FRIDAY FLYING VIDEO: The awesome Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter

A seriously impressive video tribute to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, a fifth generation multirole fighter.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is being funded and developed primarily by the US government, in collaboration with the UK and a number of other partner governments. The first international F-35 rolled out of the Lockheed Martin factory and was delivered to the UK Ministry of Defence last week. The UK Ministry of Defence will use the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet, known as BK-1, for training and operational tests.

Local company Quickstep Technologies is one of many companies around the world that are contributing to the F-35 program. Working from its Bankstown Airport base, Quickstep will manufacture varioius parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program over the next 20 years.

Australia hopes to eventually buy 100 F-35s to replace its F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet fleet and has so far committed to 14 JSFs at an estimated cost of $3 billion. However, the JSF program has been hit with delays recently as the US government looks to cut defence spending to rein in its soaring debt.

WATCH INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE OF THE F-35 LIGHTNING II BELOW...