ANALYSIS: F-35's next engine to reach for more range

One criticism – among many – of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is that the fighter lacks the range needed to conduct long-range stealth strike missions. While Lockheed Martin has studied adding external fuel tanks to extend the aircraft’s range, slinging the bulky hardware under the F-35 would ruin its minimal radar cross section, giving away the stealth fighter’s chief advantage.