What exactly is the F-35 ‘Beast Mode’ we keep hearing about?

The phrase “beast mode” wasn’t coined for the sake of the F-35. In fact, more often than not, you’ll find those two words adorning tweets about professional football players breaking tackles or in the caption under videos of street fights. So how did the phrase manage to find its way into so many headlines pertaining to Lockheed Martin’s flagship fifth-generation fighter? Well, for one thing, it makes for some great marketing.

In fact, the original “Beast Mode” touted by Lockheed Martin involved arming the platform with more ordnance than it actually has hard points to support. But before we start picking apart just how plausible their “Beast Mode” loadout really is, we should first clarify the premise behind it.