How Many Miles Per Gallon Does An F-35 Actually Burn At Full Afterburner?

How Many Miles Per Gallon Does An F-35 Actually Burn At Full Afterburner? examines the F-35’s fuel use in context of what the aircraft is designed to do. The article explains that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is primarily a stealth, sensor-fusion strike fighter built for penetrating air defenses and coordinating with other platforms, rather than for speed or sustained high-Mach flight. It describes the jet’s Pratt & Whitney F135 single engine and notes thrust figures of about 28,000 lbf dry and about 43,000 lbf with afterburner, depending on variant. While the F-35 can use afterburner in specific scenarios, it is not optimized for extreme maneuverability or record-setting performance versus aircraft like the F-22.