Given its stealthy characteristics, the US Air Force's F-35A, also known as the Lightning II, can adapt to any task it is called on to complete.

The F-35 can infiltrate enemy territory undetected on day one of any campaign, carrying 5,700 pounds (2,600kg) of internal ordnance.

After clearing threats on the ground and in the air, the F-35 provides critical intelligence to commanders back at base or at sea, and is also able to add externally carried missiles and bombs, totaling 22,000 pounds (10,000kg) of combined internal and external weapons.

"The F-35 can reconfigure to carry the right combination of weapons to return any day of the battle it's needed," according to The Aviation Geek Club.

"From providing critical intelligence, to defeating threats with a powerful air-to-air and air-to-ground payload, the F-35 has the range and flexibility to win, again and again," it said.

The F-35A, combined with its armaments, has an asymmetric advantage over fourth generation aircraft.

The aircraft's loadout, in which armaments are carried in internal bays, is two AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) and two GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs).

The F-35A is also the only variant that comes with an internally carried GAU-22/A 25mm rotary cannon.

The F-35A's armaments take full advantage of its ability to penetrate enemy defenses undetected and eliminate critical adversary detection capabilities, enabling follow-on operations by fourth generation fighters, bombers and Navy destroyers.

Self-guided missiles

The AIM-120 AMRAAM is an all-weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of day and night operations.

The missile is faster, smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the AIM-7 Sparrow missile series, and has improved capabilities against low-altitude targets, according to a US Air Force fact sheet.

The AIM-120 AMRAAM incorporates active transmit-receive radar guidance with an inertial reference unit and microcomputer system, which makes the missile less dependent upon the fire-control system of the aircraft.

The AMRAAM is a "fire and forget" weapon.

"Once the missile closes on a target, its active radar guides it to intercept," the fact sheet says.

"This enables the pilot to aim and fire several missiles simultaneously at multiple targets. The pilot may then perform evasive maneuvers while the missiles guide themselves to their targets."

In addition to the F-35, AMRAAMs are compatible with Air Force F-15, F-16 and F-22 fighter jets and the Navy's and Marines' F/A-18 Hornets.

When an AMRAAM is launched, NATO pilots use the brevity code "Fox Three."

It weighs roughly 356 pounds (161kg) with a 44-pound (20kg) warhead that can detonate with either a proximity or impact fuse system.

The missile has an operational range of 57 nautical miles (105km), which is well outside the detection range of any adversary aircraft up against the F-35.

Highly accurate 'smart bombs'

The F-35A and other variants also utilize the JDAM guidance tail kit for its bombs, which converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurate, adverse-weather "smart" munitions, according to the US Air Force.

Its guidance system was jointly developed by the US Air Force and US Navy and uses an integrated inertial guidance system coupled with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to improve the accuracy of unguided, general purpose bombs in any weather.

The GBU-31 utilizes a 2,000-pound (900kg) bomb that can penetrate hard targets with an estimated range up to 45 miles (72km).

"Once released from the aircraft, the JDAM autonomously navigates to the designated target co-ordinates," the Air Force fact sheet says. "Target co-ordinates can be loaded into the aircraft before takeoff, manually altered by the aircrew before weapon release, or automatically entered through target designation with onboard aircraft sensors."

JDAM enables multiple weapons to be directed against single or multiple targets on a single pass.

When GPS data are available, the JDAM system in its most accurate mode will provide a weapon circular error probable (CEP) of 5 meters or less during free flight.

CEP is defined as the radius of a circle centered at the aimpoint, which has a 50% probability of hit. It is one of many measures of precision used to characterize ballistic precision.

Without GPS data, the JDAM can achieve a 30-meter CEP or less for free-flight times up to 100 seconds.

Asymmetric advantage

The F-35A also features the GAU-22/A, a 25mm externally powered Gatling four-barrel gun designed for both the internal and external F-35 gun systems.

Each GAU-22/A fires up to 3,300 shots per minute with armor-piercing explosive projectiles able to defeat even the most hardened aircraft.

"Continuous rotary motion reduces the impact loads on gun components, extending parts life and resulting in extremely high gun reliability," according to manufacturer General Dynamics.

The GAU-22/A is more than 40 pounds (18.1kg) lighter and occupies 20% less volume than does its comparably equipped five-barrel counterpart, making it "lightweight versatile and lethal firepower for the F-35A Lightning II," it said.

While the F-35A was designed originally for "dogfighting" -- aerial battles between fighter aircraft conducted at close range -- exercises and testing indicate that the F-35A may not even have to engage in such battles.

Known for its superior pilot training, high-tech specifications, advanced sensor package, drone-like surveillance capabilities and lethality, the F-35A can drop in behind adversary fighters undetected and eliminate the threat before the enemy fighter can transmit a warning of the F-35's presence.