The twin-engine Phantom combined speed, payload, and versatility, serving in air-defense, strike, and reconnaissance roles across multiple U.S. services. Initially designed without an internal gun, it evolved through combat experience into a heavily updated family whose power and adaptability kept it active with international operators for decades.
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
METRICF-4 Phantom IIF-35A Lightning II
Top speed
Mach 2.23REFERENCE VALUE
Mach 1.6REFERENCE VALUE
Ceiling
60,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
Range
1,750 miREFERENCE VALUE
1,200+ nmiAPPROXIMATE / PUBLISHED
Archive milestone
Service entry · 1961REFERENCE VALUE
Service entry · 2016REFERENCE VALUE
Nation
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Primary role
Interceptor / strike fighterDESCRIPTIVE 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.
