F-35 stealth fighter manufactured by Lockheed Martin has reached a milestone in the life cycle of major defence programs – a significant milestone indeed, but one that may symbolise more importance than meets the eye. On March 12th, the Pentagon announced full-rate manufacturing approval for Lockheed’s F-35 program, known in the bureaucratic jargon of the U.S. Department of Defence as ‘Milestone C.’

However, amidst the admiration, questions remain about the program’s cost over-runs, technical constraints, and battle-field effectiveness. Critics state that the F-35’s high price tag and complexity may not necessarily yield a remarkable advantage on the battlefield.

“This is a major achievement for the F-35 programme, The F-35 programme is the premier system that drives interoperability with our allies and partners while contributing to the integrated deterrence component of our national defence strategy” – US under-secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment William LaPlante.

The Pentagon’s top procurement team has described reaching Milestone C as a sign to both the U.S. military and foreign buyers that the F-35 is ready for operational sorties. This validation from procurement officials may grow confidence in the F-35 program and its ability to meet the requirements of 21st-century battle plans.

Lockheed Martin is already producing the F-35 at its maximum capacity, which manufactures 156 jet aircraft annually. On a global scale, the F-35 is already operated by military services in several countries. Many of these services have already declared their initial operational capability with the F-35, demonstrating the minimum capability required to sustain and deploy combat operations.

Hence, the Pentagon’s announcement of Milestone C indicates a symbolic acceptance of actuality, in contrast to the hype surrounding production in large-scale.

However, the Milestone C approval is annexed with one more vital piece of news. F-35 is now certified as the first stealth fighter jet to carry B61-12 Nuclear Gravity Bomb. It means F-35 will have dual capability now for flying with conventional and nuclear missions. The fact that F-35 can enter enemy air space with lower risk of being detected, makes it extremely lethal with nuclear capabilities, supplemented with deadly multi-mission features.

All about F-35 Advanced Fighter Jet:

Additional Facts:

 1. F-35 A (Runway Variant, G Rating 9.0, 25 mm Cannon, 2 AIM-120 C Air-Air Missile, 2 GBU-31 JDAM guided bomb).

2. F-35 B (Vertical landing capability, Operates on Aircraft Carrier, G Rating 7.0, 2 AIM-120 C Air-Air Missile, 2 GBU-31 JDAM guided bomb.

3. F-35 C (Navy Variant, G Rating 7.5, 2 AIM-120 C Air-Air Missile, 2 GBU-31 JDAM guided bomb)