Navy Rolls Out The F-35 Lightning II JSF

Meet the Lightning IIfrom the Naval Air Station JAX News.

By MC2(SW) Rebekah Blowers Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) welcomed the Navy’s first Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C Lightning II, to the fleet in a July 28 ceremony. The F-35C is the Navy’s first stealth fighter and possesses uncompromised carrier suitability and low-maintenance stealth materials designed for long-term durability in the carrier environment.

CNO Adm. Gary Roughead said this aircraft adds tremendous capability to the fleet and that “Our Sailors will never be in a fair fight because this airplane will top anything that comes its way.

The F-35C is on schedule to meet the Navy’s initial operational capability in 2015. It combines stealth with supersonic speed and high agility. The Lightning II employs the most powerful and comprehensive sensor package ever incorporated into a fighter.

This is one bad MF-er.




Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 1.67[164] (1,283 mph, 2,065 km/h)
Range: A: 1,200 nmi; B: 900 nmi; C: 1,400 nmi (A: 2,220 km; B: 1,670 km; C: 2,520 km) on internal fuel[165]
Combat radius: A: 610 nmi; B: 500 nmi; C: 640 nmi (A: 1,110 km; B: 910 km; C: 1,150 km) on internal fuel[165]
Service ceiling: A/B/C: 60,000 ft[166] (18,288 m)
Rate of climb: classified (not publicly available)

Thrust/weight:

With full fuel: A: 0.89; B: 0.92; C: 0.81[40]
With 50% fuel: A: 1.12; B: 1.10; C: 1.01[40]
g-Limits: F-35A: 9 g, F-35B: 7.5 g, F-35C: 7.5 g
Armament


Guns: 1 × GAU-22/A 25 mm (0.984 in) cannon — slated to be mounted internally with 180 rounds in the F-35A and fitted as an external pod with 220 rounds in the F-35B and F-35C.[40]
Hardpoints: 6× external pylons on wings with a capacity of 15,000 lb (6,800 kg)[40][43] and 2× internal bays with 2 pylons each[43] (Total weapons payload of 18,000 lb on A and C models.)[167],
Missiles:

Internal: 4 air-to-air missiles, or 2 air-to-air missiles and 2 air-to-ground weapons.
External: 6 air-to-air missiles, or 4 air-to-ground weapons and 2 air-to-air missiles[47] with combinations for the following missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-132 ASRAAM
AIM-9X Sidewinder
Air-to-ground weapons:
AGM-154 JSOW
AGM-158 JASSM
Bombs:

Mark 84 general purpose bombs
Mark 83 GP bombs
Mark 82 GP bombs
Mk.20 Rockeye II cluster bomb
Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser capable
Paveway-series laser-guided bombs
Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) (Quad launcher counts as a single air-to-ground weapon above.)
JDAM-series