Overview
- Sandia National Laboratories and the National Nuclear Security Administration ran Aug. 19–21 flight tests at Nevada’s Tonopah Test Range with F-35A aircraft supported by Hill Air Force Base.
- Unarmed B61-12 joint test assemblies, which match operational bombs except for the nuclear package, were carried and released successfully.
- Sandia says these are the first and only B61-12 stockpile flight tests from an F-35 to date, marking a major step in weapon–aircraft compatibility.
- The series included captive-carry checks and the first thermal preconditioning before carriage to verify performance under realistic environmental conditions.
- Officials stressed the exercises evaluated delivery systems rather than explosive nuclear testing, following completion of the B61-12 life-extension program that extends service life by at least 20 years.