Why Did Lockheed Martin Build The F-35 With A Single Engine Instead Of 2?

Lockheed Martin designed the F-35 to serve the Air Force, Navy and Marines, and every variant was built around a single engine. That choice is often framed as weight or simplicity, but the program’s 2002 push for affordability and high commonality across the three aircraft drove the architecture. A dedicated engine per variant would have complicated part sharing, but the F-35B posed the toughest requirement: supporting short takeoff and vertical landing with the lift-fan system while still fitting common avionics, systems and an airframe shared with the F-35A and F-35C. The F135 from Pratt & Whitney became the family powerplant for all variants.