F-35 Lightning IIF-35A Lightning IIRoleStealth multirole fighterNational originUnited StatesManufacturerLockheed Martin AeronauticsFirst flight15 December 2006 (F-35A)IntroductionF-35B: 31 July 2015 (USMC)
F-35A: 2 August 2016 (USAF)
F-35C: 1 January 2018 (USN)StatusIn servicePrimary usersUnited States Air Force
United States Marine Corps
United States Navy
Royal Air Force
See Operators section for othersProduced2006–presentNumber built355+ as of 20 December 2018 Program costUS$1.508 trillion (through 2070 in then-year dollars), US$55.1B for RDT&E, $319.1B for procurement, $4.8B for MILCON, $1123.8B for operations & sustainment (2015 estimate) Unit costF-35A: $89.2M (low rate initial production lot 11 (LRIP 11) including F135 engine, cost in 2020 to be $80M)
F-35B: US$115.5M (LRIP 11 including engine)
F-35C: US$107.7M (LRIP 11 including engine) Developed fromLockheed Martin X-35
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It has three main models: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, the F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant, and the F-35C carrier-based catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) variant. The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the winning design of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. It is built by Lockheed and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.
The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey is the sole supplier of several F-35 parts. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.
