F-35 Simulates Nuclear Attack with B61-12 Bomb

07:33 27/11/2020 - Πηγή: Armynow

Τhe U.S. Air Force has for the first time published footage of an F-35 stealth fighter simulating the dropping of a B61-12 tactical nuclear bomb, with the video showing the first ever release of such a weapon

from a stealth fighter flying supersonically. The F-35 is the only Western fifth generation fighter capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and due to ongoing issues with the F-35B and C variants the F-35A is the only variant capable of sustaining supersonic flight. Over 3000 of the aircraft are expected to be deployed across the world by the U.S. and many of its defence clients, with the largest foreign orders coming from Japan, Britain and South Korea. The nuclear capability of these aircraft, combined with their advanced radar evading capabilities, state of the art electronic warfare systems and considerable ranges, has the potential to provide a U.S.-led coalition with a large and potentially highly potent fleet of survivable nuclear bombers.

B61-12 Tactical Nuclear Bomb

The B61-12 is one of the most expensive munitions in the world, and while weighing 320 kg it costs more to produce than its weight in gold. The bomb is prized for its ability to vary its yield drastically depending on the kind of target being engaged without modifications. Its minimum yield iis 300 tons, less than the estimated size of the Beirut explosion in August 2020, while the maximum is 400,000 tons. To place this in perspective, the nuclear bomb dropped on Nagasaki by the U.S. Army Air Force in August 1945 had a tonnage of 25,000. The B61-12 is a potentially ideal weapon for a nuclear war due to its tremendous flexibility, although its very high cost remains a prohibitive factor to large scale deployments. It is notable that the smaller a nuclear warhead is, the easier it will be to use and the more the U.S. Military is expected to be inclined to employ it. 

F-35 Fifth Generation Single Engine Fighter

Testing of the B61-12 from a growing number of aircraft comes amid a broader effort by the United States to modernise its nuclear forces, in the face of rising tensions with three ‘Great Power Adversaries’ with nuclear arms of their own – China, Russia and North Korea. The test from the F-35 has been interpreted by a number of analysts as being aimed at the two East Asian states as a show of force, although with the F-35 still being far from ready for high intensity combat the impact of this warning is questionable. Other aircraft expected to deploy the B61-12 include the B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider heavy bombers, F-16C lightweight fighters and F-15E heavyweight fighters. A simulated test of the bomb was notably conducted from an F-15 in June 2020. America’s nuclear sharing agreement with Western powers under the NATO alliance means F-16s and F-35s deployed by a large number of European countries could also deploy the B61–12 in the event of war.

Source: militarywatchmagazine.com

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