The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF), is being developed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and UK Royal Navy.
JSF is a joint, multinational acquisition program for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight cooperative international partners. Expected to be the biggest military aircraft procurement ever, the stealth, supersonic F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) will replace a large range of aging fighter and strike aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied defense forces worldwide.
The JSF aircraft design has 3 variants: standard takeoff and landing variant for the Air Force, aircraft carrier-suitable variant for the Navy, and short takeoff and vertical landing variant for the Marine Corps, the UK, and the Air Force. These aircraft are supposed to switch aging fighter and attack aircraft currently in the inventory.
The Air Force's F-35A version of the craft is a standard takeoff and landing airplane to exchange the F-16 Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II. it'll partner with the F-22 Raptor. The Marine Corps, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force need and want a short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft, dubbed the F-35B. The Marines want new aircraft to exchange their AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18 Hornets. The British need to switch sea Harriers and GR.7 Tornado fighters. The Navy's F-35C version of the plane is a carrier-based strike fighter to complement the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. it'll replace earlier versions of the F/A-18 yet as the A-6 Intruder, that already has left the inventory.
