Northrop Grumman Corp. has released photos of a pre-production model of the Air Force's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a new supersonic and stealthy fighter plane.

Shaw Air Force Base and McEntire Air National Guard Base, South Carolina, are two of the six sites to host the aircraft, dubbed "Lightning II" in 2009. The F-35 is a single-seat, supersonic, stealthy aircraft that is to be used in a variety of missions, such as air-to-air combat, ground attacks, and the suppressing of enemy air defenses.

Info and undated photo provided by Northrop Grumman Corp.