Widescreen:
Syria
Flying the F-35 Lightning
by John Little on 15/01/2007W. Thomas Smith Jr. talks to Lockheed Martin’s chief test pilot Jon Beesley:
“This is the plane that — because of its stealth — will be able to go in and kick down the door on the first day of a war,” says Beesley. “If you look at last three wars, the first wave aircraft were the stealthy airplanes. Now we are coming into an era where rather than 50 stealthy airplanes, like the F-117; commanders of the future might have 500 to 1,000 to choose from.”
In addition to stealth, speed, and maneuverability; the F-35 has increased range, and it carries a greater payload than the legacy fighters it is replacing (also a greater payload capability than the new F-22). It is able to simultaneously fight at least eight enemy planes, and, at the same time, lock-on to as many as 16 enemy ground targets. And it can track literally hundreds of targets for 360 degrees and at tracking distances that — though classified — far exceed the distances of the legacy jets.
Related:
Wikipedia – F-35 Lightning II
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