ENTER THE LIGHTNING

Built by a group of nine partner countries, the F-35 Lightning II is the next-generation of fighter aircraft designed to dominate the skies.

Developed from the X-35, which won the Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstration phase in October 2001, the first production F-35A rolled out in February 2006.

Later that year, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was named Lightning II in homage to two earlier modern fighters that shared the "Lightning" name.

Of the nine partner countries -- Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States (US) -- six have received the first of their aircraft and eight are currently training pilots and maintenance crew.

There are three variants of the F-35. The F-35A is designed to be operated from conventional runways and will form the bulk of aircraft eventually delivered.

The F-35B is designed to take off from shorter runways and is capable of vertical landings. It is also the first supersonic stealth Short Take-off/Vertical Landing (STVOL) fighter aircraft in the world.

The last variant F-35C is the carrier version. With larger wings and more robust landing gear, it is purpose-built for catapult launches and arrestment mechanisms aboard naval aircraft carriers.

The deal came just over eight months after the A$105 million (S$108 million) contract with Australia was signed in 2014 for the delivery of 89 such vehicles.