Combat unit drops bombs out of F-35 for first time

In another milestone before the plane reaches operation, airmen from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, dropped bombs from an F-35 Lightning II, the first combat squad to do so, a press release from the Air Force said.

“This is significant because we’re building the confidence of our pilots by actually dropping something off the airplane instead of simulating weapon employment,” said Lt. Col. George Watkins, commander of the 34th Fighter Squadron and one of the pilots who dropped the bombs.

Airmen from the 388th and 419th fighter wings dropped laser-guided bombs at the Utah Test and Training Range near Hill last week, the Air Force said.

As early as this month the pilots will start practicing flying the aircraft in four-ship formations, which will be standard for combat scenarios, the service said.

“The pilots and weapons loaders in the 388th and 419th fighter wings are perfecting their skills not only to prove aircraft capabilities, but they’ll also be the airmen called upon to take the F-35 to combat, whenever that call may come,” said Lt. Col. Darrin Dronoff, the director of Hill AFB’s F-35 Program Integration Office.

The Air Force is still aiming for an initial operating date between August and December this year, despite ongoing problems with the plane’s ejection system. Designed to serve as the Air Force’s fifth-generation stealth multi-role aircraft, the F-35 has instead received heavy criticism for its long delays and being $160 billion over budget.