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Short take-off / vertical-landing multirole aircraft
The F-35B combines the F-35 mission-system architecture with a shaft-driven lift fan and a swivelling rear nozzle for short take-off and vertical landing. Its lift installation, fuel capacity and ship interface distinguish it from both the conventional F-35A and the catapult-launched F-35C.
United StatesLockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · ModifiedTechnical data
Powerplant Pratt Whitney F135 Turbofan
Thrust 40,000lb with re-heat
Length 15.6m
Height 4.36m
Wingspan 10.7m
Maximum speed Mach 1.6
Maximum altitude 50,000ft
Aircrew 1 Pilot
Length 51.4 ft / 15.7 m 51.2 ft / 15.6 m 51.5 ft / 15.7 m
Height 14.4 ft / 4.38 m 14.3 ft / 4.36 m 14.7 ft / 4.48 m
Additional sources
F-35B column, second column after F-35A; weapons payload
Single sourceTrue scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
The system in detail
The F-35B supports air-to-air, strike, intelligence and electronic-warfare roles while adding short take-off and vertical-landing capability. The RAF operates it from land and with the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers. STOVL describes the aircraft’s launch and recovery arrangement; it does not mean it can depart vertically with any desired fuel and weapon load.1
Rolls-Royce documents a LiftFan driven from the main engine through a shaft and clutch, a rear swivelling nozzle and wing roll posts. The fan supplies forward lift, the redirected exhaust supplies rear lift and the roll posts support lateral control. These are coordinated parts of one installation, not separate lift engines operating independently.2
The RAF lists APG-81 radar, electro-optical targeting, distributed-aperture sensing and secure data links. Its weapons list is an operator-facing description and may include integration programmes as well as established equipment. A clearance date and software standard are still needed before assigning a particular weapon to every aircraft. Internal and external carriage also represent different configurations.1
The RAF’s A/B comparison identifies a different engine variant and smaller internal fuel capacity for the B. The lift installation therefore has implications beyond landing technique. F-35A range or payload values cannot be copied into this record. The C has a different carrier arrangement again, using catapult launch and arrested recovery rather than the B’s lift system.5
The RAF’s May 2026 account identifies 617 Squadron and 809 Naval Air Squadron as front-line units and 207 Squadron as the conversion-training unit. It describes personnel drawn from both services and the completion of an initial procurement phase. These are dated organisational observations; later deliveries or changes should be added as new evidence rather than silently rewriting the record.4
NAVAIR’s 2025 report on Fleet Readiness Center East describes adding overhaul capability for the three-bearing swivel module after work on the lift-fan clutch. The B’s specialised propulsion hardware creates specific repair and training requirements. A fleet’s available aircraft therefore depends on component support as well as the number of airframes purchased.3
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 6,800 kg | Royal Air Force | approved |
Wingspan 35 ft / 10.7 m 35 ft / 10.7 m 43 ft / 13.1 m
Wing area 460 ft2 / 42.7 m2 460 ft2 / 42.7 m2 668 ft2 / 62.1 m2
Horizontal tail span 22.5 ft / 6.86 m 21.8 ft / 6.65 m 26.3 ft / 8.02 m
Weight empty 29,300 lb 32,300 lb 34,800 lb
Internal fuel capacity 18,250 lb / 8278 kg 13,500 lb / 6,125 kg 19,750 lb / 8,960kg
Weapons payload 18,000 lb / 8,160 kg 15,000 lb / 6,800kg 18,000 lb / 8,160 kg
Maximum weight 70,000 lb class 60,000 lb class 70,000 lb class
Propulsion* (uninstalled thrust ratings) F135-PW-100 40,000 lb Max. 25,000 lb Mil. Vertical N/A F135-PW-600 40,000 lb Max. 25,000 lb Mil. 40,500 lb Vertical F135-PW-100 40,000 lb Max. 25,000 lb Mil. Vertical N/A
Speed (full internal weapons load) Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph) Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph) Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph)
Combat radius (internal fuel) >590 nm / 1,093 km (USAF profile) >450 nm / 833 km (USMC profile) >600 nm / 1,100 km (USN profile)
Range (internal fuel) >1,200 nm / 2,200 km (USAF profile) >900 nm / 1,667 km (USMC profile) >1,200 nm / 2,200 km (USN profile)
Max g-rating 9.0 7.0 7.5
F-35 Lightning II equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
AustraliaAir Force exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Reported count for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II · F-35A. Service scope: Royal Australian Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Excludes retired/reserve/on-order rows. Count column(s): in service: 72. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2024), not the article revision. Cited source 2024-12-19. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
BelgiumF-35 aircraft reported in the Belgian Air Force brochure's 2026 composition column. Excludes the separately stated 45-aircraft future plan. The brochure does not distinguish domestic basing, overseas training holdings or readiness; those quantities are not inferred.
Canada
CzechiaReported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35A. Service scope: Aircraft; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: ordered; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: +24. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
DenmarkNumber column of the Wikipedia list table under "Trainer aircraft". The list's own wording applies; it is a compiled secondary source, not an official census.
FinlandNumber column of the Wikipedia list table under "Current inventory". The list's own wording applies; it is a compiled secondary source, not an official census.
GermanyF-35A aircraft reported handed over to Germany. Initial aircraft remain in the United States for pilot training; this is not a count of operational aircraft based in Germany. The undelivered order is excluded. Specialist-reported holdings; not an independently audited readiness count.
IsraelIsraeli Air Force F-35I Adir fleet holdings after the January 2026 arrivals, reported by the military correspondent from an IDF announcement. Includes newly arrived aircraft; excludes undelivered orders. Applies to Israel's F-35 family only.
ItalyReported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35B. Service scope: Italian Naval Aviation; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 10. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
JapanReported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35A/B. Service scope: Japan Air Self-Defense Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Excludes retired/reserve/on-order rows. Count column(s): in service: 47. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
NetherlandsReported count for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II · F-35A. Service scope: Equipment of the Royal Netherlands Air Force; does not replace a national total. 2 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 44 (+6) / quantity: 8. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
NorwayAir Force exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
PolandAir Force exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Saudi Arabia
South KoreaAir Force exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
United KingdomReported count for Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning. Country-wide list; no individual service specified. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 47. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. Cited source 2026-04-01. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
United StatesUS Air Force (USAF) exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
US Air Force (USAF) US Navy (USN) US Marine Corps (USMC) See Operators section for others
Equipment reference ↗Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35A. Service scope: Belgian Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 15. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2025), not the article revision. 2025 cited publication year. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35A. Service scope: Royal Danish Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 6. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. Cited source 2026-03-11. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35A. Service scope: Royal Danish Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: ordered; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: +16. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Reported count for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II · F-35A. Service scope: Current fleet of the German Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: ordered; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: +34. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35I. Service scope: Israeli Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 48. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35B. Service scope: Italian Naval Aviation; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 10. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35B. Service scope: Italian Naval Aviation; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 10. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35B. Service scope: Italian Naval Aviation; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 10. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. 2026 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Air Force exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II; F-35B Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Reported count for F-35 Lightning II · F-35A / F-35 Lightning II · F-35B. Service scope: Air Force; does not replace a national total. 2 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 42 / in service: 5. Origin: USA Italy. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Air Self-Defense Force exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II; F-35B Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Air & Space Force exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Reported count for Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning. Country-wide list; no individual service specified. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): total: 48. Origin: United States. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2026), not the article revision. Cited source 2026-04-01. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Naval Aviation exact named equipment holdings: F-35C Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Marine Corps Aviation exact named equipment holdings: F-35B Lightning II; F-35C Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Air National Guard 104,850 reservists exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / None. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Air Force Reserve Command 65,450 reservists exact named equipment holdings: F-35A Lightning II. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / FGA. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Reported count for F-35A Lightning II. Service scope: Air Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): inventory: 302. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2025), not the article revision. Cited source 2025-06-20. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for F-35B Lightning II / F-35C Lightning II. Service scope: Marine Corps; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 112. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Reported count for F-35C Lightning II. Service scope: Navy; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Excludes retired/reserve/on-order rows. Count column(s): in service: 45. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Reported count for F-35B Lightning II / F-35C Lightning II. Service scope: Marine Corps; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Excludes retired/reserve/on-order rows. Count column(s): in service: 112. Origin: USA. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.