Collaboration of 1,500 Vendors Results in the Creation of the Most Advanced Combat Plane to Date

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The F-35 strengthens national security, enhances global partnerships, and powers economic growth. It is the most lethal, survivable, and connected fighter aircraft in the world, giving pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and come home safely.

As adversaries advance and legacy aircraft age, the F-35 is critical to maintaining air dominance for decades to come.

The F-35: Unrivaled Capabilities

The F-35 team is delivering integrated sustainment capabilities to ensure the F-35 is mission-ready, anytime and anywhere. Because minutes matter, Lockheed Martin’s 24/7 operations centers, and sustainment engineers partner closely with our customers to solve new challenges and meet the needs of the flight line.

Technical Specifications

Designed to operate from conventional runways, the F-35 is the most common variant operated by the United States Air Force and most international allied customers.

Length: 51.4 ft / 15.7 m
Height: 14.4 ft / 4.38 m
Wingspan: 35 ft / 10.7 m
Wing Area: 460 ft² / 42.7 m²
Horizontal Tail Span: 22.5 ft / 6.86 m
Weight Empty: 29,300 lbs
Internal Fuel Capacity: 18,250 lbs / 8,278 kg
Weapons Payload: 18,000 lbs / 8,160 kg
Standard Internal Weapons Load: 25 mm GAU-22/A cannon; Two AIM-120C/D air-to-air missiles; Two 2,000-pound GBU-31 JDAM guided bombs
Maximum Weight: 70,000 lb class
Speed: Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph)
Combat Radius (Internal Fuel): > 590 nm / 1,093 km (USAF profile)
Range: > 1,200 nm / 2,200 km (USAF profile)
Max G-Rating: 9.0

Designing and building

Lockheed Martin provides transformational technology to develop, produce and sustain the F-35. From the production line to the flight line, Lockheed Martin compiles decades of experience to build and sustain the most advanced aircraft in the world.

The F-35 program focuses on three core lifecycle areas: Development, Production, and Sustainment. The F-35 delivers a next-generation aircraft that will perform missions for decades to come. To help our customers meet this mission we continue to develop new capabilities to defend against evolving global threats and better produce and sustain the F-35.

The F-35 delivers unmatched mission flexibility to the U.S and our international partners. We continue to develop new capabilities and systems to ensure that the F-35 dominates the battle space today and in the future.

We continue to add new weapon systems to significantly enhance the F-35. To widen the gap between 4th Generation aircraft and the F-35 we’ve increased the internal weapons capacity added more missions to multi-role and integrated new technologies into the F-35 suite.

Aggressive F-35 production continues to ramp up, with a 50 percent production increase over the last four years. We continue to increase production rates, improve efficiencies, reduce costs and meet our delivery targets. At peak production, we will have the capability to deliver one F-35 every working day.

F-35 production across all three variants takes place on a common production line. The strength of the F-35 program stems from our partners. We source from nearly 1,400 suppliers, across 45 states and Puerto Rico.

Today, we use new manufacturing technologies to produce the F-35. These new technologies use robotic systems, automation, and data integration to continuously develop our production system.

Economic influence

The unrivaled F-35 helps secure our world. Uniting valued allies and partners, powering small businesses, and creating high-paying, high-tech jobs for workers in the innovation economy.

Investing in American Workers

Bringing together the best of our industry through active support of workers, businesses and communities around the country.

Annual Economic Impact: $65 Billion
Advanced Manufacturing Jobs: 298,000
High-Tech Suppliers: 1,650
Small Business Corps: 1,000
Creating the Jobs of the Future

Advancing the industry by ensuring workers have the expertise and skills to outpace global competitors.

Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecurity
Software Development
Advancing the Digital Enterprise

Reducing the cost and schedule of aircraft development, operation and sustainment to set the new standard of connected protection.

Digital Twin
Model-Based Engineering
Agile Software Development

The F-35: Bringing Together the Best of Our Industry

“Machinists Union members take great pride in building the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for three U.S military services. The F-35 program creates a powerful economic impact for our nation and it produces a game changing aircraft that keeps our fighter pilots safe. Now is the time to invest in the best air-to-air fighter by ramping up the production line to reduce unit costs and continue to handle the world’s current and emerging threats.”