Why The F-35 Has Such A Vertical Takeoff & Landing

The F-35 Lightning II fighter jet was designed as a joint strike fighter to serve the needs of the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marines, as well as many US allies and partners around the world. For the Air Force, the F-35A variant has conventional takeoff and landing, while the Navy’s F-35C variant is designed to operate off the fleet’s aircraft carriers. However, the Marines required an airplane capable of SVTOL operations.