20 Years Since the F‑35 Lightning II Was Officially Named

Twenty years ago, on a day like today, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program officially received the name F‑35 Lightning II. The designation was announced on July 7, 2006 by General Michael M. Moseley, Chairman of the U.S. Air Force. The name honors two historic fighters, the Lockheed P‑38 Lightning and the British Lightning jet.

The first prototype, the X‑35, which served as the basis for the F‑35 development, is on display at the Steven F. Udvar‑Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum. It played a key role in testing stealth multi‑role fighter technologies, including short‑takeoff and vertical‑landing capabilities.

Today, the F‑35 Lightning II remains one of the world’s most important fifth‑generation fighters, fielded in the F‑35A, F‑35B, and F‑35C variants by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied forces.