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4h ago

Sandia Confirms First B61-12 Test Drops From F-35 Were Successful

The lab says the unarmed drops validated F-35 compatibility, with no sign of a return to nuclear explosive testing.

Two B61-12 joint test assemblies loaded on an F-35 aircraft for a flight test on Aug. 19. (Image credit: Craig Fritz/Sandia)
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Overview

  • Sandia National Laboratories and the NNSA ran multiple flight tests Aug. 19–21 at Nevada’s Tonopah Test Range using F-35A aircraft generated from Hill Air Force Base.
  • The releases used B61-12 joint test assemblies that match stockpile bombs in form and function but contain no nuclear material.
  • Engineers executed the first thermal preconditioning of a B61-12 test assembly before F-35 carriage to verify performance in real-world environments.
  • Sandia said these are the only B61-12 stockpile flight tests conducted from an F-35 to date, calling the results a major integration milestone.
  • Photos and video show personnel loading two inert B61-12s into an F-35 on Aug. 19, and officials emphasized the activity does not involve explosive nuclear testing.