Documents
United States Lockheed Martin
F-35A Lightning II
Fifth-generation single-engine stealth multirole fighter and the most-produced 5th-gen aircraft in the world. The conventional take-off A variant combines low observability, sensor fusion and networked warfare for 20 operator nations.
In service since 2016 · 20 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
1,960
km/h
2,800
km range
15,240
m ceiling
8,160
kg payload
0.87
T/W
💲 ≈ $82,500,000 — Lot 15-17 flyaway cost, F-35A
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 20 operators
In service since 2016. Status: active · ~1,100 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$206M – $289M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The F-35A is the conventional-takeoff variant of the largest defense program in history, and the aircraft that defines what a fifth-generation fighter means: very-low-observable shaping, internal weapons carriage, and — above all — sensor fusion. Its AN/APG-81 AESA radar, 360-degree Distributed Aperture System and helmet-mounted display merge into a single tactical picture, which the jet then shares across the force via MADL and Link 16. In practice the F-35 acts as much as a flying sensor-and-command node as a shooter.
More than 1,100 airframes serve with some twenty nations, making it the most-produced stealth aircraft ever and the de facto backbone of Western tactical air power. Unit flyaway cost has fallen to roughly $82 million — below many fourth-generation rivals.
During the 2026 Iran war, US and Israeli F-35s flew the opening nights of the strike campaign, using their low observability to work inside dense air-defense coverage — the type's largest combat employment to date and a heavily scrutinised real-world test of stealth against a layered, modern IADS.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 1,960 km/h Stronger than 34% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 1.6 Mach Stronger than 13% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 2,800 km Stronger than 35% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 1,240 km Stronger than 65% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 15,240 m Stronger than 32% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 0.87 Bottom 10% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 25 mm GAU-22/A rotary cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 10 Stronger than 64% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 8,160 kg Stronger than 75% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda EW suite, chaff, flares
- Signature reduction
Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified.
- Very low observable airframe shaping with fiber-mat RAM; internal weapons bays
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 15.67 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 10.7 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 4.38 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 13,290 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 22,470 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 1
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 191 kN Top 2% of fighters
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 10,600 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- AN/APG-81 AESA
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- AN/AAQ-40 EOTS, AN/AAQ-37 DAS 360° IR, helmet-mounted display
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- MADL, Link 16
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $82,500,000 Stronger than 32% of fighters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 1,100 Stronger than 89% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 20 Top 6% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Lockheed Martin and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has a maximum speed of 1,960 km/h.
What is the range of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has a maximum range of 2,800 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II can carry up to 8,160 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II weigh? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has a combat weight of 22,470 kg.
How many crew does the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II require? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II's primary weapon is the 25 mm GAU-22/A rotary cannon.
What engine does the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II use? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II is powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan.
What is the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II used for? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II is a fighter aircraft typically used for multirole combat, air superiority, deep strike, isr.
How many countries operate the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II is operated by 20 countries.
How much does the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II cost? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has an approximate unit cost of 82,500,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Lockheed Martin
F-22A Raptor
Dassault Aviation
Rafale F4
Lockheed Martin
F-35B Lightning II
Lockheed Martin