Lockheed Martin Wins Joint Strike Fighter Competition With Revolutionary Lift Fan Design

The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program was one of the largest acquisition programs in the history of the Department of Defense, worth over $200 billion and spanning more than a decade. In 1996, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were chosen to build two demonstrators each for the JSF competition. The goal was to create a single, affordable stealth fighter that could replace several existing aircraft types.

The main difference between the X-32 (Boeing) and X-35 (Lockheed Martin) designs lay in their lift systems. Boeing used direct lift, which involved pointing the engine's thrust downward through swivelling nozzles, while Lockheed Martin used a shaft-driven lift fan. The latter allowed for more efficient vertical landing capabilities.

The competition was fierce, with both teams making significant improvements to their designs. However, on October 26, 2001, Lockheed Martin was declared the winner of the JSF program. The team's X-35B aircraft had successfully completed a historic mission called 'Mission X', which involved taking off in under 500 feet, reaching supersonic speed, and landing vertically.