US Conducts B61-12 Nuclear Bomb Flight Tests with F-35 Over Nevada
Sandia Labs and the NNSA completed successful B61-12 bomb tests with an F-35 in Nevada, confirming delivery capability and upgraded nuclear weapon systems.
The United States has conducted flight tests of the B61-12 free-fall (gravity) nuclear bomb using an F-35 fighter jet. The information was released by Sandia National Laboratories, which operates under the U. S. Department of Energy.
The laboratory specified that, together with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), it carried out a series of successful trials at a test range in Nevada. During the tests, inert versions of the B61-12 bomb were released from an F-35 aircraft, a step described as an important stage in evaluating the weapon’s characteristics. The trials, conducted from August 19 to 21 of this year, confirmed the aircraft’s ability to deliver the nuclear bomb to its target and demonstrated the functioning of its onboard weapon systems.
It was also reported that at the end of last year, the NNSA completed the life-extension program for the B61-12, increasing the service life of these bombs by at least 20 years.
Laboratory specialists added that the test campaign included another significant procedure: for the first time, the series incorporated preliminary thermal conditioning of the test system before it was mounted on the F-35 and subsequently released.
On October 30, U. S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to begin nuclear weapons testing on par with other countries that, as he claimed, maintain such programs. He stated that the process should begin immediately.
Commenting on discussions about the possible resumption of nuclear testing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia would respond if any nuclear-armed state proceeded with such tests.
On November 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Russian Security Council, during which Defense Minister Andrey Belousov proposed initiating preparations to restore nuclear testing at the Novaya Zemlya test site. Putin instructed officials to gather the necessary data, conduct a detailed assessment within the Security Council, and present possible steps for preparing tests comparable in scale to those the United States intends to resume.