If there is one name that’s been dominating military aircraft development over the last
few decades, it is Lockheed Martin. Surprisingly, the company's list of
fighter jets is not long. Only nine aircraft made it onto this list. That will amaze you.
Lockheed Martin is an aerospace, military support, security, and advanced technologies
company located in Bethesda, Maryland. It primarily engages in the studies, design,
evolution, construction, production, innovation, and maintenance of advanced
technology systems, products, and services. The United States' dominance in the world couldn’t
have been the same without the innovative technologies realized by Lockheed Martin.
With the evolution of technologically advanced aircraft crucial to the national defense and
introducing the stealth technology that has changed the perspective of American war-fighting
capabilities, Lockheed Martin indeed has brought military aviation to new levels.
Innovation, performance, and purpose were the keys to the advancement of Lockheed Martin.
The Lockheed Martin fighter jets stood out from the early years up to this advancing generation.
Lockheed Martin’s air superiority over the battlefield is obtained through ongoing studies,
experimentation, and testing to produce high-performance, technologically advanced,
and top-of-the-class fighter jets. And as for the Skunk Works division,
which gave birth to several fighter aircraft, the company’s mission stayed much the same:
to build the world’s most experimental aircraft and breakthrough technologies in base secrecy
at a swiftness impossible to rival. Welcome to Forces Cast; today,
We are talking about nine of the best Lockheed Martin fighter jets from history up to this age.
1. Lockheed P-38 Lightning Okay, it’s not a jet,
but we still felt the P-38 deserves to be on this list as one of the most successful
Lockheed Martin Fighter Planes. The P-38 Lightning is a high-speed, high-altitude
fighter bomber made during the Second World War for the United States Army Air Corps. The
prototype conducted its maiden flight on January 27, 1939, by its test pilot, Benjamin Kelsey. The
P-38 was used in several aerial warfares as a fighter bomber, night fighter,
and escort fighter engineered with a drop tank system for a more extended range. P-38s
successfully downed many German Fighters in WW2, achieving the nickname, the Fork-tailed devil.
Lockheed Martin introduced several high-end features of his time in secret,
including a notable change where the aluminum skin of the aircraft was rolled,
molded, and turned, a change that Lockheed did not want in military specifications but which
would reduce performance. Aerodynamic pulling provides excellent power and negligible mass.
Also atypical for a fighter aircraft of its time were the turbo-superchargers
that produced noiseless operation and better performance at high altitudes.
The P-38 can climb up to 3,300 feet per minute and has been recorded as the world's
first military aircraft to reach and exceed 400 mph. It can fly 100 mph faster than any
fighter in its time and can carry a greater payload with a range of 1,000 nautical miles.
2. Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star The P-80 Shooting Star was the
first combat-ready jet fighter utilized by the United States Army Air Forces.
Developed in 1943 and conducted its first flight on January 8, 1944, it was the first
American turbojet-powered jet fighter to win the first all-jet combat in the world.
The aircraft was named the “Shooting Star” because of its unmatched speed, with several modified
models capable of transcending 600 mph. The fuselage, built in a bullet-shaped configuration,
with flush rivets and polished skin, gave an authoritative impression as an attack aircraft,
armed with six M3 Browning machine guns and eight HVAR unguided rockets two 1,000-lb bombs.
The P-80 Shooting Star has a typical range of 717 nautical miles and can fly up to 46,800 feet.
It can climb at a rate of 6,870 feet per minute. 3. Lockheed F-94 Starfire
The F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet fighter and an all-weather interceptor
developed for the United States Air Force. It was the first United States fighter jet to
have an afterburner and the first jet-powered all-weather interceptor to engage in combat
during the Korean War in 1953. The aircraft took its first flight on April 16, 1949.
The Starfire adapted some of the looks of the T-33 Shooting Star, including the tail, wing,
and landing gear. Additional features, such as the redesigned fuselage and a lengthened nose
area with guns, were added. It is also equipped with Hughes E-1 automatic fire control system,
AN/APG-33 radar, and a Sperry A-1C computing gunsight for terminal phases of interception.
The aircraft has a maximum speed of 640 mph and a typical range of 700 nautical miles.
It has a service ceiling of 51,400 feet and a climb rate of 7,980 feet per minute.
4. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter The F-104 Starfighter is a supersonic
interceptor aircraft that has been extensively used as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. It
was developed in the 1950s as a day fighter before becoming an all-weather fighter in the late 1960s.
Built initially for the United States Air Force but was later adopted by NATO and
several other countries. The Starfighter took to the skies for the first time on March 4, 1954.
The sleek yet durable, F-104 Starfighter was the perfect NATO warplane. It was the first
fighter aircraft to sustain Mach 2 flight, which set numerous records worldwide for
its altitude and airspeed capabilities. It was armed with an M61A1 6-barreled Gatling cannon,
four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, and other bombs and rockets.
The F-104 Starfighter has a maximum speed of 1,528 mph and is strong enough to weather any storm
brewing. It has a combat range of 360 nautical miles and has a service ceiling of 50,000 feet.
5. Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a supersonic,
multi-role, air superiority fighter initially built by General Dynamics before Lockheed Martin
acquired it in 1993. It was originally designed as an air superiority day fighter and later developed
into an all-weather multirole combat aircraft. Since its maiden flight in December 1976,
this supermaneuverable air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack aircraft have
proven its versatility and high performance during missions at a reasonably low cost.
This lightweight fourth-generation fighter features a frameless bubble canopy for greater
visibility, a sidestick controller for easy maneuvering, a 30-degree reclined ejection seat
to decrease the effect of gravitational forces on the pilot, and the first use of a fly-by-wire
system for agility and relaxed stability. It is loaded with an internal M61 Vulcan six-barrel
rotary cannon, air-to-air, air-to-surface, anti-ship missiles, rockets, and bombs.
The Fighting Falcon has a maximum speed of 921 mph at sea level and can fly up to 50,000 feet.
It has a combat range of 295 nautical miles on a hi-lo-hi mission with four 1,000 lbs bombs.
6. Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk The F-117 Nighthawk is a twin-engine
stealth attack aircraft developed in 1978. Even though it was the first operational
aircraft equipped with stealth technology and was frequently referred to as the Stealth Fighter, it
was purely a ground-attack aircraft. On June 18, 1981, the prototype conducted its first flight.
The aircraft is fitted with a fly-by-wire system, two non-afterburning General Electric F404
turbofan engines, and a digital avionics suite with advanced navigation and attack systems.
It is armed with two GBU-10, GBU-12, or GBU-27 laser bombs, GBU-31 JDAM INS/GPS
guided munition, and a B-61 nuclear bomb. The F-117 Nighthawk flies at a maximum speed
of 684 mph. It has a range of 930 nautical miles and can wash up to 45,000 feet.
7. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor The F-22 Raptor is a twin-engine,
stealth tactical fighter aircraft that entered service in December 2005. Developed for the
United States Air Force, it was mainly designed as an air superiority fighter. Still, it can act
as an attack and electronic-warfare aircraft with signal-intelligence capabilities. The first F-22
took its maiden flight on September 7, 1997. The F-22 Raptor was designed to be the most
advanced fighter jet in the world. It is a fifth-generation air-dominant
fighter with fourth-generation stealth technology, super maneuverability,
cruising capability, unique sensor capacities, integrated avionics, situational awareness,
and long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons to kill its enemies first.
The aircraft showcased its ability to supercruise, flying at a sustained supersonic speed of 1,220
mph. It has a typical range of over 1,600 nautical miles with two external fuel tanks
and can wash up to 65,000 feet. The F-22 is one of the fastest fighter jets in the world.
8. Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk The A-4AR Fightinghawk is an upgraded A-4M
Skyhawk fighter bomber built for the Argentine Air Force from 1996 to 1999. Lockheed Martin converted
thirty-six US Marine Corps A-4M Skyhawks equipped with F-16 Fighting Falcon avionics. The aircraft
was designated the Fightinghawk, and a prototype conducted its maiden flight in December 1999.
Upgrades included a complete overhaul of the more strong airframe, Pratt and
Whitney J52P-408A engines, Douglas Escapac 1-63 ejection seats and HGU-55 / P flight helmets,
Honeywell onboard oxygen generation system, AN / APG- 66V2, throttle, and practical interventions
and glass cockpit, head-up display, inertial navigation system, MIL-STD-1553B data bus,
two AN / AYK-14 mission computers, radar alarm receiver, electronic countermeasures on board
and identification of friends or enemies. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 671 mph
and a typical range of 1,700 nautical miles. It can fly up to 42,250 feet and
climb at a rate of 8,440 feet per minute. 9. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
The stealth multirole combat aircraft F-35 Lightning II took to the skies for the first
time on December 15, 2006. It was Designed for air dominance and attack missions; the
F-35 is also equipped with electronic warfare and Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition,
and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities. It is the second fifth-generation fighter in
service with USAF and the first operational short take-off and vertical landing stealth aircraft.
The F-35 Lightning II is designed to conquer today and tomorrow's most advanced air and ground
threat systems. The fifth-generation fighter features unparalleled stealth, extraordinary
agility and maneuverability, integrated avionics, multi-spectral sensors, highly
innovative computer systems that can connect to other methods for situational awareness,
and radar detection avoidance capabilities. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 806 mph
at sea level and can fly up to 50,000 feet. It has a typical range of 1,500
nautical miles and a combat range of 760 nautical miles during interdiction missions.
Those are The 9 Best Lockheed Martin Fighter Jets in today's lesson.
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