Beast Mode for F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet

22,000 lbs. of weapons.  That's what  the F-35 fighter can carry, with internal and external stores together.  Pilots call it Beast Mode.  Who knew our newest stealth fighter had a Beast Mode?  Yet it makes sense.  F-35s now operational with the Marines, Air Force and Navy are taking over the mantle of air dominance.  Part of that means adaptability for many missions.  In Beast Mode, the F-35 can patrol with 14, yes, that's fourteen AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to air missiles, and tuck 2 AIM-9X Sidewinders in as well.  The air-to-gorund mode is six 2,000-lb. JDAMs with 2 AIM-120 AMRAAM and 2 AIM-9x.  The air-to-air mode is vital for future threats.  Imagine chasing Chinese H6 bombers all over the Pacific, or deterring Chinese fighters over the South China Sea.  In other scenarios, air-to-air Beast Mode boosts the F-35's utility against incoming cruise missiles or threats to US air sovereignty.  Watch Lockheed Martin exec Jeff Babione tell dean of defense journalists Vago Muradian all about it, here.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4kuB58nENs