Summary: The U.S. Air Force's F-35A Lightning II, a cutting-edge stealth fighter, has achieved a groundbreaking status as the first 5th generation aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, specifically the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb. This development marks a significant milestone, making the F-35A a dual-capable aircraft for both nuclear and conventional warfare, and the first new platform to achieve such capability since the early 1990s.

F-35A Stealth Fighter: U.S. Military's First 5th Generation Nuclear-Capable Aircraft

The F-35A variant of the U.S. Lightning II stealth fighter has been cleared to carry nuclear weapons. These jets are now dual-capable platforms able to participate in both nuclear and conventional warfare – the first ever stealth fighters with that capability. 

The Joint Program Office first revealed in October that the F-35A fighters would be modified to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb. 

“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. This F-35 Nuclear Certification effort culminates 10+ years of intense effort across the nuclear enterprise, which consists of 16 different government and industry stakeholders,” JPO spokesman Russ Goemaere said at the time. “The F-35A achieved Nuclear Certification ahead of schedule, providing US and NATO with a critical capability that supports US extended deterrence commitments earlier than anticipated.”

The Air Force never intended for its first fifth-generation platform, the F-22 Raptor, to assume a tactical nuclear strike role. But it was long the plan for the F-35A, a fighter designed as an eventual replacement for the F-16 Fighting Falcon. 

Incorporating the technology needed to equip the B61-12 entailed a costly, extensive upgrade program.

The B61-12 is an updated version of the B61 free-fall nuclear bomb first introduced in the 1960s. The first fighter certified to carry the B61 was the F-15E. It would be followed by F-16s and by the Italian PA-200 Tornado flown by several NATO countries. 

The F-35 has a number of advantages over these airframes. For starters, since the Lightning II will carry the bomb internally, its stealth characteristics are unaffected.

Other Specs & Capabilities for F-35 

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the second fifth-generation fighter platform to enter service with the U.S. It is arguably the most coveted aircraft in the world. Its characteristics include advanced avionics, sensor fusion, and low observables. 

Three main F-35 variants have been produced. The F-35A variant that will carry nuclear bombs is a conventional take-off and landing version of the aircraft. Since the F-35A functions like a traditional fighter jet, it is the lowest-cost and lightest of the three Lightning II variants. 

The F-35B possesses short take-off and vertical landing capabilities, and the F-35C was designed as a carrier-capable variant.

China and Russia have developed fifth-generation platforms of their own, the Chengdu J-20 and Sukhoi Su-57, respectively. The F-35A’s compatibility with the B61-12 will help the platform keep the edge over its rivals.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

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