F-35JointStrikeFighterOfficiallyNamedLightningII
F-35 joint strike fighter officially named Lightning II By Rebecca Christie Last Update: 5:04 PM ET Jul 7, 2006
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter became the Lightning II on Friday, receiving its official popular name in a high-profile ceremony at Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (LMT) Texas plant. The name pays tribute to the World War II-era P-38 Lightning, also made by Lockheed Martin, and the Lightning supersonic jet, made in the 1950s by English Electric. The U.S. Air Force took the lead in selecting the name, although the F-35 also will be flown by the U.S. Navy, the Marines and a number of U.S. allies. “This aircraft represents the fruits of lessons learned over a hundred years of flight and aerial combat. We're excited about bringing it into our inventory, and war-fighters around the globe are excited about flying it,” Gen. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, said in a statement released by Lockheed Martin. With development costs estimated at $276 billion, the F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program ever. The plane is intended to replace thousands of aging F-16, F-18, A-10 and Harrier combat aircraft around the world. The U.S., the U.K. and other partner nations hope to sign a deal this year on production plans. The new plane will come in three forms: a conventional, Air Force-style model; an aircraft carrier model; and a short-takeoff, vertical landing model. First flight is expected later this year for the conventional model, the first of the three versions to be developed. Lockheed Martin has been working this year to get the first plane, a sleek, gray aircraft decorated with flags from the participating nations, ready for first flight. Major sections were built by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) and BAE Systems PLC (BA.LN), and the first engines are being built by United Technologies Corp.'s (UTX) Pratt & Whitney unit. General Electric Co. (GE) and Rolls-Royce PLC (RR.LN) are working on an alternate engine for use later in the program. Even though the F-35 will be officially known as the Lightning II, it remains to be seen whether the moniker will catch on or acquire a more colloquial designation. For example, the F-16 Fighting Falcon is commonly known as the Viper, and the A-10 Thunderbolt II is usually called the Warthog. -Contact: 201-938-5400 End of Story