Defense Industry 13 June 2025 - 1 October 2025

An F-35A Lightning II in flight. The fifth-generation F-35 is designed as a multi-role stealth fighter, intended to dominate both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements.The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine fifth-generation stealth fighters developed under the Joint Strike Fighter program Wikipedia. It was conceived as a multirole platform equally adept at air superiority and precision strike missions, with advanced sensors enabling electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles Wikipedia. The F-35 program began in the 1990s to replace aging aircraft like the F-16, F/A-18, and AV-8B Harrier II across U.S. and allied fleets Wikipedia. In 2001, Lockheed’s X-35 design beat Boeing’s X-32 to win the JSF contract, leading to the F-35’s development as a coalition fighter funded by the U.S. and eight partner nations Wikipedia.