Aero India 2023: USAF F-35A Lightning II makes its debut at airshow

By Vipin Vijayan | First Published Feb 13, 2023, 11:34 PM IST

The F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team will impress crowds with a demo of its unique aerial capabilities. Another F-35A Lightning II from the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska will be on static display.

The United States Air Force’s fifth-generation stealth fighters – the multirole F-35A Lightning II and F-35A Joint Strike Fighter -- have made their debut at the Aero India 2023 being held in Bengaluru. The fighter jets landed in Bengaluru after completing a journey from the Hill Air Force Base in Utah, United States.

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Also Read: Aero India 2023: US to use F-35A Lightning II as showstopper

The F-35's engine produces 43,000 pounds of thrust and consists of a 3-stage fan, a 6-stage compressor, an annular combustor, a single-stage high-pressure turbine, and a two-stage low-pressure turbine. 

Major General Julian C Cheater, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, said: "The F-35 represents the leading edge of US fighter technology. Aero India is an ideal forum to showcase the US's most advanced, capable, lethal, and interoperable weapons systems. This system and others are designed to penetrate and defeat advanced adversary air defences."

Nine countries -- United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia -- were involved in the development of the F-35. Equipped with a host of next-generation technologies, the F-35 is billed as the world's most advanced multi-role fighter.

Let's take a look at the aircraft's specifications:

Primary Function: Multirole fighter

Prime Contractor: Lockheed Martin

Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan engine

Thrust: 43,000 pounds

Wingspan: 35 feet (10.7 meters)

Height: 14 feet (4.38 meters)

Length: 51 feet (15.7 meters)

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 70,000-pound class

Fuel Capacity: Internal: 18,498 pounds

Payload: 18,000 pounds (8,160 kilograms)

Speed: Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph)

Range: More than 1,350 miles with internal fuel (1,200+ nautical miles), unlimited with aerial refuelling

Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometres)

Armament: Internal and external capability. Munitions carried vary based on mission requirements.

Crew: One

To note, besides showcasing the capability of one of the USAF’s leading fighter jets, the United States will also hold daily aerial demonstrations of an F-16 Fighting Falcon duo till February 17. On static display, the F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are multirole fighters. The United States has brought its largest-ever delegation to Aero India this year.

Also Read: Aero India 2023: Meet HLFT-42, the aircraft that will train pilots for 5th generation fighter jets

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