US' stealth fighter jet F-35A drops "mock" nuclear bomb in flight test, Watch video

The United States Air Force along with Sandia National Laboratories conducted the first-ever mock test with the B61-12 nuclear bomb featuring the F-35A fighter jet. According to media reports, the test, which took place over Sandia National Laboratories' Tonopah Test Range in Nevada on August 25, saw the 5th-generation fighter release a mock bomb from an internal bay while flying at supersonic speed. During the test, an F-35A Lightning II dropped the B61-12, which contained the non-nuclear and mock nuclear components, from a height of 10,500ft. The inert bomb hit the desert floor within the allocated target area around 42 seconds later, reports stated. 

'We are not slowing down'

"We’re showing the B61-12’s larger compatibility and broader versatility for the country’s nuclear deterrent, and we’re doing it in the world of Covid-19," Sandia B61-12 systems team manager Steven Samuels said. "We are not slowing down. We’re still moving forward with the B61-12 compatibility activities on different platforms," he added.

The F-35A is a fifth-generation fighter and is described by an Air Force online fact sheet as an “agile, versatile, high-performance, 9-G capable multirole fighter” with stealth technology and advanced sensors. Nine countries — the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia — were involved in the fighter jet’s development. "The latest test is a critical piece in the F-35A and B61-12 program," Samuels said. "Aboard the newest fighter, the B61-12 provides a strong piece of the overall nuclear deterrence strategy for our country and our allies."

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Sandia is the design and engineering lab for non-nuclear components of US' nuclear stockpile, including the B61-12. In addition to non-nuclear component development, Sandia serves as the technology integrator for the complete weapon, assuring the system meets requirements as a full-weapon system. In March, Sandia carried out a B61-12 weapon system demonstration with the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet, in collaboration with the National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the USAF.

Watch the stunning flight test and mock nuke drop

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