History
Development
The F-35 originated from the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 1993–1994, aimed at replacing a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, and other allied nations. The goal was to develop an advanced aircraft equipped with cutting-edge weapons and sensor technology to replace aging platforms like the F-16, F/A-18, and AV-8B.
McDonnell Douglas, Northrop, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing submitted proposals to the Department of Defense. On November 16, 1996, Lockheed Martin and Boeing were awarded contracts to develop prototypes. Each company was required to produce two aircraft: one for Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) and Carrier Takeoff and Landing (CV), and another for Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL).
Lockheed Martin developed the X-35A (later converted to X-35B) and X-35C, while Boeing developed the X-32A and X-32B, all powered by Pratt & Whitney F119 engines. The X-32A first flew on September 18, 2000, for CTOL and CV trials, while the X-35A first flew on October 24, 2000, completing 28 flight tests to evaluate flying qualities and performance. The X-35A was later converted into the X-35B for STOVL testing, successfully demonstrating short takeoff, supersonic flight, and vertical landing in a single test flight. This achievement gave Lockheed Martin a significant edge over Boeing.
On October 26, 2001, Lockheed Martin won the production contract, and Pratt & Whitney secured a contract to develop the F135 engine for the F-35 series.
Production Design
The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program transitioned into the System Development and Demonstration phase with the goal of producing F-35 combat aircraft. Lockheed Martin made several modifications to the production F-35 compared to the prototype X-35. These modifications include:
- Extending the forward fuselage by five inches
- Moving the horizontal stabilizers two inches rearward
- Modifying the diverterless supersonic inlet was from a four-sided to a three-sided cowl shape and relocating 30 inches rearward
- Raising the top fuselage surface by 1 inch to accommodate the internal weapons bays.
From this point, the production designs diverged into three variants: F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C, each with a service life of 8,000 hours. Lockheed Martin oversees overall system integration, final assembly, and checkout, while Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems supply mission systems and airframe components.
The F-35C is designed with a larger wingspan to accommodate more fuel for improved efficiency. Its larger wings also feature foldable wingtips and enhanced control surfaces to optimize low-speed handling. The nose gear uses a twin-wheel setup, and the landing gear is reinforced to withstand the stresses of carrier landings, with a tailhook for arresting. It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-400 low-bypass augmented turbofan, which is similar to the F135-PW-100 used in the F-35A, but it incorporates salt-corrosion-resistant materials for carrier-based operations. The engine provides 28,000 lb of thrust at military power and 43,000 lb of thrust with afterburner, enabling the F-35C to reach speeds of Mach 1.6 with a full internal payload. However, the F-35C does not support supercruise. The engine section is covered with radar-absorbent materials to conceal the turbine and enhance the aircraft’s stealth capabilities. The nozzle features a low-observable axisymmetric design with 15 overlapping flaps, reducing both radar and infrared signatures of the exhaust. The power, thermal management, environmental control, and auxiliary power unit functions are integrated into a single system. Its noise levels are comparable to the F-16C and F/A-18E, though the F-35 produces noticeable low-frequency sound.
The F-35C has two internal weapons bays, each equipped with two stations capable of carrying AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles or Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). The aircraft also features four external outboard weapon stations, each capable of carrying up to 2,500 pounds of payload, including JDAMs, Paveway bombs, or Joint Standoff Weapons. Additionally, wingtip pylons—SUU-96 pylons with LAU-151/152 launcher rails—are designed to carry AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles. These pylons are angled outward to help minimize radar cross-section. The latest AIM-9X Block II+ variant includes stealth-enhancing coatings and structural improvements to preserve the F-35’s radar signature. In a stealthy air-to-air configuration, the F-35C could carry four AIM-120 missiles in the internal bays and two AIM-9X missiles on the wingtip pylons. In a non-stealth air-to-air configuration, the loadout could include eight AIM-120s and two AIM-9Xs. Behind the weapons bays, two compartments hold flares, chaff, and towed decoys. While the F-35C lacks an internal gun, it can carry a GAU-22/A in a Terma A/S multi-mission pod mounted on the aircraft’s centerline. The pod is designed with a low-observable shape to minimize its radar cross-section.
The F-35’s fuselage and wings are coated with radar-absorbent materials and designed with continuous curves to minimize radar cross-section. The aircraft’s diverterless supersonic inlet further reduces radar signature by using a compression bump and a forward-swept cowl instead of traditional boundary layer diverters. Reports indicate that the F-35’s radar signature is comparable to that of a metal golf ball, depending on detection frequencies and angles. While low-frequency radars can detect the F-35 due to Rayleigh scattering effects, these radars generally suffer from high levels of interference and lack precision. However, the F-35’s stealth technology is considered an improvement over the F-22’s, as it benefits from advancements and lessons learned from the first-generation stealth features introduced on the F-22.
The F-35 features an advanced glass cockpit designed to enhance pilot situational awareness. The cockpit is equipped with a large, widescreen touchscreen display that provides flight data, weapons management, communication, and navigation information, and system alerts. Instead of a traditional head-up display, the F-35 integrates this information into the pilot’s helmet via a helmet-mounted display system (HMDS). This system projects flight and combat data onto the pilot’s visor, allowing them to view critical information regardless of head position. The Distributed Aperture System (DAS) provides infrared and night vision imagery directly to the HMDS, allowing the pilot to have an unobstructed view of their surroundings. The HMDS also enables high off-boresight targeting, allowing missiles to be fired at extreme angles.
The mission systems of the F-35 are among the most advanced and costly aspects of the aircraft. Digital avionics and sensor fusion are combining with data from multiple sources to enhance battlefield awareness and facilitate network-centric warfare. Key sensors include the AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system, the AN/AAQ-37 Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System, the AN/AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), and the AN/ASQ-242 Communications, Navigation, and Identification (CNI) system. These systems work together to enable seamless data sharing with allied forces without compromising stealth.
The APG-81 AESA radar provides high-speed electronic scanning and features both passive and active air-to-air and strike capabilities. It also has synthetic aperture radar functionality, allowing it to track and scan multiple targets at ranges of approximately 90 miles. To maintain stealth characteristics, the radar antenna is tilted backward within the fuselage. Complementing the radar, the AAQ-37 DAS consists of six infrared sensors that provide missile launch warnings, target tracking, and spherical infrared imagery, which is projected onto the pilot’s helmet visor. The AAQ-40 EOTS, located beneath the nose, offers laser targeting, forward-looking infrared (FLIR), and long-range infrared search and track (IRST) capabilities.
The ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system features ten radio frequency antennas embedded in the edges of the wings and tail, providing 360-degree radar warning coverage. This system fuses radio frequency and infrared sensor data for enhanced situational awareness, geolocation of threats, and multi-spectrum electronic countermeasures. It is reported that the Barracuda system is capable of detecting and jamming enemy radar systems.
The F-35’s systems were designed to require less maintenance than previous stealth aircraft, such as the F-22, making it a more cost-effective and operationally sustainable platform.
United States Navy Service
The first F-35C was built and flew on June 6, 2010. It underwent extensive flight sciences and carrier operations suitability testing to assess flight performance, flight loads, store separation, and mission systems. During these tests, several issues were identified with both the F-35B and F-35C variants, leading to costly redesigns and fleet-wide groundings, which delayed further production. Notably, the F-35C’s arrestor hook design failed to reliably catch the arresting wire in all eight landing tests, and the aircraft’s fuel tanks were found to be vulnerable to lightning strikes. Lockheed Martin spent several years addressing these defects, resulting in cost overruns, and the redesigned arrestor hook was delivered two years later.
Once the new arrestor hook was delivered, the carrier-based Development Test I began in November 2014, aboard the USS Nimitz. The F-35C performed basic daytime carrier operations and launch/recovery procedures. Development Test II followed in October 2015, focusing on nighttime carrier operations and weapons loading. The final Development Test III took place in August 2016 to evaluate asymmetric loads and certify the aircraft for landing qualifications and interoperability. The F-35C successfully completed its operational test in 2018, opening the way for its introduction to the US Navy in 2019.
Initially, the US Navy stationed the F-35Cs at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in 2012, alongside the USAF F-35As and USMC F-35Bs with VFA-101. Operations later transferred to VFA-125 at Naval Air Station Lemoore in 2019, where the USN achieved operational status with the Block 3F F-35C on February 28, 2019. The USN became the first to operate a stealth-capable aircraft from a carrier deck, with plans to phase out the F/A-18C/D Hornets. In July 2021, the USMC’s VMFA-314 became the first F-35C squadron to achieve Full Operational Capability. The squadron deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, while the USN’s VFA-147 was the first F-35C squadron to deploy aboard the USS Carl Vinson. On November 9, 2024, Marine-operated F-35Cs conducted strikes in Yemen as part of the Red Sea crisis, marking their first combat deployment.
The Block 4 configuration, the first major upgrade for the F-35C, began development in 2019. It will integrate additional weapons, the AN/APG-85 AESA radar, new avionics hardware, and an upgraded F135 engine. Block 4 is expected to enter service in the late 2020s or early 2030s, though delays in new hardware have pushed deliveries from 2023 to 2024. The Block 4 upgrade includes a new weapon rack to carry two additional AIM-120s in the weapons bays, bringing the internal air-to-air missile configuration to six.
As of now, more than 60 F-35Cs have been delivered to the USN, with approximately 200 more planned for production. The F-35C will not be exported and remains exclusive to the United States.
