So what is F-35 Joint Strike Fighter or F-35 Lightning II?

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, formerly the Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) Program, is the Department of Defense’s focal point for defining affordable next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies.

It has been said that Defense Secretary Robert Gates told lawmakers that the Pentagon preferred the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter because it’s a “half-generation newer aircraft than the F-22 and more capable in a number of areas such as electronic warfare and combating enemy air defenses.”