Why the F-35 Is Such a Badass Plane

Plus more stories from Pop Mech Pro [View in Browser]( [Image]( [Alternate text] The Boeing X-32, left, and the X-35 from Lockheed Martin. JOE MCNALLY / GETTY IMAGES Why the F-35 Is Such a Badass Plane Is it America’s most capable fighter, or America’s most expensive headache? Why not both? BY: Alex Hollings Refueling under cover of darkness, a massive formation of U.S. Air Force, Royal Air Force, and Australian Air Force aircraft prepared for combat. Fourth-generation fighters hailing from all three nations—including F-16 Fighting Falcons, [F-15 Eagles](, and Eurofighter Typhoons—coordinated with E-8 Joint STARS command-and-control aircraft. As their stealthy escorts, both [F-22 Raptors]( and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters surveyed the battlespace. Soon, cockpit displays in each aircraft began to light up and alarms sounded, indicating that the formation was being painted by multiple radar arrays tied to surface-to-air missiles and inbound fighters. Enemy fighters sporting the color schemes of Russian Su-30s began to close in. “On the last week of a Red Flag exercise we really throw everything we have at the Blue Force and replicate the toughest adversary possible,” says Travolis “Jaws” Simmons, commander of the 57th Adversary Tactics Group. This is a free preview of Pop Mech Pro. Join now for less than $1 a week to read the rest of the story and more of Popular Mechanics' most in-depth, exclusive features. [JOIN NOW]( MORE FROM POP MECH PRO MILITARY [READ NOW]( Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane HOME [READ NOW]( How To Make a Sharpening Station For Keeping Your Tools Razor Sharp TECH [READ NOW]( Why the Big Boy 4014 is Such a Badass Train Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Notice]( PopularMechanics.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019