Profile
- Type
- STOVL stealth multirole fighter
- Conflict side
- United States
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- 2010s-present
Aircraft & UAVs
F-35B Lightning II
The F-35B Lightning II is the U.S. Marine Corps' short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, built for expeditionary basing from ships and austere sites. In the United States-Iran Conflict, Marine F-35Bs were documented operating from USS Tripoli during Operation Epic Fury, underscoring the variant's maritime support role.
- Conflict side
- United States
- Built by
- Lockheed Martin
- Built in
- United States
Service History
- In service
- Operational with the U.S. Marine Corps from 2015
- Used by
- United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Italian Air Force
- Wars
- United States-Iran Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- Lockheed Martin, with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems as major program partners
- Designed
- Joint Strike Fighter program selection in 2001; F-35B developed for STOVL operations
- Built by
- Lockheed Martin
- Built in
- United States
- Produced
- 2000s-present
- Variants
- F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant
Specifications
- Crew
- 1
- Length
- 51.2 ft (15.6 m)
- Wingspan
- 35 ft (10.7 m)
- Maximum speed
- Mach 1.6 (approximately 1,200 mph)
- Combat radius
- >450 nautical miles (833 km)
- Maximum range
- >900 nautical miles (1,667 km)
- Maximum thrust
- 38,000 lb (afterburner)
- Vertical lift thrust
- 40,500 lb
Conflict Usage
- United States-Iran Conflict
- Side: United StatesRole: Embarked maritime strike support
United States-Iran Conflict: fielded by the U.S. Marine Corps from USS Tripoli during Operation Epic Fury, with official imagery documenting F-35B flight operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
F-35B Lightning II Images
Related Weapon Systems
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F-35 Lightning IIFifth-generation stealth multirole fighterThe F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine stealth fighter family built around sensor fusion, networked targeting, and multirole strike missions. U.S. and Israeli variants have documented post-2015 combat use, including Marine Corps F-35B strikes in Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force F-35A escort and air-defense suppression over Iran, and Israeli F-35I air-to-air combat against Iran.
F-35C Lightning IICarrier-based stealth multirole fighterThe F-35C Lightning II is the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, built for catapult launches and arrested landings with larger wings, folding wingtips, strengthened landing gear, internal fuel for long-range carrier operations, and a sensor suite intended for strike, air-to-air, reconnaissance, and electronic-warfare missions. U.S. Marine Corps F-35Cs made the variant's first documented combat strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in 2024, and an F-35C was later reported shooting down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone near USS Abraham Lincoln in 2026.
B-2 SpiritLow-observable strategic heavy bomberThe B-2 Spirit is a U.S. Air Force low-observable strategic heavy bomber built by Northrop Grumman for long-range conventional and nuclear strike. Its flying-wing design, intercontinental range, and ability to carry heavy precision weapons make it a specialized option for defended or deeply buried targets, with directly documented recent combat use against ISIS camps in Libya, Houthi weapons sites in Yemen, and Iranian military and nuclear targets.
E-2D Advanced HawkeyeCarrier-based airborne early warning and control aircraftThe E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is Northrop Grumman's carrier-based airborne early warning and command aircraft, built around a 360-degree radar and five-person crew. U.S. Navy E-2Ds were documented supporting Operation Epic Fury in the United States-Iran Conflict in 2026.
F-15EX Eagle IIMultirole fighter aircraftThe F-15EX Eagle II is Boeing's latest F-15 variant, a two-seat multirole fighter that adds digital fly-by-wire controls, an all-glass cockpit, open mission systems, and heavy payload capacity to the Eagle family. In the United States-Iran Conflict archive it appears in early fielding and training coverage rather than a documented combat sortie.
F-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter aircraftThe F-16 Fighting Falcon is a U.S.-designed single-engine multirole fighter used for air defense, air-to-air combat, suppression support, and precision strike missions. Israel operates Barak-family F-16C/Ds and the F-16I Sufa, and IDF imagery during the Israel-Hamas War showed Israeli F-16s taxiing to conduct strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza on October 15, 2023.Sources
Everything You Need to Know about the F-35BPublisher: Lockheed Martin F-35 | Note: Supports F-35B variant background, STOVL mission profile, and broad role in Marine, UK, and Italian service. | Accessed: 2026-06-20F-35B Product CardPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports F-35B STOVL capability, expeditionary basing from ships and austere sites, and modernization background. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Aircraft FactsPublisher: 1st Marine Aircraft Wing | Note: Supports F-35B specifications, Marine expeditionary role, and the U.S. Marine Corps operating context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20USS Tripoli Conducts Flight OpsPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: United States-Iran Conflict: used by a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B aboard USS Tripoli in the U.S. 5th Fleet operating area on May 13, 2026; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20USS Tripoli F-35 flight opsPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: United States-Iran Conflict: used by a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B aboard USS Tripoli on April 17, 2026; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Landing LightsPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: United States-Iran Conflict: fielded by the U.S. Marine Corps aboard USS Tripoli during Operation Epic Fury on April 6, 2026; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20