Vectoring engine thrust lets the Harrier operate from short runways and amphibious ships while supporting troops close to the front. The ability to redirect exhaust through rotating nozzles provides remarkable basing flexibility, but vertical flight consumes fuel rapidly and demands careful management of weight, temperature, and control response.
INTERACTIVE MODEL LOADS WHEN NEARBY
2016 / ModernAirframe B
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin · Conventional multirole fighter
HISTORICAL FIELD NOTE
The conventional-runway F-35A combines low-observable shaping, sensor fusion, and internal weapons carriage with the lightest airframe and largest internal fuel load of the three F-35 variants. It entered U.S. Air Force operational service in 2016 and is designed for both air-to-air and precision-strike missions.
PERFORMANCE
SPECIFICATION BREAKDOWN
METRICAV-8B Harrier IIF-35A Lightning II
Top speed
673 mphREFERENCE VALUE
Mach 1.6REFERENCE VALUE
Ceiling
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
Range
1,378 miREFERENCE VALUE
1,200+ nmiAPPROXIMATE / PUBLISHED
Archive milestone
Service entry · 1985REFERENCE VALUE
Service entry · 2016REFERENCE VALUE
Nation
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Primary role
STOVL attack aircraftDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Conventional multirole fighterDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Values are concise archive references and can vary by variant, payload, configuration, altitude, operating conditions, and source. Range may describe different published measures where a directly comparable figure is unavailable.
