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The F-35 Lightning II – Lockheed’s do-it-all multirole fighter, holds the record as the most expensive piece of military equipment ever conceived, with an expected lifetime program cost of $2+ trln, according to the Government Accountability Office. The F-35 has three variants – the A, B and C, produced for the US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, respectively. All models of the F-35 come with a single engine and are flown by a sole pilot. The 27.2-31.8 ton jets have a 935-1,241 km combat radius, a weapons payload between 6,800 and 8,160 kg, and a top speed of Mach 1.6.
Despite their introduction into service nearly a decade ago, F-35s continue to be plagued with an array of problems, with a recent GAO report listing issues ranging from faulty landing gear to vibrating fuel tubes, fragile electro-optical targeting systems, and canopy delamination issues.
