This year’s Dubai Airshow, taking place November 17-21 at Dubai World Central in the United Arab Emirates, will feature the F-35 Lightning II – one of the most advanced fighter jets ever built.

The 5th-generation jet combines stealth, advanced avionics, and unparalleled information-gathering capabilities in a highly maneuverable airframe, setting the standard for integrated airpower.

The F-35 serves as a force multiplier through its ability to collect, fuse, and share information, creating a unified picture of the battlespace that enhances both its own performance and that of other allied aircraft.

When operating alongside fighter platforms such as the F-16, F-15E, F/A-18E/F, and F-22, the F-35 delivers unmatched combat power.

Its AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar, distributed aperture system, electro-optical targeting system, and sensor fusion enable long-range detection, tracking, and engagement across air, land, and sea.

These systems provide full-spectrum electronic warfare capabilities and allow the aircraft to identify enemy aircraft and missiles with high precision.

The information gathered is shared across the joint force through the Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) or via Link 16, ensuring coordinated operations across the battle space.

The F-35 also integrates seamlessly with Middle Eastern partners’ fleets, enhancing interoperability with the United States.

It pairs effectively with the US bomber fleet, including the B-2, B-1, and B-52. Working with the B-2 Spirit, the F-35 identifies and eliminates targets while maintaining stealth.

With the B-1 Lancer, it can operate undetected ahead of the bomber’s high-speed strike missions.

When partnered with the B-52 Stratofortress, the F-35 provides intelligence and targeting data, enabling the subsonic bomber to strike from beyond enemy defenses.

The B-52 can carry 20 JASSM-ER missiles capable of reaching targets up to 925 kilometers away.

Naval capabilities and global reach

The F-35 family is a multi-domain aircraft line designed for air superiority, strike, electronic warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

All variants are single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth fighters tailored to specific operational needs.

The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing variant flown by the US Air Force.

The F-35B, designed for short takeoff and vertical landing, supports Marine Corps operations, while the F-35C is a carrier-based variant used by the US Navy.

Four aircraft carriers, USS Carl Vinson, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS George Washington, and USS Theodore Roosevelt, currently operate F-35Cs.

The Navy and Marine Corps have also implemented the "Lightning Carrier" concept, using amphibious assault ships capable of deploying up to 20 F-35B aircraft.

Four such ships are configured for these operations, expanding US naval airpower flexibility.

The F-35’s combat history across the Middle East underscores its deployability and endurance.

It has supported CENTCOM missions against the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) and conducted air patrols over key waterways.

Recent missions in 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2025 have demonstrated its rapid mobility, interoperability, and deterrent power worldwide.