The F-35 Stealth Fighter Is Now the World’s Most Lethal Nuclear Bomber

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At the tinopa test range a flat dusty area 160 miles northwest of las vegas an F-35 flying at supersonic speed dropped a B-6112 nuclear bomb onto the desert floor at an altitude of 10,500 feet. Luckily the B-6112 was an inert training bomb and did not explode. The high-speed test lasted for about 42 seconds and was a success.

Sandia national laboratories is america's one-stop shop for nuclear stockpile design engineering and maintenance. The company is currently upgrading the united states B-61 nuclear gravity bomb to the b-6112 standard. Scandia explained the B-61's life extension program as a program that allows scientists and engineers to address the aging of nuclear weapons components. Some components are re-qualified and go back into a weapon without change. Others that have aged or remanufactured using the original specifications and sometimes the original technology is no longer available, so sandia redesigns those parts using modern technology.

The B-61 originally entered service with the united states in 1968 and this latest refurbishment is expected to extend the B-61 service life for an additional 20 years. The B-61 is one of just two free falling or dumb bombs that the united states currently keeps as is the smaller of the two and though both are nuclear the B-61 is more accurate than the larger B-83, making the B-61 more of a scalpel than a sword.

The smaller explosive force of the B-61 makes it more of a tactical weapon and would offer more operational flexibility due in part to the lower amount of nuclear fallout the bomb would create and the more precise nature of its explosion. The B-6112 has been flight tested on other platforms as well. The F-15E strike eagle was cleared for flight with the B-6112 after a successful test in march as was the air force's B-2 bomber earlier this summer.

What made the F-35 flight test unique however was the jets stealth features. In order to leave the D-35 stealth capabilities intact measured by the jets radar cross-section ordinance as carried in an internal bomb bay. According to sandia this most recent flight test was a first in two areas.

The first B-6112 from an internal bomb bay, as well as the first supersonic, mach one plus drop test. Though the B-61 upgrade program has legitimate criticisms first and foremost cost and realistic combat utility it won't go away anytime soon and since they'll be around for at least 20 more years it just makes sense to clear them for duty with one of the world's most capable stealth 30 platforms.