Everything You Need to Know about the F-35C (2024)

Everything You Need to Know about the F-35C

1.It brings stealth to the sea.

The F-35C is the first and world’s only long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations. It’s configuration, embedded sensors, internal fuel and weapons capacity, aligned edges, and state of the art manufacturing processes all contribute to the F-35’s unique Very Low Observable stealth performance. This enables pilots to evade enemy detection and operate in anti-access and contested environments, improving lethality and survivability.

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2.It has the most advanced and comprehensive sensor suite of any fighter jet in history.

The Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA) radar, Distributed Aperture System (DAS), Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS) and Helmet Mounted Display System allow the pilot to see everything in the battlespace with unprecedented situational awareness.

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3.It is a force multiplier.

The F-35 can operate as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset and battle manager, sharing information to all networked ground, sea and air assets in the battlespace. This ensures men and women in uniform can execute their mission and come home safe.

4.It has range and mission persistence.

The F-35C carries nearly 20,000 lbs of internal fuel and has a range of greater than 1,200 nm. The enables F-35C pilots to fly further and remain in a desired battlespace longer before refueling is necessary.

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5.It has the largest wingspan and most robust landing gear of all F-35 variants.

The design of the F-35C’s wings and landing gear make it suitable for catapult launches and fly-in arrestments aboard naval aircraft carriers.

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Its wingtips also fold to allow for more room on the carrier’s deck while deployed.

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6.It is supersonic.

The F-35C can reach speeds of 1.6 Mach (~1,200 mph) even with a full internal weapons load. With its fuel and internal weapons load, the F-35C can fly faster with no drag associated with external tanks and weapons required for legacy fighters.

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7.It can carry internal and external weapons.

The F-35C can carry more than 5,000 lbs of internal weapons, or more than 18,000 lbs of combined internal and external weapons. This allows the Navy to operate in stealth when necessary, or increase lethality with additional weapons externally when the air space is permissive.

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8.The U.S. Navy is the largest F-35C operator and has plans to procure 273 F-35Cs.

Naval Air Station Lemoore is home to the Navy’s Joint Strike Fighter Wing. The U.S. Marine Corps is also acquiring F-35C aircraft along with their F-35BSs.

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9.The F-35 is built by thousands of men and women in the United States and around the world.

Lockheed Martin leads the F-35 industry team with Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt & Whitney.The program is managed by the Department of Defense’s F-35 Joint Program Office.More than 1,900 suppliers build and sustain the F-35 program in 48 U.S. states and in more than 10 countries.

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F-35

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Everything You Need to Know about the F-35C (2024)

FAQs

What do you need to know about the F-35? ›

It is supersonic.

The F-35C can reach speeds of 1.6 Mach (~1,200 mph) even with a full internal weapons load. With its fuel and internal weapons load, the F-35C can fly faster with no drag associated with external tanks and weapons required for legacy fighters.

Why is the F-35 so special? ›

In terms of avionics, the F-35 truly is unparalleled. The fighter has the most advanced sensor suite of any jet in history, including the Distributed Aperture System (DAS), the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS and advanced electronic warfare capabilities.

How many bombs can the F-35 carry? ›

The F-35 can internally store up to six missiles for air-to-air engagements and eight bombs for ground attack missions. Additionally, it can carry up to four GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs with a maximum range of 10 miles.

How fast is the F-35 in mph? ›

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Speed and Stealth

At Mach 1.6 (1,200mph) – 1.6 times the speed of sound – the Lightning II can operate as a long-range, supersonic fighter, even with a full complement of internal weapons and fuel.

Why does the US sell the F-35 but not the F-22? ›

Unlike the vast majority of U.S. military aircraft, the F-22 was never designed to be exported. As such, it was packed with classified technology and produced through advanced production methodologies that the United States would rather keep close to the chest.

Why is the F-35 not good? ›

The F-35 has been troubled by "problems with its stealth coating, sustained supersonic flight, helmet-mounted display, excessive vibration from its cannon, and even vulnerability to being hit by lightning," Business Insider reports. (The irony?

Is F-35 better than F16? ›

Finally, the F-35 office said simulated combat scenarios have shown that four F-35s have won encounters when pitted against a four-ship of F-16s. "The F-35s won each of those encounters because of its sensors, weapons, and stealth technology," the statement said.

Can a F-35 fly without a pilot? ›

"Historically, an aircraft without a pilot can fly a long way on autopilot," added Frederik Mertens, a strategic analyst with the Hague Center for Security Studies. "Without air-to-air refueling, the F-35 has a range of over 1,000 miles," retired Air Commodore Andrew Curtis, of Britain's Royal Air Force, told Newsweek.

Can an F-35 hold a nuke? ›

WASHINGTON — The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter has been operationally certified to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb, a spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) tells Breaking Defense.

What is the nickname of the F-35? ›

In 2006, the F-35 was given the name "Lightning II" after the Lockheed P-38 Lightning of World War II. Some USAF pilots have nicknamed the aircraft "Panther" instead. The aircraft's software was developed as six releases, or Blocks, for SDD.

What are the F-35 problems? ›

F-35 faces production issues and modernization delays that increase costs. Technology is always changing—even when it comes to the most advanced weapon systems. DOD is pursuing a $16.5 billion modernization effort that will provide the F-35 with new capabilities through both hardware and software upgrades.

Is the F-35 difficult to fly? ›

Remarkably easy to fly

And by the way, not everyone's the same. So there really are pilots who are better than others, but as a test pilot, that flying skill is what keeps us alive. We need to be good at it. Yet in the F-35, after so many years of development, it is a remarkably easy aircraft to fly.

What is the most feared fighter jet in the world? ›

The F-22 Raptor, produced by the United States, is a stealth fighter known for its lethal capabilities.

How many hours can an F-35 fly without refueling? ›

On a long distance flight the F-35 will cruise at around 600mph and a range of a little over 1,200 miles before refueling. That means refueling every 2 hours, give or take. Pilots lose their sharpness after 6 hours, but are functional for up to 8 hours.

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