SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 – During World War II, American airpower was tested on a tactical and strategic level to acquire intelligence, transport troops to the battlefield, and engage foes in aerial combat. It was a historic time illustrating the value of a robust and independent air force, which is why President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act on Sept. 18, 1947. The act established the United States Air Force as an official military branch.
On the U.S. Air Force’s 75th birthday, the legacy of an iconic World War II-era airplane, the P-38 Lightning, is revisited as its name and spirit are celebrated for its indelible mark on the F-35 Lightning II.
The unmatched fifth-generation capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II are on display today as it blankets the globe in security and maintains peace. It is the most advanced, lethal, interoperable, and survivable joint strike fighter in the world. The former Lightning’s proud legacy is carried on by the latter Lightning II. The similarities between the two aircraft are not in design but in the philosophy of how the U.S. builds fighter jets and the fighting spirit of the warfighters who fly them.
Designating a military aircraft “Lightning” is appropriate since lightning moves quickly across the skies and holds electricity that can be lethal if you come in contact with it. Like the Lightning II, there wasn’t much the Lightning I could not do at its peak. It flew faster and higher than any other aircraft of its day.
The P-38 Lightning officially entered service in 1940 and was flown by the U.S. Army Air Corps. The aircraft could perform a wide variety of tasks, including air-to-air combat, dive and skip bombing, night fighting, photo reconnaissance, and state-of-the-art radar escort. Its unique twin-engine design allowed for maximum performance and gave it extraordinary speed and power. As a result, the P-38 Lightning quickly established itself as the fighter of choice during the war. As evidence of how formidable the aircraft was in combat, a German pilot once surrendered to Allied troops camped near Tunisia, North Africa, referring to the P-38 as “der Gableschwanz Teufl ,” or the “fork-tailed devil.”
Over 10,000 P-38s—including 18 distinct models—were manufactured throughout the war and flew more than 130,000 global missions. P-38 pilots shot down more Japanese aircraft than any other fighter and, as a reconnaissance aircraft, P-38s obtained 90% of the aerial film captured over Europe. World War II was indeed the P-38 Lightning’s proving ground.
Perhaps the P-38 Lightning’s most legendary mission occurred on April 18, 1943. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese navy chief and architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, was discovered by U.S. intelligence to be flying to Bougainville Island in the Pacific. Sixteen P-38Gs departed from Guadalcanal and flew a 1,000-mile roundtrip to intercept Yamamoto’s G4M bomber aircraft and crashed it to the island below. It was a turning point in the war. After the intercept of the admiral and his escort, Japanese naval morale was crushed and Allied morale went soaring high. The intercept helped set the stage for an Allied victory in the Pacific. Lightning I flew for several more years and made an exceptional showing in the 1940s before it was retired by the Air Force in 1949.
The first F-35 Lightning II rolled out of a high-security facility in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2006. The Air Force announced the new fifth-generation fighter would be named “Lightning II” in honor of the P-38 Lightning. Much like the Lightning during WWII, the F-35 is a game changer in today’s global environment— one that requires a close watch on adversaries seated around the world.
Although the design of the P-38 Lightning and the F-35 Lightning II are different, both aircraft were built to provide the warfighter with the greatest capabilities available to accomplish their mission. Veteran P-38 pilots and F-35 test pilots agreed that the P-38 represented the pinnacle of technological innovation and the best in creative thinking of its time. Lightning flash forward: these exact same capabilities live on in the F-35 Lightning II. The aircraft’s stealth, long-range sensors, powerful propulsion system, and precision weapons are standing on the wings of the metaphorically giant P-38.
As the legacy of the P-38 Lighting thunders on in the F-35 Lightning II, these two fighters aren’t merely linked by name or capability. Rather, they stand united by their fighting spirit and a commitment to freedom around the world.
Story by F-35 Joint Program Office Digital Media
F-35 Joint Program Office