YUMA, AZ- The F-35B joint strike fighter passed an important test and appears to be on target for arrival at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma by the end of the year.
The next generation harrier lightning 2 is undergoing testing right now at the Naval Air Systems Command in Maryland.
The fighter successfully completed a weapons release.
U.S. Military officials at the test site see this as a, "significant entry into a new phase of testing for the F-35 program," which includes validating the F-35's capability to employ precision weapons and allow pilots to engage the enemy on the ground and in the air.
The release was the first time any version of the F-35 conducted an airborne weapon separation
Lt. Col. Jeff Scott, officer in charge of Marine Aircraft Group 13 detachment recently arrived in Yuma and is impressed with the forward movement of the aircraft's development.
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