F-35A Lightning II

The U.S. Air Force's fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter — combining low observability, sensor fusion, and internal weapons carriage in a single-engine CTOL design, operated by the U.S. and 18 partner nations.

Overview

The F-35A Lightning II is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 family, the Pentagon’s largest weapons program. It is the principal 5th-generation fighter of the U.S. Air Force and the most numerous stealth combat aircraft in the world, with over 1,300 delivered to date across the broader F-35 program Army Recognition. The aircraft blends low-observable shaping, internal payload bays, and an advanced sensor-fusion architecture to operate as a networked sensor node in contested airspace. Mature production, despite recurring sustainment and upgrade challenges, continues to drive unit costs downward; a recent blocking buy for Lots 18–19 contracted 296 aircraft at about $24.3 billion Air & Space Forces Magazine.

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