The F-35 Lightning II’s popularity on the export market is a no-brainer considering its unparalleled capabilities.
The ongoing Russian-Ukraine war has forced NATO allies in Europe to bolster their defense budgets. In fact, the invasion prompted an unprecedented 18 percent increase in defense-related spending last year. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, progress toward the coalition’s 2 percent GDP benchmark set back in 2014 continues to climb and twenty-three of these nations now meet the target. The acquisition of modern military systems ranging from fighter jets and munitions to missile defense and armored vehicles has remained a top priority for European countries worried about Moscow’s aggression. This week, the Royal Norwegian Air Force received three new F-35A Lightning II fighters as part of the Joint Strike Fighter program in partnership with manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Department of Defense. In total, forty-nine F-35s have been delivered to Norway and three more are expected to be shipped before summer.
“Given the complexity inherent in the development and production of fifth-generation fighter aircraft, I am very impressed by the delivery capability of the F-35 manufacturer,” Col. Tord Aslaksen, head of Norway’s fighter aircraft department in defense material air capabilities, noted of Lockheed. Asklaken added that the F-35 delivery represents the “largest mainland investment in Norwegian history.”
An overview of the F-35 Lightning II
Widely touted as the best fifth-generation aircraft in service today, the Lightning II features a litany of unmatched capabilities. Nearly 1,000 of these jets have been exported to date, showcasing the platform’s popularity across the globe. The F-35 is truly a renaissance airframe, capable of conducting intelligence, electronic warfare, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The fifth-generation jet is derived from Lockheed’s infamous Skunk Works division which aimed to develop an Advanced Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (ASTOVL).
Specs and capabilities
The F-35’s most significant capability is arguably its stealth. Notably, the platform is designed from head to toe to exude low observability. Like its F-22 Raptor predecessor, the Lightning II featured a small radar cross-section coated in radar-absorbent materials. This makes the fighter nearly impossible for adversarial aircraft or radars to detect. The Lightning II also features the Multifunction Advanced Data Link, which essentially allows for direct communications between stealth aircraft. Other sensors incorporated on the F-35 include the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and Electro-Optical Targeting System. Due to the platform’s modular design, emerging technologies can be more easily incorporated as they emerge down the line.
While in its “stealth” configuration, the F-35 can sport four Aim-120 AMRAAM missiles for air-to-air missions or a combination of four AIM-120/GBU-31 JDAM smart bombs for air-to-ground missions. But while in “beast mode,” the fighter is able to carry fourteen AIM-120 missiles for ground operations, two AIM-9x missiles for air-to-air missions, or four Aim-120/9X missions coupled with six GBU-31s.
The Lightning II’s popularity on the export market is a no-brainer considering its unparalleled capabilities. Norway, along with other Joint Strike Fighter Program participants, will only see their aerial might increase with the addition of F-35s.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.