The last flight of the first F-35B Lightning II covered more than 500 miles at speeds considerably slower than Mach 1.6. And in this case it had to hitch a ride. The airframe of the fighter jet, known ...

U.S. Marines Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242, 31st Marine ...

The Marine Corps’ F-35B iteration is certainly the most complex mechanically of the three Lightning II models.

The first three F-35B Lightning IIs have finally been delivered to the Japan Air Self Defense Force. The Japan Air Self Defense Force Article (JASDF) announced the arrival of its first three F-35B ...

The F-35B Lightning II took center stage at MCAS Cherry Point, delivering a jaw-dropping demonstration of vertical flight, ...

Airframe BF-01 performed the F-35’s first vertical landing on Mar. 18, 2010, and the first vertical takeoff on May 10, 2013, at NAS Patuxent River. The first F-35B Lightning II STOVL (Short Take-Off ...

Despite radius and payload constraints, the F-35B is well-suited to meet the Marine Corps’ operational demands. Out of the three Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II variants, the F-35B, in use with the ...

Three Lockheed Martin’s F-35Bs arrived Aug. 7, 2025, at Nyutabaru Air Base on the main island of Kyushu, Japan. Japan Air Self-Defense Force photo Japan received its first three F-35B Lightning II ...

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II lands at Nyutabaru Air Base in Kyushu in August 2025. (JASDF) Japan has deployed its first three Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II ...

A squadron of Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets began arriving at an air station southeast of Hiroshima this week to replace the service’s first squadron of F-35B Lightning II fighters deployed to Japan.

F-35 fighters are designed to fight a high-tech war against a near-peer adversary. The US military is using them to combat drug smugglers. By Jeff Schogol Published Sep 19, 2025 4:07 PM EDT The F-35 ...