US F-35 jets become Nuclear Bombers

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US F-35 jets become Nuclear Bombers

March 9th, 2024

Awake Goy

The F-35A fighter jets manufactured in the United States have received certification to carry B61-12 free-fall bombs, marking them as the first fifth-generation aircraft authorized to carry nuclear weapons.

The announcement was made by Russ Goemaere, a spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Program Office, in a statement to Breaking Defense magazine on Friday. The ten-year certification program, initially scheduled for completion by January, has been concluded ahead of the planned timeline, according to the spokesperson.

The F-35A, with conventional takeoff and landing capabilities, is now recognized as the first 5th generation aircraft with nuclear capability. This makes it the first new platform, whether fighter or bomber, to achieve such status since the early 1990s. Goemaere emphasized that this development provides a “critical capability” to the entire NATO bloc and supports the United States’ “extended deterrence commitments.”

It’s important to note that the certification is specific to the F-35A variant and does not encompass other versions of the stealth fighter, including the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B or the carrier-based F35C. Additionally, the certification only applies to the B61-12, the newer variant of the B61 free-fall nuclear bomb introduced in 1960.

The B61-12 life extension program, initiated during the Obama administration, aims to replace older versions of the nuclear bomb. The first production unit of B61-12 was introduced in late 2021, and the program is scheduled to continue until the end of 2025. Last year, the Biden administration introduced a new -13 life extension program to further enhance the capabilities of the B61.

This development comes amid ongoing challenges faced by the F-35 program, which has experienced various technical issues and setbacks. A recent report revealed that a $14 billion software upgrade for the jets was deemed “immature and deficient,” leading to critical warfighting deficiencies rather than improvements in their capabilities. Despite operator complaints about deficiencies in weapons, fusion, communications, navigation, cybersecurity, and targeting processes, the Pentagon chose to proceed with the flawed software update.

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