14 Years of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Fighter

2015-10-12T17:44:00.000Z

The initial squadron of America's most expensive weapons system ever built is on track for "initial combat use" by August 2016. Fourteen years ago this month, Lockheed Martin won the contract to build America's premier fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

Business Insider toured Lockheed Martin's massive production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, where the three F-35 Lightning II variant aircraft are designed and manufactured.

Here is a look at the unique capabilities of the F-35 variant aircraft.

The F-35 is the Pentagon's largest arms program, with an estimated price tag of $391 billion over the next five decades.

Source: Reuters

The US Department of Defense expects a fleet of 2,457 F-35s over the next five decades.

Source: Reuters

The lightest of the jets is the F-35A.

The F-35B is in the middle at 14.3 feet tall and weighs 32,300 pounds.

The F-35C is the tallest and the heaviest.

The F-35A and F-35B have the same wingspan and nearly the same length.

Designed for the Navy, the F-35C features longer wings to create drag for the jet to slowly land on aircraft carriers.

The F-35C has another unique wing design.

"During a normal F-35C launch, the jet goes from zero to 150 miles per hour, traveling the 310-foot length of the catapult in about two seconds," according to Lockheed Martin.

Source: Lockheed Martin

According to Navy officials, the at-sea developmental testing of the F-35C is almost done.

Source: Reuters

The F-35A is the only variant that has an internal gun; aside from that, the jets have similar designs.

All three variants are coated with a special material to avoid radar.

And obviously, the F-35 jets have some serious firepower.

The F-35C carries 19,750 pounds of fuel, the most fuel of the variant aircraft. All jets have the capability to be refueled in air.

The F-35A, however, is refueled differently.

9 nations have already placed orders for America's premier fighter jet.

Source: Reuters

There's nothing else like America's most expensive war machine ever

The F-35 is the Pentagon's largest arms program, with an estimated price tag of $391 billion over the next five decades.

The US Department of Defense expects a fleet of 2,457 F-35s over the next five decades.

The lightest of the jets is the F-35A.

The F-35B is in the middle at 14.3 feet tall and weighs 32,300 pounds.

The F-35C is the tallest and the heaviest.

The F-35A and F-35B have the same wingspan and nearly the same length.

Designed for the Navy, the F-35C features longer wings to create drag for the jet to slowly land on aircraft carriers.

The F-35C has another unique wing design.

"During a normal F-35C launch, the jet goes from zero to 150 miles per hour, traveling the 310-foot length of the catapult in about two seconds," according to Lockheed Martin.

According to Navy officials, the at-sea developmental testing of the F-35C is almost done.

The F-35A is the only variant that has an internal gun; aside from that, the jets have similar designs.

All three variants are coated with a special material to avoid radar.

And obviously, the F-35 jets have some serious firepower.

The F-35C carries 19,750 pounds of fuel, the most fuel of the variant aircraft. All jets have the capability to be refueled in air.

The F-35A, however, is refueled differently.

9 nations have already placed orders for America's premier fighter jet.

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know