F-35 Joint Strike Fighter officially named Lightning II

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was officially named Lightning II, in a ceremony held today in Fort Worth, Texas.

The name echoes those of two formidable fighters from the past: the World War II-era Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the mid-1950s Lightning supersonic jet, built by English Electric.

The inaugural flight of the first F-35, a preproduction conventional takeoff and landing variant, is planned for later this year. Fifteen F-35s will undergo flight test, seven will be used for static testing and another will validate the aircraft's radar signature. [Link]