From stealth technology and artificial intelligence-powered sensors to massive weapons payloads and supercruise capabilities, modern fighter aircraft represent the pinnacle of military engineering.
Lockheed Martin
Switzerland’s first F-35A enters major assembly at Lockheed Martin Marietta, with delivery to Arkansas set for mid-2027.
Earlier this year, the F-35 Joint Program Office and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence completed the first test flight of 4 Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 3 (SPEAR 3) missiles aboard a fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II test aircraft, marking a major milestone for Britain’s next-generation precision strike capability.
The Pentagon’s latest operational assessment found that the F-35 Lightning II modernization program has failed to deliver the combat improvements originally expected from its Technology Refresh 3 upgrade package.
he United Kingdom will equip its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters with Boeing Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB-II) weapons as an interim capability while integration delays continue to affect Europe’s MBDA Spear 3 missile program.
Israel has approved a new modification program for its Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir stealth fighter fleet, aiming to increase the aircraft’s operational range through the integration of external fuel tanks.
Canada’s federal government is continuing its review of the 88 jet Lockheed Martin F-35A purchase, with Defense Minister David McGuinty confirming that aircraft from other countries remain under active consideration.
Finnish Air Force pilot flies F-35A Lightning II for the first time from Ebbing Air Force Base, marking a key milestone in Finland’s fleet transition.
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (LMT), has introduced new Armed Black Hawk helicopter kits designed to expand the operational scope of the widely used UH-60 platform.
At Shannon Airport (SNN), a United States Air Force (USAF) C-130 Hercules aircraft suffered significant structural damage after a man armed with a hatchet breached restricted airport areas and climbed onto the parked military transport aircraft.