The Government of Canada announced on January 9, 2023, it is procuring Lockheed Martin’s 5th Generation F-35A Lightning II aircraft as a result of the Future Fighter Capability Project competition.
Canada Announces the Procurement of the F-35 Lightning II
The Royal Canadian Air Force will receive 88 F-35A Lightning II multirole stealth fighters, a sustainment solution tailored to Canada’s sovereign requirements and a comprehensive training program.
«Canada is our friend and a close ally. Their decision to procure almost 90 jets underscores the value of the incredible F-35 Lightning II», said U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Mike Schmidt, program executive officer, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office. «The F-35 is the best in the world, providing unmatched interoperability to America, Canada and the additional 15 nations that have selected the fighter. It is a global game-changer. Through power-projection, the F-35 is at the tip of the spear for deterrence. Its forward presence will continue to ensure that potential adversaries choose diplomacy over armed conflict».
«We are honored the Government of Canada has selected the F-35A Lightning II, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian defence industry to deliver and sustain the aircraft», said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager of the F-35 Lightning II program. «The selection of F-35 strengthens allied airpower in Canada, North America and around the world».
The F-35 Lightning II strengthens Canada’s operational capability with its allies as a cornerstone for interoperability with NORAD and NATO. As a critical node in the 21st Century Security mission space, the F-35 Lightning II gives pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and come home safe.
«Together with our Canadian industry partners, we are honoured by this selection and the sustainment of critical jobs that will continue to equip Canadian workforces with advanced skills», said Lorraine Ben, chief executive, Lockheed Martin Canada. «The F-35 program yields tremendous economic benefits for Canada’s aerospace and defence industry, and we look forward to continued growth».
To date, the F-35 Lightning II operates from 27 bases worldwide, with nine nations operating F-35s on their home soil. There are more than 890 F-35s in service today, with more than 1,870 pilots and 13,500 maintainers trained on the aircraft.
The Netherlands Ministry of Defence and Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) have officially declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for their F-35A Lightning II fleet. With this announcement the Netherlands becomes the eighth country and 12th military service to declare IOC for its F-35A Lightning II fleet.
Royal Netherlands Air Force Declares F-35 IOC
«The declaration of IOC ushers in a new era of air power that gives the RNLAF transformational capabilities», F-35 Program Vice President and General Manager Bridget Lauderdale said. «I am proud of the Lockheed Martin team’s commitment to delivering the most effective, survivable and connected fighter to our partners in the Netherlands».
The most advanced fighter jet ever built, the F-35A Lightning II offers the RNLAF unmatched air superiority. Using its sensors and low observable technology, the F-35A Lightning II can operate with impunity in contested airspace and fuse a picture of the battlespace for other air, land and sea assets. Along with its advanced weapons capacity and superior range, the F-35A Lightning II offers unparalleled combat capabilities. The F-35A Lightning II will ensure the RNLAF can protect the national interest of the Netherlands and contribute to critical regional allied deterrence missions for decades to come.
The F-35A Lightning II program is leveraging the Netherlands’ industrial experience and expertise gained on the F-16 Fighting Falcon program to contribute to the technology development and production of the F-35 Lightning II. Every F-35A Lightning II contains components manufactured by Dutch companies, with more than 25 suppliers from across Dutch industry contributing to the program. With the introduction of advanced technologies, Dutch industry is strategically positioned to participate in the production of more than 3,000 F-35 Lightning II aircraft over the life of the program.
A total of 24 F-35As have been delivered to the RNLAF, and RNLAF crews have surpassed more than 9,085 flight hours to date, with 55 pilots and 262 maintainers supporting the fleet.
With more than 730 aircraft operating from 29 bases and ships across the globe, the F-35 Lightning II plays a critical role in today’s global security environment. More than 1,535 pilots and 11,500 maintainers have been trained on the aircraft. Nine nations have F-35s operating from their home soil.
F-35A SPECIFICATIONS
Length
51.4 feet/15.7 m
Height
14.4 feet/4.38 m
Wingspan
35 feet/10.7 m
Wing area
460 feet2/42.7 m2
Horizontal tail span
22.5 feet/6.86 m
Weight empty
29,300 lbs./13,290 kg
Internal fuel capacity
18,250 lbs./8,278 kg
Weapons payload
18,000 lbs./8,160 kg
Maximum weight
70,000 lbs. class/31,751 kg
Standard internal weapons load
two AIM-120C air-to-air missiles;
two 2,000-pound/907 kg GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guided bombs
L-001, Denmark’s first F-35A Lightning II production aircraft flew its inaugural flight. Denmark is the fifth European NATO nation to fly and operate an F-35, strengthening NATO’s 5th generation airpower foundation. Denmark is joining four other European nations who already operate the F-35 Lightning II: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway and Italy.
Denmark’s first F-35A Lightning II takes to the air for its first flight
Like the F-16 Fighting Falcon before it, the F-35A Lightning II is spearheading NATO’s air power and ensuring strategic integration of allied combat airpower. The vital interoperability of the 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II binds 13 allies and partners with the United States in air dominance and enabling critical joint capabilities. The F-35A Lightning II will serve as a force multiplier for Denmark, allowing the Royal Danish Air Force to train and fight alongside NATO allies and create a strong deterrent.
«Achieving the first flight of Denmark’s first F-35 is major milestone for the Denmark F-35 program and a testament to the outstanding abilities of our dedicated and highly trained joint industry and government team», said Bill Brotherton, acting F-35 vice president and general manager. «This team’s focus on delivering the most effective, survivable and connected fighter in the world will ensure the sovereign protection of Denmark and strengthen allies and partners through the NATO F-35 coalition».
L-001 is scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Danish Air Force in April and will be flown to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, later this year for pilot and maintainer training. F-35s will arrive in Denmark in 2023 and be based at Royal Danish Air Force’s Fighter Wing Skrydstrup where it will safeguard the skies over Denmark and its NATO allies.
On December 9, the joint force took another step toward achieving a military Internet of Things (IoT) when fifth-generation aircraft overcame long standing connectivity limitations to share actionable operational data in their native secure digital «languages» with and through multiple sources for the first time.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor and F-35A Lightning II fly in formation with the XQ-58A Valkyrie low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle over the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground testing range, Arizona, during a series of tests December 9, 2020. This integrated test follows a series of gatewayONE ground tests that began during the inaugural Department of the Air Force on-ramp last year in December (U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant James Cason)
This test was the latest demonstration of the transformative warfighting impact of the open architecture underpinning the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS).
The joint effort included a Marine Corps F-35B variant and the Air Force F-22 Raptor and F-35A Lightning II variant flying with an attritableONE XQ-58A Valkyrie for the first time. The primary tests took place at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona with preparatory tests at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Lieutenant Colonel Kate Stowe, gatewayONE program manager at the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, set out with 18 test objectives and successfully achieved nine.
«Testing is all about pushing the limits of what’s possible, finding out where the toughest challenges are, and adapting creative solutions to overcoming difficult problem sets», Stowe said. «The real win of the day was seeing the gatewayONE establish a secure two-way translational data path across multiple platforms and multiple domains. That’s the stuff ABMS is all about».
Fifth-generation fighters are typically limited to communicating with each other and to command and control centers via legacy tactical data connections, not in their native, but incompatible digital «languages» – Multifunctional Advanced Data Link for F-35 Lightning II and Intra-Flight Data Link for the F-22 Raptor. Not only can gatewayONE translate between those formats, in this test it moved data that is normally relegated to an operations center or tactical ground node, directly pushing it into the cockpit at the edge of the multi-domain battlespace for the first time.
Additionally, the test pushed the position data of each platform outside of the aircraft’s close-proximity formation through gatewayONE, which enables battle managers on the ground or in the air to better orchestrate operations. The gatewayONE payload also passed tracks or cues from ground operators to both fighters and passed a cue from the F-35A Lightning II to the F-22 Raptor for the first time. These bi-directional communications pathways occurred in the platforms’ native digital «languages» and the data was displayed through the aircrafts’ organic systems.
«The gatewayONE payload really showed what’s possible and helped us take a big step towards achieving (Joint All-Domain Command and Control)», said Lieutenant Colonel Eric Wright, a 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron F-35 pilot. «This critical capability provides additional connections between our advanced fighters and other forces and battle managers across all domains. The future is promising, and gatewayONE will allow the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II to connect to and feed data sources they’ve never before accessed. Those future connections will bring additional battlefield awareness into the cockpit and enable integrated fires across U.S. forces».
Additional successful tests during the week included establishing a communications pathway between the KC-46 Pegasus tanker and a ground node using commercial internet routing standards over the Tactical Targeting Network Technology waveform and the F-35B Lightning II sending full-motion video to a ground controller.
«If fifth-generation platforms are going to be quarterbacks of a joint-penetrating team, we have to be able to communicate with those quarterbacks in an operationally relevant manner and enable data sharing between them, to them, and from them. For years people said it couldn’t be done. Today the team turned another page toward making the impossible possible», said Preston Dunlap, Air and Space Force’s chief architect. «In just 12 months, the team has opened the door to a world where we can put the power of an operations center into the cockpit at the tactical edge».
The December 9 flight test included the attritableONE platform, also known as the XQ-58 Valkyrie, a lower-cost, unmanned, aerial vehicle. The rocket-launched Valkyrie successfully conducted a semi-autonomous flight alongside the F-22 Raptor and F-35s for the first time. The gatewayONE payload was integrated into the Valkyrie for its maiden voyage with the fifth-generation fighters to conduct an initial test of gateway capabilities from an attritable platform; however, shortly after takeoff, the communications payloads lost connectivity and those test objectives were unable to be accomplished.
The acquisition team – comprised of Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center personnel working in conjunction with Eglin Air Force Base, Florida’s 46th Test Squadron – came together to make this test a success and empower the platforms involved with capability desired by the warfighter and operator.
This integrated test follows a series of gatewayONE ground tests that began during the inaugural Department of the Air Force architecture on-ramp last year in December.
ABMS is the Air Force and Space Force’s priority program to develop the military’s first Internet of Things and is the services’ primary contribution to Joint All-Domain Command and Control, a Defense Department-led effort to securely connect all elements of the U.S. military–every sensor and shooter–across land, air, sea, space and cyberspace.
On January 31, 2020, Poland signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to purchase 32 F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) Aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin, and 33 Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines.
General Jeff Harrigian, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, presents Major General Jacek Pszczola, Inspector of the Polish Air Force, with an official invitation to the European F-35 Users Group, in Dęblin, Poland, January 31, 2020 (USAFE photo)
The supersonic F-35A Lightning II represents a quantum leap in air dominance capability with enhanced lethality and survivability in hostile, anti-access airspace environments.
The United States’ offer to Poland for 32 F-35A Lightning II multi-role aircraft is valued at $4.6 billion.
The United States is providing a Total Package Approach that not only includes delivery of the 32 aircraft, but also provides aircraft, pilot and maintenance support training; advanced flight simulators, and ongoing aircraft maintenance; and a robust logistics support system.
According to Reuters, Poland plans to buy 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters to replace Soviet-era jets, Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Tuesday (May 28, 2019), amid the growing assertiveness of neighbour Russia.
A Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft takes part in flying display during the 52nd Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 25, 2017 (REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo)
«Today we sent a request for quotation (LOR) to our American partners regarding the purchase of 32 F-35A Lightning II aircraft along with a logistics and training package», Blaszczak tweeted.
The United States is expected to expand sales of F-35 Lightning II fighters to five nations including Poland as European allies bulk up their defenses in the face of a strengthening Russia, the Pentagon said last month.
Poland is among NATO member countries that spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. Warsaw agreed in 2017 to raise defence spending gradually from 2% to 2.5% of GDP, meaning annual spending should nearly double to about 80 billion zlotys ($21 billion) by 2032.
U.S. arms sales to foreign governments rose 13 percent to $192.3 billion in the year ended September 30, the U.S. State Department said in November. F-35A Lightning II fighters are estimated to cost $85 million each.
During a televised statement on Tuesday, Blaszczak also said Poland was making progress in convincing the United States to increase its military presence on Polish soil.
Specifications
Length
51.4 feet/15.7 m
Height
14.4 feet/4.38 m
Wingspan
35 feet/10.7 m
Wing area
460 feet2/42.7 m2
Horizontal tail span
22.5 feet/6.86 m
Weight empty
29,300 lbs/13,290 kg
Internal fuel capacity
18,250 lbs/8,278 kg
Weapons payload
18,000 lbs/8,160 kg
Maximum weight
70,000 lbs class/31,751 kg
Standard internal weapons load
Two AIM-120C air-to-air missiles
Two 2,000-pound/907 kg GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) guided bombs
Australia’s firsttwo locally-based F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft arrived on home soil onDecember 9 at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Williamtown, signalling thedawn of a new era for the nation’s defence capabilities.
Australia’s first F-35s arrive home to RAAF Williamtown heralding new era for the Australian Defence Force
Lockheed Martin
designed and built Australia’s fleet of F-35s and also serves as the global
industry lead for F-35 sustainment.
The most advanced
fighter jet ever built, the F-35 will be a catalyst for the transformation of
the Australian Defence Force (ADF), utilising its sensors and low observability
to operate with impunity in contested airspace and fuse a picture of the
battlespace for other air, land and sea assets. Along with its advanced weapons
capacity and superior range, the 5th Generation F-35 is the most lethal,
survivable and connected fighter in the world.
«The arrival of
the first F-35 aircraft to be permanently based in Australia is a historic
occasion and we are proud of our role as the 5th Generation design pioneer and
F-35 original equipment manufacturer», said Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin
Australia, Vince Di Pietro AM, CSC.
«We congratulatethe RAAF, the ADF and all of our Australian industry partners who have workedto make this achievement a reality».
Australia PlaysMajor Role in the F-35 Program
Australian
suppliers play a significant role in the F-35 program with more than 50
Australian companies contributing to the global program of record of more than
3,000 aircraft. To date, the F-35 program has secured more than 2,400 highly
skilled jobs created and generated more than $1.3 billion AUD in contracts for
Australian industry.
«Flown by
Australian pilots, maintained by Australian maintenance personnel and
containing many best-of-breed advanced components made right here in Australia,
all Australians have every reason to be proud of this achievement», Di Pietro
said. «Australia plays a significant role in the program with a suite of local
industrial technology and know-how behind the hundreds of F-35s flying today,
as well as the thousands of F-35s that will be produced in the future».
Lockheed Martin is
the industry lead for F-35 global sustainment and is working in partnership
with the Australian Defence Force and local industry to provide sustainment
support and realise the full potential of the F-35 as an integrated force
multiplier for decades to come.
Australia’s hascommitted to 72 F-35As, which will be flown by Australian pilots, andmaintained by a joint team of Australian maintenance personnel and industrypartners including Lockheed Martin Australia. Australia has received 10 aircraft to date, the remainder of which are stationed at Luke Air Force Base inArizona where they are part of the international cooperative F-35 trainingoperations.
Specifications
Length
51.4 feet/15.7 m
Height
14.4 feet/4.38 m
Wingspan
35 feet/10.7 m
Wing area
460 feet2/42.7 m2
Horizontal tail span
22.5 feet/6.86 m
Weight empty
29,300 lbs/13,290 kg
Internal fuel capacity
18,250 lbs/8,278 kg
Weapons payload
18,000 lbs/8,160 kg
Maximum weight
70,000 lbs class/31,751 kg
Standard internal weapons load
Two AIM-120C air-to-air missiles
Two 2,000-pound/907 kg GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct
Attack Munition) guided bombs
The Air Force has selected Truax Field Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Wisconsin and Dannelly Field, Alabama as the preferred locations for the next two Air National Guard F-35A bases.
Truax Field, Wisconsin and Dannelly Field, Alabama were recently named preferred locations to receive the F-35A Lightning II. The 5th generation aircraft will replace current 4th generation platforms to meet combatant commander requirements (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sergeant Kate Thornton)
«Selecting Truax Field and Dannelly Field will increase Air National Guard F-35A units providing 5th Generation airpower around the world», said Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. «As F-35As arrive at these locations, we will use the existing aircraft at these fields to replace the aging F-16s at other Air National Guard units».
F-35As will eventually replace many of the 4th generation Air Force aircraft. However, the Air Force will continue to fly a mix of 5th and 4th generation fighters into the 2040s, in order to maintain enough fighters to meet combatant commander requirements, provide required training and allow a reasonable deployment tempo for the force.
«Putting F-35s at these two Air National Guard bases continues our transition into the next generation of air superiority», said Air Force Chief of Staff General David L. Goldfein. «It helps ensure we can always offer the Commander-in-Chief air power options and be ready to penetrate any enemy air defenses, hold any target at risk and go when and where the president tells us to go. We’re the options folks. The F-35 is critical to the family of systems we need to accomplish this mission for the nation now and in the future».
At this time, the Air Force expects the F-35As to begin arriving at Truax Field in early 2023 and at Dannelly Field later that year.
These locations remain preferred alternatives until the secretary of the Air Force makes the final basing decisions after the requisite environmental analysis is complete.
The Air Force also evaluated Gowen Field ANGB, Idaho, Selfridge ANGB, Michigan and Jacksonville Air Guard Station (AGS), Florida in this round of decisions. Those bases were reasonable alternatives, but not preferred.
Previously, the secretary of the Air Force selected three active duty operational locations and one Air National Guard location – Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah, Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, England, Eielson AFB, Alaska and Burlington AGS, Vermont.
Additionally, the Air Force announced Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Fort Worth, Texas as the preferred alternative for the first Air Force Reserve base.
Specifications
Length
51.4 feet/15.7 m
Height
14.4 feet/4.38 m
Wingspan
35 feet/10.7 m
Wing area
460 feet2/42.7 m2
Horizontal tail span
22.5 feet/6.86 m
Weight empty
29,300 lbs/13,290 kg
Internal fuel capacity
18,250 lbs/8,278 kg
Weapons payload
18,000 lbs/8,160 kg
Maximum weight
70,000 lbs class/31,751 kg
Standard internal weapons load
Two AIM-120C air-to-air missiles
Two 2,000-pound/907 kg GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) guided bombs
On November 3rd, three Norwegian F-35A Lightning II aircraft flew from Fort Worth, Texas and landed at Ørland Air Base, Norway.
3 F-35s entering Norwegian air space (Credit: Helge Hopen, Norwegian Armed Forces)
«Receiving the first three aircraft is a major milestone for Norway. On November 10th, Norway will celebrate First Aircraft Arrival of the first three F-35s on Norwegian soil. Achieving this milestone is a major step towards increased operational capability for the future», says Major General Morten Klever, Program Director for the F-35 program in Norway’s Ministry of Defence.
«This is an historic event. The arrival of the first F-35 in Norway at this time shows that we have reached the timeline set for the acquisition. The program delivers on all key criteria: time, cost and performance. Today we are both proud and happy. The Royal Norwegian Air Force is looking forward to starting their training with the F-35», says Major General Klever.
The three aircraft, the first to be delivered to Norway, took off from Fort Worth, Texas at 06.35 AM Norwegian time November 3rd and landed at 03.57 PM the same day at Ørland Air Base.
From 2018, Norway will receive six aircraft annually up until, and including, 2024.
November 3rd the three aircraft landed at Ørland (Credit: Torbjørn Kjosvold, Norwegian Armed Forces)
Specifications
Length
51.4 feet/15.7 m
Height
14.4 feet/4.38 m
Wingspan
35 feet/10.7 m
Wing area
460 feet2/42.7 m2
Horizontal tail span
22.5 feet/6.86 m
Weight empty
29,300 lbs/13,290 kg
Internal fuel capacity
18,250 lbs/8,278 kg
Weapons payload
18,000 lbs/8,160 kg
Maximum weight
70,000 lbs class/31,751 kg
Standard internal weapons load
Two AIM-120C air-to-air missiles
Two 2,000-pound/907 kg GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) guided bombs
The first Japanese-assembled F-35A was unveiled at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Komaki South F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility here on June 5, 2017. The Japan F-35 FACO is operated by MHI with technical assistance from Lockheed Martin and oversight from the U.S. Government.
AX-5, the first Japanese-assembled F-35A was unveiled in Nagoya Japan on 5 June 2017. The aircraft was built at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility. The Japan F-35 FACO is operated by MHI with technical assistance from Lockheed Martin and oversight from the U.S. Government (Photo by Thinh Nguyen, Lockheed Martin)
Approximately 200 people attended the ceremony including Japanese and United States government and defense industry leaders. The ceremony highlighted the strong partnership between the Japanese Ministry of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense, MHI and Lockheed Martin.
Kenji Wakamiya, senior vice minister of defense; General Yoshiyuki Sugiyama, Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) chief of staff; Lieutenant General Jerry Martinez, commander, U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force; Vice Admiral Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer; Vice Admiral Dave Lewis, Defense Contract Management Agency Director; Naohiko Abe, MHI’s senior vice president and Integrated Defense & Space Systems president, and Orlando Carvalho, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, attended the milestone event.
«Seeing the first Japanese built F-35A is a testament to the global nature of this program», said Vice Admiral Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer. «This state of the art assembly facility, staffed with a talented and motivated workforce, enables us to leverage industry’s unique talents and technological know-how to produce the world’s best multi-role fighter. The F-35 will enhance the strength of our security alliances and reinforce long-established bonds with our allies through training opportunities, exercises, and military-to-military events».
The Japanese Ministry of Defense competitively selected the F-35A as the JASDF’s next-generation air defense fighter in December 2011, with a Foreign Military Sales program of record of 42 F-35As. The first four JASDF F-35As were previously delivered from the Fort Worth, Texas, production facility. Subsequent deliveries of 38 F-35A aircraft will come from the FACO here in Japan.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Defense selected the Nagoya FACO in 2014 for the North Asia-Pacific regional heavy airframe Maintenance Repair Overhaul & Upgrade (MROU) facility.
«Building upon our enduring relationship with Japanese industry, we are fully committed to our F-35 production partnership with MHI and our support to the Japan Ministry of Defense», Carvalho said. «The skilled workers who achieved this milestone know firsthand the F-35’s capability and how this aircraft will only strengthen the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance, thereby building upon Japan’s strategic vision to ensure the Alliance remains strong for decades to come».
The F-35 Lightning II is a next-generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, advanced mission systems, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and cutting-edge sustainment. More than 220 operational F-35s have been built and delivered worldwide and they have collectively flown more than 95,000 flight hours.
Specifications
Length
51.4 feet/15.7 m
Height
14.4 feet/4.38 m
Wingspan
35 feet/10.7 m
Wing area
460 feet2/42.7 m2
Horizontal tail span
22.5 feet/6.86 m
Weight empty
29,300 lbs/13,290 kg
Internal fuel capacity
18,250 lbs/8,278 kg
Weapons payload
18,000 lbs/8,160 kg
Maximum weight
70,000 lbs class/31,751 kg
Standard internal weapons load
Two AIM-120C air-to-air missiles
Two 2,000-pound/907 kg GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) guided bombs
