Profile
- Type
- Carrier-based stealth multirole fighter
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forcesUnited States
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- Entered U.S. Navy service in 2019; documented in combat from 2024
Aircraft & UAVs
F-35C Lightning II
The 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.
Service History
- In service
- U.S. Navy initial operational capability declared in 2019
- Used by
- U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War, United States-Iran Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- Lockheed Martin
- Designed
- Joint Strike Fighter program; F-35C carrier variant developed for U.S. Navy CATOBAR operations
- Built by
- Lockheed Martin, with Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Pratt & Whitney on the F-35 industry team
- Built in
- United States
- Produced
- 2000s-present
- Variants
- F-35C carrier variant, F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant, F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant
- Developed from
- Lockheed Martin X-35
Specifications
- Crew
- 1
- Role
- Carrier-based stealth multirole fighter for strike, air-to-air combat, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare
- Length
- 51.5 ft / 15.7 m
- Wingspan
- 43 ft / 13.1 m with folding wingtips for carrier deck handling
- Combat radius
- About 600 nautical miles on internal fuel
- Range
- Greater than 1,200 nautical miles
- Speed
- Mach 1.6, about 1,200 mph
- Internal fuel
- About 19,200-20,000 lb
- Weapons payload
- More than 5,000 lb internally or more than 18,000 lb combined internal and external load
- Carrier features
- Catapult-assisted takeoff, arrested recovery, reinforced landing gear, and robust tailhook
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Yemeni government and coalition forces
U.S. Marine Corps VMFA-314 F-35C aircraft from USS Abraham Lincoln conducted the platform's first combat air strikes on Nov. 9-10, 2024, hitting Houthi weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled Yemen.
- United States-Iran Conflict
- Side: United States
An F-35C operating from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone approaching the carrier in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 3, 2026, according to USNI News reporting based on a CENTCOM statement.
F-35C 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.
MQ-9 ReaperMedium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicleThe MQ-9 Reaper is a General Atomics medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft built for persistent intelligence collection and precision strike. Larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator, it combines satellite control, electro-optical and infrared sensors, laser designation, and weapons such as Hellfire missiles and guided bombs, making it a recurring U.S. and coalition platform in counterterrorism, maritime-security, and regional-strike operations.
F-35I AdirFifth-generation stealth multirole fighterThe F-35I Adir is Israel's customized F-35A-derived stealth fighter, operated by the Israeli Air Force with Israeli mission systems and local sustainment arrangements. Its documented recent combat roles include air-defense interception against Houthi-launched cruise missiles and an Israeli-reported F-35I shootdown of an Iranian Yak-130 during air operations over Iran.
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.
EA-18G GrowlerCarrier-capable airborne electronic attack aircraftThe EA-18G Growler is a Boeing-built electronic attack derivative of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet, fielded to jam, detect, and attack hostile radars, communications, and air-defense networks while retaining missile carriage for suppression missions. U.S. Navy and Australian Growlers provide carrier or land-based electronic warfare support, with recent documented use in Operation Inherent Resolve, Red Sea operations against Houthi forces, and the U.S.-Iran strike context.
F-15E Strike EagleDual-role strike fighterThe F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat U.S. Air Force dual-role fighter built for long-range interdiction, precision attack, and self-escorted air-to-air combat. Its conformal fuel tanks, targeting/navigation pods, radar, and two-person cockpit allow it to strike ground targets day or night while retaining fighter performance, a role documented in Operation Inherent Resolve and later U.S.-Iran combat operations.Sources
Everything You Need to Know about the F-35CPublisher: Lockheed Martin F-35 | Note: Supports F-35C carrier-variant background, role, sensor suite, range, payload, speed, and manufacturer-team context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20F-35C Length & Wingspan Lightning Flash FactPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: F-35 Joint Program Office video page supporting F-35C length and wingspan specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20F-35C Combat Radius Lightning Flash FactPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: F-35 Joint Program Office video page supporting F-35C combat radius and internal fuel context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20U.S. Marine Squadron Conduct First Combat Strikes Using F-35C Platform Against Houthi Targets in YemenPublisher: U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet | Note: Directly supports Yemen Civil War conflict use: VMFA-314 F-35C aircraft struck Houthi weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Marine F-35C Downs Iranian Drone Near Carrier LincolnPublisher: USNI News | Note: Directly supports United States-Iran Conflict usage by reporting an F-35C shootdown of an Iranian Shahed-139 drone near USS Abraham Lincoln, citing a CENTCOM statement. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:240726-N-BI507-1251.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Primary image provenance: U.S. Navy public-domain image of an F-35C performing carrier flight operations aboard USS Nimitz. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:F-35C NAS Fallon.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance: public-domain U.S. Navy image of F-35C aircraft over Naval Air Station Fallon. | Accessed: 2026-06-20