Pentagon certifies F-35A fighter jet can carry nuclear bombs
(Baonghean.vn) - The online magazine Breaking Defense reported that the certification of this fighter jet to carry B61-12 nuclear bombs was completed on October 12, 2023.
According to a report by the online magazine Breaking Defense, the F-35A fighter jet has been officially certified to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear bomb.
Citing a spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), the magazine reported that certification for the B61-12 was completed on October 12, 2023, ahead of the commitment deadline of January 2024. This certification does not include the F-35B fighter jet, which can take off and land vertically, as well as the F-35C, which can be launched from aircraft carriers.
The US Air Force press service has not yet responded to a question from a reporter from the Russian news agency TASS about the number of F-35A fighters expected to be deployed in Europe.
The first production unit of the upgraded B61 nuclear bomb, which entered service in 1968, rolled out in November 2021. The bomb will replace “three of the four existing B61 bombs.” The modernized warhead will replace the B61-3, B61-4 and B61-7.