The Joint Strike Fighter, or F-35 Lightning II as it was named in 2006, is being developed by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Pratt 7 Whitney, Rolls-Royce and General Electric. The aircraft is planned for use by the Royal Air Force/Navy, the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps and nine other nations. This stealthy, supersonic multi-role fighter is beibg 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/Air Force. The fighter is expected to enter service in 2012 with the US Marine Corps, 2013 with the US Air Force, 2014 with the Royal Navy/Air Force, and 2015 with the US NAvy. BAE Systems is responsiblr for the design and integration of the aft fuselage, horizontal and vertical tails and the wing-fold mechanism for the CV and STOVL variants, using experience from the HArrier programme. Other countries that have invested in the project are Australia,Canada,Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and Turkey. This book looks at all the many research programmes that are taking place in the fields of airframe and engine design, avionics, weapons, radar, countermeasures and propulsion. It encomposes the history of the programme to the time of publication when interest is stimulated as the carrier-borne F-35 takes to the air for test flying.

This is the most up-to-date record of this first truly international fighter project which is destined to fly from Britain's first large aircraft carriers to be built for many years. AUTHOR: Gerard Keijsper has been writing and researching this book since the JSF was first conceived. He has been helped by all the international companies involved with the many research prgrammes nad has amassed much data and many superb photographs. photographs throughout the book.