US F-35 Jet Finally to Face Test of Dropping Bombs on Targets

© Flickr / US Air ForceF-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft
F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft - Sputnik International
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The troubled Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter-bomber, the most expensive combat aircraft in history, will finally test its capability to drop a bomb on target in February or March, according to US media.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The F-35 program is expected to cost $1.5 trillion over its 55-year lifespan, making it the most expensive US weapons program.

“In February or early March, a combat-coded F-35A from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB [Air Force Base] will release an inert, laser-guided bomb at the nearby Utah Test and Training Range,” Flight Global reported on Tuesday.

If the test is successful, it will be a “monumental achievement” for the multinational F-35 program, which Lockheed Martin has been prime contractor on since it was awarded the US Air Force’s Joint Strike Fighter contract in 2001, the online report noted.

“A stealthy, jet-powered combat aircraft is nothing if it cannot put weapons on a target, and this GBU-12 Paveway II release will be a moment of truth for the conventional A-model, which until now only released weapons in development and operational testing,” Flight Global said.

The F-35 jets are designed to operate in formation so the squadron will begin practicing “four-ship” combat tactics in March, where four airborne F-35s will train together, the report explained.

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