Tuesday, July 5, 2011

F-35 Lightning II

The Government of Canada announces that the Canadian Forces will receive 65 fifth generation Joint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraft, beginning in 2016, as a replacement to its current fleet of CF-18s. (Photo credit: Cpl Darcy Lefebvre/DND-MDN Canada)

F-35 Lightning II

The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter makes its initial flight Dec. 15 over Fort Worth, Texas. (Lockheed Martin photo/David Drais)

F-35 Lightning II

The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter's initial flight took place Dec. 15 over Fort Worth, Texas. (Lockheed Martin photo/David Drais)

F-35 Lightning II

An F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter takes off at 12:44 p.m. CST at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas Dec. 15 for an initial flight as part of system development testing. (Lockheed Martin photo/Tom Harvey)

F-35 Lightning II

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley announced Lightning II as the F-35 name during a Joint Strike Fighter inauguration ceremony July 7 at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. at Fort Worth, Texas. The F-35 Lightning II is the next generation strike fighter bringing cutting-edge technologies to the battlespace of the future. The Lightning II features an advanced airframe, autonomic logistics, avionics, propulsion systems, stealth and firepower. (U.S. Navy photo/Chief Petty Officer Eric A. Clement)

F-35 Lightning II

The X-35, Joint Strike Fighter from Lockheed Martin nears completion of flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in 2001. The JSF is being built in three variants: a conventional take-off and landing aircraft (CTOL) for the US Air Force; a carrier based variant (CV) for the US Navy; and a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft for the US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. (U.S. Air Force photo)

F-35 Lightning II

Lt. Col. Paul Smith of the Air Force and X-35 Chief Test Pilot Tom Morgenfeld each flew the X-35C. Both had flown the similar X-35A extensively during that plane's fight-test program. (Courtesy photo)

F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin's X-35C Joint Strike Fighter touches down at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Dec. 18, 2000, after its first flight. The carrier variant JSF will be tested at Edwards and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. (Courtesy photo by Judson Brohmer)

F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed martin's X-35C Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator crosses a dry lakebed on its way to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The X-35C will undergo testing at Edwards for more than a month before moving on to Naval Air Station Paxtuxent River, Md. (Courtesy photo by Judson Brohmer)

F-35 Lightning II

The X-35C Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator leaves Palmdale, Calif., for nearby Edwards Air Force Base. The 27-minute sortie was the X-35C's maiden flight. (Courtesy photo by Greg Roberts)

F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter, the X-35C, nears completion of flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The concept demonstrator will move to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., for flight testing at sea level. Testing at NAS Patuxent River will give evaluators a more accurate picture of the JSF's carrier-suitability performance. The JSF has made 20 sorties at Edwards to field test carrier landings, expansion of the flight envelope and initiating tanker-qualification trials. (Courtesy photo)

F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator, the X-35A, broke the sound barrier Nov. 21, 2000, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The X-35A has finished flight testing and now is being re-fitted in nearby Palmdale to become the X-35B. (Courtesy photo by Tom Reynolds)

F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin's X-35A Joint Strike Fighter Concept demonstrator broke the sound barrier Nov. 21, 2000, just 25 hours and 25 test flights into its airborne program at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The X-35A is being re-fitted into the X-35B and has begun ground testing in preparation for its short takeoff/vertical landing demonstrations. (Courtesy photo by Tom Reynolds)

F-35 Lightning II

F-35 Lightning II. (Foto: f35.com)

F-35 Lightning II

F-35 Lightning II. (Foto: f35.com)

F-35 Lightning II

F-35 Lightning II. (Foto: f35.com)

F-35 Lightning II

F-35 Lightning II. (Foto: f35.com)

F-35 Lightning II

F-35 Lightning II. (Foto: f35.com)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Italian Airforce Typhoon Trapani Birgi 31/03/2011. (Credit: Massimo Baldassini/Copyright © Aeronautica & Difesa)

Eurofighter Typhoon

A Royal Air Force Typhoon departs from Gioia del Colle, equipped with Enhanced Paveway II bombs, air to air missiles and a Litening pod in support of the UN sanctioned No Fly Zone over Libya, 16/4/11. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

A Royal Air Force mission struck a military complex in Tiji, Libya on Wednesday (25 May). One Tornado GR4 and one Typhoon FGR4 struck the facility with nine bombs. In a demonstration of the flexibility of the RAF's combination of Tornado and Typhoon, the mission was originally tasked to strike eight points. A ninth was added based on information received during the mission. The Typhoon dropped four Enhanced Paveway II bombs, the first time it has done that operationally, while the Tornado used five Paveway IV bombs, again a first for that aircraft. Both weapon types have both laser and GPS guidance for accuracy. All nine struck their intended target points on a Qadhafi regime storage facility. The strikes mean that RAF aircraft have struck 17 targets in deliberate operations in the past 36 hours, all of them direct hits. At the same time, the RAF has maintained its commitment to dynamic targeting missions. In that role they have destroyed Qadhafi regime artillery threatening Misurata. The complementary capabilities of the 1000lb Enhanced Paveway II and 500lb Paveway IV ensured that the storage facility was completely destroyed. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Italian Eurofighter Typhoon over Iceland. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Italian Eurofighter Typhoon over Iceland. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Italian Eurofighter Typhoon over Iceland. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon IPA1 flies with Meteor missile. BAE Systems have completed a range of air-carriage trials for the MBDA Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) on behalf of the Eurofighter consortium. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon IPA1 flies with Meteor missile. BAE Systems have completed a range of air-carriage trials for the MBDA Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) on behalf of the Eurofighter consortium. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon IPA1 flies with Meteor missile. BAE Systems have completed a range of air-carriage trials for the MBDA Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) on behalf of the Eurofighter consortium. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Four EPW II plus air-to-air missiles for this RAF swing-role Typhoon showing several bombing mission markings below the cockpit. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

Long missions have been flown over Libya averaging 5.5 hours with the longest lasting more than 8 hours. To accomplish such long missions the RAF Typhoons get three air-to-air refuellings. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Eurofighter Typhoon

An RAF Typhoon on a mission over Libya. Picture taken from an air tanker showing the Enhanced Paveway II bombs plus the air-to-air AMRAAM and ASRAAM missiles. (Photo: Eurofighter)