US confirms first successful B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb flight test from F-35

The US has confirmed that it has successfully carried out the testing of a B61-12 tactical thermonuclear bomb. This is the first non-nuclear flight test of the B61-12 variant on an F-35 aircraft. The test was carried out from August 19 to 21 in the test site in Nevada and confirmed by the US Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories on November 13.
The report confirmed that the tests yielded successful results. Inert units of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb were successfully carried and dropped by an F-35 aircraft. The tests solidify the end-to-end reliability of the aircraft, crew and weapon system. The life-extension programme (LEP) for the B61-12 was completed in 2024; these tests extend the service by at least 20 years.

“These B61-12 F-35A stockpile flight tests and captive carry flight test were the capstone accomplishment of a tremendous amount of planning and effort by those who were involved across not only Sandia, but many other agencies,” said Sandia’s Jeffrey Boyd, surveillance lead for the B61-12 and B61-13.

What is the B61-12 gravity bomb?

B61‑12 is a modernised version of the B61 family, an unguided, free-fall weapon that relies on gravity. The test was a test of the ability to integrate with F-35A fighter jets. The thermal pre‑conditioning of the test signifies that it can survive carriage under any realistic conditions. However, this is not a nuclear test but a test of the delivery system, integrated with the F-35A for reliability. While this marks a significant milestone for F-35A, it was certified for nuclear strike in 2023, implying that the process was going on for a couple of years. In contrast to the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, which primarily focuses on air-to-air combat, the F-35A was designed from the outset to incorporate tactical nuclear strike capabilities.

“The F-35A is the first 5th generation nuclear-capable aircraft ever, and the first new platform (fighter or bomber) to achieve this status since the early 1990s,” said Russ Goemaere, a spokesperson of the F-35 Joint Program Office.

In October, US President Donald Trump suggested that Russia, China, and even Pakistan are carrying out nuclear tests underground, and the US will start its own tests. The US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, while talking to Fox News, downplayed Trump's statements, saying that these are most likely "system tests", not “nuclear explosions”.