A F-35 ADVANCED STEALTH AIRCRAFT LIVING UP TO ITS NAME
The F-35 is modern aerial warfare personified. This isn’t your grandfather’s fighter jet. The F-35 fighter jet can strike enemies with extreme prejudice and also establish air superiority with ease; however, it’s also equipped with the capabilities to conduct reconnaissance and participate in electronic warfare. Yes, the aircraft is impressive. With an average cost of $75 to $80 million, it should be. However, we are still relatively early in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning production cycle; yet, we’ve already lost one. A missing F-35 was found in South Carolina, but there are several questions about the circumstances leading to this event. Related read: F35 Cost: A Rising Concern for the United States Military
How Many F-35s Does the U.S. Have?
It’s easy to think of all aircraft as being a part of the U.S. Air Force (USAF), but this isn’t so. Thus, the reason we find ourselves with three variants for three services when looking at the amount of F-35s you’ll find throughout the U.S. military. Here’s how they break down:
- 1,763 F-35 Lightning II will go to the USAF. Specifically, the F-35A.
- The U.S. Navy will have 353 F-35Bs and another 67 F-35Cs.
- Finally, the U.S. Army may have an order of 273 F-35C aircraft.
In total, this brings the estimates to be around 2,456. However, that number may need a slight adjustment after reports of one aircraft having to be abandoned midflight before crashing in the Palmetto State after taking flight from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in September 2023.
Is the F-22 Better Than the F-35?
It’s a bit subjective to view any comparison between the F-22 and F-35. Each aircraft has its pros and cons for relative factors involving military operations. For example, the F-22 is superior in stealth and dogfighting but doesn’t have the range or ability to absorb the same damage. On the other hand, while the F-35 may not be as stealthy, its stealth components are more durable. It’s also better at electronic warfare and sharing information. It’s also worth noting that the F-35 can be easier to repair and send back into service, further limiting the F-22’s appeal. The F-22 has some impressive features and may still retain important use cases. There are several different types of missions and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) isn't even selling the F-22 to enemies or allies because of its advanced stealth technology. Suggested read: The F-22 Raptor Cost Is Putting the Plane's Production in Jeopardy
How Do You Lose an $80 Million Aircraft? (And What Caused the Incident?)
There is a bit of irony in knocking a stealth aircraft for being hard to find, but that’s where we crash land as this ongoing story continues. Thankfully, it seems no one has been hurt by the incident, but it’s still a less-than-ideal situation for the American Armed Forces as a whole. The good news is that the crash site of the missing F-35 jet was finally found, but that is far from the end of this ongoing mystery. With the debris field located north of Joint Base Charleston, the military is still scrambling to understand the “Class-A mishap.” Why did it happen? How did it happen? Why can’t we track aircraft that cost $80 million in an easier fashion? The growing list of concerns will be keeping a variety of military branches busy for quite some time. On the ground, you can find the debris about two hours north of where the pilot ejected out of the aircraft. The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is investigating the incident that is leading the team 80 miles north of Joint Base Charleston. Because this is an ongoing investigation at the time of this writing, there are a lot of unknowns. However, they are using the stand-down to review policies and procedures for operating aircraft to improve operations moving forward.
How Fast is the F 35?
The F-35 can top out at Mach 1.6, or about 1,228 mph. Although it’s not exactly the fastest fighter jet in the world, it doesn’t need to be. Good luck finding it, due to its advanced stealth tech. Because even if you manage to do so, it’s capable of impressive maneuvers and superior aircraft-to-aircraft dogfighting. Despite a high-profile hiccup, the aircraft doesn't just define the present in top-of-the-line capabilities but it also represents the future of aerial superiority. Read next: Find Out the F-22 Raptor Top Speed and Other Fun Raptor Specs