Defense, the F-35 fighter will also carry nuclear bombs
The F-35 multirole fighter produced by the American Lockheed Martin has obtained certification for the transport of nuclear bombs. Specifically, the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb. All the details
The F-35 Lightning II is now capable of delivering nuclear strikes.
The fifth generation fighter, produced by the US aerospace group Lockheed Martin , obtained certification for the transport of nuclear bombs in October 2023.
This is what a spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) told Breaking Defense on March 8th. In the event of war, the F-35s will have to carry atomic bombs to the target as part of NATO's "nuclear sharing". The designation marks the first time a stealth fighter can carry a nuclear weapon, in this case the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb.
All the details.
DOUBLE CAPACITY FOR THE F-35A
In a statement to the American newspaper, JPO spokesman Russ Goemaere said that the F-35A obtained certification on October 12, 2023, months before the promise to NATO allies to conclude the process by January 2024. Some F-35As will now capable of officially carrying the B61-12, making the stealth fighter a “dual-capable” aircraft capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons.
“The F-35A is the first fifth-generation nuclear-capable aircraft ever and the first new platform to achieve this status since the early 1990s,” Goemaere explained. “The F-35A achieved nuclear certification ahead of schedule, providing the United States and NATO with a critical capability that supports US expanded deterrence commitments ahead of schedule.”
THE TYPE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
In particular, the F-35 is certified as a carrier of B61-12 thermonuclear bombs. According to an analysis by the US Federation of Scientists, approximately 100 examples of the previous B61 model are stored in Belgium, Germany, Italy (in Ghedi and Aviano), the Netherlands and Turkey.
The B61-12 is a service life extension program that originated during the Obama administration and is replacing the older -3, -4, -7 and -10 models. The first production unit of the B61-12 dates back to November 2021, with production expected through the end of fiscal year 2025. The program is estimated to cost $9.6 billion in fiscal year 22 over its lifetime, although much of that cost has already been spent, Breaking Defense still notes.
Last October, the Biden administration announced that it would develop a new variant of the weapon called the B61-13. The new -13 is expected to have a similar yield to the -7, officials said, which would roughly correspond to an explosion equivalent to 360 kilotons, the American outlet explains. Technically, neither the B61-12 nor the -13 are “new” stockpile-enhancing nuclear weapons, as they take the warheads of older bombs and place them in new bays.
THE CERTIFICATION DOES NOT AFFECT THE OTHER VARIANTS
Finally, it should not be forgotten that the certification does not extend to the twin variants of the stealth jet: namely the F-35B short take-off/vertical landing variant and the F-35C aircraft carrier variant. The F-35A conventional take-off and landing jet is the only one certified to carry nuclear bombs.
The U.S. Air Force has not yet revealed whether any other countries or their F-35As have received certification to field the B61-12. In October 2021, the US Air Force concluded the flight tests necessary to ensure the design of the B61-12 tactical nuclear bomb is compatible with the F-35A Lightning II, completing the certification process. However, not all F-35As will be nuclear-capable.
NOT ALL F-35As WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH NUCLEAR CAPABILITY
“Not all aircraft will become nuclear-capable after full certification,” the Air Force said at the time. “Only units with a nuclear mission will receive the hardware and manpower necessary to configure and maintain nuclear-capable F-35s,” Ares Difesa underlined . “This could include RAF Lakenheath in England and Aviano Air Base in Italy,” Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the US Federation of Scientists, told Airforcetimes .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/difesa-il-caccia-f-35-trasportera-anche-bombe-nucleari/ on Mon, 18 Mar 2024 06:51:50 +0000.