Airframe BF-01 performed the F-35’s first vertical landing on Mar. 18, 2010, and the first vertical takeoff on May 10, 2013, at NAS Patuxent River. The first F-35B Lightning II STOVL (Short Take-Off ...

The last flight of the first F-35B Lightning II covered more than 500 miles at speeds considerably slower than Mach 1.6. And in this case it had to hitch a ride. The airframe of the fighter jet, known ...

Runways are undesirable locations for military aircraft. Being tied to miles of concrete gives jet aircraft a built-in vulnerability as well as restricting their flexibility. At sea, it is extremely ...

As deliveries continue, the JASDF has now started training operations with the F-35B Lightning II at Nyutabaru Air Base. The JASDF (Japan Air-Self Defense Force) officially began its training ...

The AV-8B Harrier is now nearly retired—but its mission profile will live on in the F-35B Lightning II, which shares many of the same capabilities. The AV-8B Harrier remains one of the most instantly ...

Despite radius and payload constraints, the F-35B is well-suited to meet the Marine Corps’ operational demands. Out of the three Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II variants, the F-35B, in use with the ...