The U.S. Navy’s first-ever stealth aircraft operates from the service’s large carriers via catapult launch and arrested recovery. Larger wings and control surfaces and the addition of wingtip ailerons allow the F-35C pilot to control the airplane with precision during carrier approaches. The aircraft incorporates larger landing gear and a stronger internal structure to withstand the forces of carrier launches and recoveries.
The World’s Only 5th Generation Carrier Aircraft For the first time in naval aviation history, radar-evading stealth capability comes to the carrier deck. The F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) sets a new standard in weapon systems integration, lethality, maintainability, combat radius and payload that brings true multimission power projection capability from the sea.
Enhances Asymmetric Advantage The F-35C matches 5th generation survivability with major advances in network-enabled mission systems, reliability and supportability. It is a first-day-of-the war fighter with the ability to dominate adversaries in the air or on the surface, while surviving the most formidable threat environments.
Ruggedized Stealth The F-35C combines lessons learned from previous aircraft with technology breakthroughs to produce a fighter that retains its stealthy advantage with minimal maintenance, even in the harshest shipboard conditions.
Reconfigurable The internal weapons bay is reconfigurable for all air-to-ground ordnance, all air-to-air ordnance or a blend of both. A missionized version of the 25 mm GAU-22A cannon is installed or removed as needed.
When stealth is not required to execute a mission, the F-35C external pylons are loaded with ordnance, giving the aircraft a weapons payload of more than 18,000 pounds.
