Jane Edwards
An integrated test team within the U.S. Air Force has completed 25 weapons delivery and separation tests of the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 fighter jet.
The F-35 ITF at Edwards Air Force Base in California dropped and fired a total of 30 weapons that include the AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missile, Joint Direct Attack Munition, AIM-9X Sidewinder and the GPS-guided small diameter bomb, Lockheed said Monday.
“This testing has moved us that much closer to delivering the full F-35 capability to warfighters within the next two years,“ said Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 program executive officer.
The F-35 test team demonstrated the fighter jet's performance in weapons delivery through three test events that used the aircraft's block 3F software as well as dropped multiple weapons in five test events.
The service branch's F-35 ITF performed the weapons testing activities at the Sea Test Range near Point Mugu Naval Air Station in California, White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and California-based China Lake Weapons Range.
