Photos: A brief history of stealth aircraft

An even newer plane making use of stealth technology is the F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter. There are three versions of this supersonic plane in the works: a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, a carrier-based variant for the U.S. Navy, and a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. The plane is intended to replace a variety of aircraft that have been in service for some time, including the AV-8B Harrier, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F/A-18 Hornet.

The flight test program for the first F-35, a CTOL version, began in December 2006. Various demonstrator and other early test versions have flown in recent years.