RAF Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning ZM135 by Mark Allison
Via Flickr:
The first F-35B to be delivered to the RAF/Royal Navy is permanently based at Edwards Air Force base with 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron. The aircraft was rolled out into the static display at the Aerospace Valley Airshow 2022. -15/10/2022
Lockheed Martin X-35B Lightning II 301 Udvar-Hazy Center 1-10-07 by Chris England
Via Flickr:
C/n PAV-1. The first X-35A, modified to include the lift-fan engine for testing of the STOVL concept. The first aircraft to achieve a short take-off, level supersonic flight, and vertical landing in a single flight.
During the discussion on the defence budget, Singapore’s defence minister Ng Eng Hen, announced that his country would purchase eight F-35A. In 2020, Singapore had already signed an agreement to acquire twelve F-35B, an advanced version of the fighter jet that has the ability to take off and land vertically, for the Royal Singapore Air Force (RSAF).
With the procurement of both F-35 variants, the government has entered the privileged group of countries that own these single-engine, all-weather, stealth multirole combat aircraft. Singapore became the fourth nation in the Indo-Pacific region to get F-35 variants, which is critical for its geopolitical significance.
RAF Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning ZM135 by Mark Allison
Via Flickr:
The first F-35B to be delivered to the RAF/Royal Navy is permanently based at Edwards Air Force base with 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron. The aircraft was rolled out into the static display at the Aerospace Valley Airshow 2022. -15/10/2022
Was the Missing the F-35B Stealth Fighter Hacked? - 19FortyFive
The missing F-35B Stealth Fighter was finally found after being missing for 28 hours with the transponder off and the stealth profile making the fighter jet difficult to track.
It was found about 80 miles northwest of Charleston in a rather large hole in the ground.
No explanations yet for why the transponder was off or why the wingman just turned around and went back to base rather than tracking pilotless jet.
Everyone from the Daily Mail to 19FortyFive is questioning whether the absurdly expensive jet is vulnerable to hacking, probably something they should have thought of while developing the plane, not after building hundreds of them.
Reminder: an F-35B costs over $100 Billion each to make, considerably higher than the F-35A or F-35C which cost $70 Billion and $80 Billion respectively.
Development of the F-35 program cost over $1.7 Trillion