"The F-35 program executive officer, has stated that the 'F-35 enjoys a significant Combat Loss Exchange Ratio advantage over the current and future air-to-air threats, to include Sukhois, which are currently being flown by the Russian, Indian, and Chinese Air Forces.'"
- Maj Gen Charles R. Davis, USAF, the F-35 program executive officer

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, stealth-capable military strike fighter, a multirole aircraft that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air superiority fighter missions. The F-35 has three different models; one is the conventional takeoff and landing variant, the second is short takeoff and vertical-landing variant, and the third is a carrier-based variant.

The F-35 is descended from the X-35, the product of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Its development is being principally funded by the United States, with the United Kingdom, and other partner governments providing additional funding. It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by Lockheed Martin with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems as major partners. Demonstrator aircraft flew in 2000, with the first flight on December 15th, 2006.

The F-35A is the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant intended for the USAF and other air forces. It is the smallest, lightest version and capable of 9 g, the highest of all variants.

Although the F-35A currently conducts aerial refueling via boom and receptacle method, the aircraft can be modified for probe-and-drogue refueling if needed by the customer. A drag chute pod can be installed on the F-35A, with the Royal Norwegian Air Force being the first operator to adopt it.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a USAF Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter that was attached to the 4th Fighter Squadron "Fightin Fuujins", then deployed to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 5-3/4-inches
Length: 8-1/2-inches

Release Date: July 2019

Historical Account: "Fighting Fuujins" - The 4th Fighter Squadron "Fighting Fuujins" is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It is transitioning to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft which replaced the unit's General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons which conducted air superiority, strike, and close air support missions until August 2017.

The squadron was first activated in 1941 as the United States Army Air Corps expanded prior to the entry of the U.S. into World War II. The squadron served in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it earned two Distinguished Unit Citations. The squadron was reactivated in Okinawa as an all-weather fighter squadron in 1947. It served in the air defense of Japan until 1965 as the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, deploying to fly combat sorties during the Korean War.

The squadron returned to the United States in 1965, and reformed as the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron. In 1969, it moved to Thailand, where it flew missions during the Vietnam War. After the war, the squadron moved to its current base at Hill. It again entered combat when it deployed as part of a provisional fighter wing during Operation Desert Storm.