An F-35A executed the program’s first live-fire launch of a guided air-to-air missile one day after it successfully delivered an unarmed weapon against a ground target, the Defense Department said in a statement.
The test pilot employed an AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) Oct. 30 from the F-35A’s internal weapons bay against an aerial drone target in restricted military sea test range airspace. Test data and observers confirmed the F-35A identified and targeted the drone with its mission system sensors, passed the target “track” information to the missile and launched the AIM-120 from the aircraft to engage the target drone.
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| An F-35A delivers an AIM-120 missile during a live-fire test. Photo: Lockheed Martin. |
After launch, the missile successfully acquired the target and followed an intercept flight profile. Moments before the missile was about to destroy the target, a self-destruct signal was sent to the AIM-120 to preserve the aerial drone for use in future tests.
One day earlier, an F-35B vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) variant demonstrated a successful air-to-ground weapons test by dropping a 500-pound Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) Paveway II laser guided bomb against a stationary target tank at Edwards AFB, Calif. The GBU-12 was not carrying ordnance and, therefore, was not considered a live fire test (Defense Daily, Oct. 31). The Paveway II is developed by Lockheed Martin [LMT].
The AIM-120 is a radar guided air-to-air missile developed by Raytheon [RTN] and is the Defense Department’s standard air intercept missile carried on tactical fighter aircraft. The AIM-120 is also a beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather, day-and-night operations and is powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor.
The F-35 is developed by Lockheed Martin with subcontractors BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman [NOC].