F-35 Packs a Punch
The Lockheed Martin F-35 can carry a large weapons load, combining internal and external stores.
Not all of the F-35’s planned weaponry will be carried in its internal bays.
Not all of the F-35’s planned weaponry will be carried in its internal bays.

The F-35 is sleek and stealthy, thanks to internally-carried weapons, but that limits the operational payload and the jet’s air-to-ground capability, correct? To some extent, that is true, but here’s an alternative view. “It’s a bomb truck, capable of carrying 14,000 pounds–that’s 3,000 pounds more than my F-18s,” said Lt. General Jon Davis, head of aviation for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).