Described by some as the "Ferrari of the air", the Lockheed Martin F-35A is one of today's most advanced fighter jets. Several countries have already acquired them. In fact, its features make it one of the most suitable aircraft for securing a country's airspace. Read on to find out more about this highly acclaimed military aircraft.
The F-35 A, a high-performance aircraft born of an ambitious project
The F-35 A is a fifth-generation stealth bomber. It was developed by the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Its engines are manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. This type of aircraft is the result of the F-35 Lightning II program, launched in 1997 to build more than 2,000 combat aircraft for the US Army. The first version was intended to replace the US Air Force's F-16 and A-10. Since then, this stealth aircraft has been used in a number of conflicts, notably in the war against the Islamic State, as well as in Syria.
The F-35A, a fighter with multiple roles
The F-35A is a versatile aircraft. In addition to classic functions such as air defense, air strike or ground attack, this type of aircraft can be adapted to all circumstances.
Reconnaissance and surveillance roles
Intelligence gathering is one of the key issues in modern warfare. Indeed, the F-35A is an aircraft specially designed to monitor airspace and gather vital information in a foreign country, for example. This may concern troop movements and the enemy's military capacity to fight, in order to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
Destruction of enemy air defense systems
The F-35A's main asset is its stealth. When your adversary has a state-of-the-art air defense system, you need an aircraft that can infiltrate this space undetected. This is where the F-35A comes into its own. In fact, thanks to its stealth capabilities, it can penetrate an enemy's air defense system, locate potential targets and destroy threats.
Ground support
The F-35 is important in wartime, especially when the adversary's defense system poses a major threat. The aircraft can be reconfigured to support ground troops. The reconfiguration enables it to carry two AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and four GBU-31 PGM precision-guided air-to-ground bombs. In addition to these munitions, this 5th generation aircraft can carry four 906 kg GBU-31 air-to-ground bombs and two pylon-mounted AIM-9X air-to-air missiles.
The F-35A, an aircraft with a few shortcomings
Although the F-35A is still one of the world's best fighter jets, it does have a few weak points, according to some studies. Indeed, according to a recent Pentagon report revealed by Bloomberg, the F-35A has a a wide range of disabilities. Of these, 13 are classified as Category 1, meaning that they must be corrected as a matter of urgency.
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