensive redesigns and resulted in several fleet-wide groundings, delaying further production of the new F-35s. Lockheed Martin would spend years addressing the identified defects with the cost overruns.
The F-35A was approved for flight training in early 2012, and the initial USAF training units at the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, received a delivery of the F-35A fleet prior alongside the USMC F-35Bs and USN F-35Cs. The USAF possesses the second fifth-generation supersonic stealth multirole fighter in its inventory. Subsequently, the F-35A fleet was expanded to the other AFBs.
The F-35A in the USAF’s 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, received the Block 3i configuration with new hardware on August 2, 2016, that began the Initial Operational Capability or declared combat ready. The F-35As conducted their first Red Flag exercise in 2017 that achieved a kill ratio of 15:1 against an F-16 aggressor squadron due to the advantage of the F-35’s mission systems. Eventually, the F-35As were deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE, on April 15, 2019, where they were first used in combat in strike operations against Islamic State in northern Iraq.
The existing F-35As received upgrades throughout their lifetime for the software and combat capabilities. The Block 2B configuration was the first combat-capable upgrade in July 2015, enabling the F-35 with air-to-air and strike capabilities. Blocks 3i and 3F were the incremental upgrades with more new software and hardware updates. The F-35As that received the final Block 3F configuration have concluded the System Development and Demonstration phase from December 2018 to March 2024.
The Block 4 configuration would be the first major upgrade program after the System Development and Demonstration phase, which began in development in 2019. It includes a new integration of additional weapons, AN/APG-85 AESA radar, new avionics hardware, and an improved F135 engine. Block 4 is expected to enter service in the late 2020s to early 2030s, though there were difficulties with new hardware that have caused delays to Block 4 aircraft deliveries from 2023 to 2024. In this Block, the F-35A equips a new weapon rack to carry two more AIM-120s in the weapons bays, increasing the internal air-to-air configuration to six missiles.
More than 300 F-35As have been delivered to the USAF, and around 1,000 F-35As are planned for production and delivery to this day. The F-35As have been exported and delivered to Australia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, and South Korea. Other international customers also placed orders of the F-35As and are awaiting the delivery.
Specifications
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIGeneral Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Length: 51.4 ft (15.7 m)
- Height: 14.4 ft (4.38 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft (10.7 m)
- Horizontal Tail Span: 22.5 ft (6.86 m)
- Wing Area: 460 sq ft (42.7 sq m)
- Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan jet engine
→ 40,000 lbf (178 kN) thrust A/B
→ 25,000 lbf (111 kN) thrust dry- Internal Fuel: 18,250 lb (8,278 kg)
- Empty Weight: 29,300 lb (19,659 kg)
- Max. Takeoff Weight: 70,000 lb (31,751 kg)
- Weapons Payload: 18,000 lb (8,165 kg)
Performance
- Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: 0.87 @ gross weight; 1.07 w/ loaded weight and 50% internal fuel
- Critical Altitude Speed: Mach 1.6 (1,200 mph; 1,931 km/h) w/ full internal weapons load
- Wing Loading: 107.7 lb/sq ft (526 kg/sq m)
- Service Ceiling: above 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
- Combat Range: 680 miles (1,095 km)
- Max. Range: 1,380 miles (2,220 km)
Weapons System
- Avionics:
- AN/APG-85 AESA Radar
- AN/AAQ-37 Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System
- AN/AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System
- AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare/electronic countermeasures system
- Integrated AN/ASQ-242 Communication, Navigation, Identification system
- Hardpoints:
- 4 internal; 6 external
- Air-to-Air:
- 25mm GAU-22/A 4-barrel rotary cannon (182 rounds)
- 2 x AIM-9X Sidewinders
- 4 x AIM-120C/D AARAAMs
- Air-to-Ground:
- 2 x 2,000 lb GBU-31 JDAMs
- 2 x 1,000 lb GBU-32 JDAMs
- 8 x 250 lb GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs
- 8 x 250 lb GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bombs II
- 6 x 500 lb GBU-12 Paveway II Laser-Guided Bombs
- 2 x 1,000 lb AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapons
- Other:
- Countermeasures (chaff and flares) dispensers
Cockpit
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
The F-35A as an incoming fifth-generation aircraft addition is inevitable once almost all fourth-generation aircraft have been added to the game. It would be the second 5th generation fighter after the F-22A Raptor, and it comes with highly digital avionics and state-of-the-art stealth technology. It would serve as a potential endgame top-tier asset in its line for the US aviation tech tree until the development and production of the sixth-generation fighter makes an appearance. Although the F-35A lacks the kinematic performance of the F-22, the F-35 could be competitive with fourth-generation fighters such as the F-16C Fighting Falcons and F/A-18C/D Hornets and F/A-18/E/F Super Hornets because the F-35A can employ its stealth, drag-free internal weapons bay, larger internal fuel doubled the F-16’s fuel, excellent handling qualities, and high AoA in one circle as the main strengths in its engagements. The F-35A could fill the gap in aviation tech trees of other countries to provide them with a platform for the fifth-generation aircraft.
See Also - F-35 Family
- https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/478441/f-35a-lightning-ii/
- https://www.airforce.gov.au/aircraft/f-35a-lightning-ii
- F-35 Lightning II Archives | Air & Space Forces Magazine
- https://www.airframer.com/aircraft_detail.html?model=F-35_JSF
- Air Force Declares F-35A Lightning II ‘Combat Ready’ > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News
- https://www.defensedaily.com/greater-load-outs-of-advanced-weapons-for-f-35-to-start-this-year-with-lot-15/weapons/
- About the F-35
- GAU-22/A 25mm Gatling Gun
- F-35 Lightning II | Lockheed Martin
- https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/aero/documents/F-35/f35-brochure.pdf
- AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) | Northrop Grumman
- F-35 Lightning II | Northrop Grumman
- https://www.prattwhitney.com/en/products/military-engines/f135
- F-35 Closer To Carrying Six AIM-120 Missiles Internally
- AN/APG-81 - Wikipedia
- Pratt & Whitney F135 - Wikipedia
- Joint Strike Fighter program - Wikipedia
- Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II - Wikipedia
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃
