F-35A officially became a platform for nuclear weapons: which bombs can carry aircraft
The combined F-35 F-35 Software Office reported that the certification process was started in October last year. Now the stealth fighter has become a double potential aircraft, as it can carry both ordinary and nuclear weapons. "F-35A is the first in the history of the 5th generation aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons and the first new platform that has received this status since the early 1990s.
Certification of F-35 in the nuclear industry has become the culmination of more than a 10-year-old tense The work of the entire nuclear enterprise consisting of 16 different government and industrial stakeholders, "Gomayr said. At the same time, the official added that the aircraft has been certified before the deadlines set, providing the US and NATO with critical potential.
As for the details, Gomayer stressed that the US policy in the field of disclosure prohibits the disclosure of dual -weapons among NATO partners. However, as of 2023, about 100 old variants of B61 bombs will be placed in NATO -Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. Of these, the first four countries have F-35 aircraft.
It has also been noted that the F-35 case is only a platform for a newer version of nuclear B61-12, and the Block 4 modification is not a prerequisite for using these weapons. Earlier it was reported that information on the use of F-35 fighter jets was received during the missions to scan zones of the occupied territory of Ukraine, where Russian air defense means could be located. The use of these aircraft to identify Russian systems was confirmed by Western observers with Air Force Times.