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Lockheed Martin engineers have stripped more than 2,700 pounds of unwanted estimated weight from the F-35B short-takeoff/vertical-landing version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This leaner load increases propulsion efficiency and reduces drag. The F-35B, intended first for the US Marine Corps and Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, is now expected to meet or exceed all performance requirements. Because of the design similarities among the three F-35 variants, many of the STOVL-version refinements will translate to the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing and F-35C carrier versions. Nine countries are developing the aircraft, which they expect to receive early next decade.
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