Ostensibly, the primary reason the X-32 lost the JSF bid is related to its short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) performance. The problem with the X-32 was that when operating in STOVL ...

However, during flight tests, the X-32 required ground reconfiguration between Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) and supersonic modes, whereas the X-35 could transition seamlessly mid ...