The F-35 is a single-seat, single-engine supersonic jet with the most advanced computers and networking abilities yet to take to the air, and stealth capabilities designed to make it hard to pick up on enemy radar.

It comes in three versions: the F-35A, the “standard” aircraft; the F-35B, which has a lift fan mounted behind the cockpit giving the jet short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, meaning it can hover like a Harrier; and the F-35C, a beefed-up, navalisedversion for use on American aircraft carrier.