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6 March 4, 2016 News BULLSEYE
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Hill’s F-35s drop first weapons
By Nathan Simmons done on jets designed to deploy U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Haseltine
once the Air Force declares ini-
388th Fighter Wing tial operational capability, which Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron commander, drops a GBU-12 laser-guided bomb
it plans to do between August from an F-35A Lightning II at the Utah Test and Training Range Feb. 25. The 34th FS is the Air Force’s
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah and December. IOC will be an- first combat unit to employ munitions from the F-35A.
— Airmen from the 388th and nounced when the Air Force
419th fighter wings dropped deems the F-35 combat capable.
laser-guided bombs at the Utah
Test and Training Range the week Lt. Col. Darrin Dronoff, the
of Feb. 25, marking the first time director of Hill’s F-35 Program
an F-35 Lightning II combat unit Integration Office, said that
has deployed weapons from the while this achievement is a sig-
F-35A. nificant step toward Air Force
IOC, the milestone goes beyond
Lt. Col. George Watkins, the that mark.
34th Fighter Squadron com-
mander, said dropping weapons “The pilots and weapons load-
from the F-35 allows pilots to ers in the 388th and 419th fighter
more fully engage the aircraft and wings are perfecting their skills
confirm that everything works as not only to prove aircraft capa-
planned. bilities, but they’ll also be the
Airmen called upon to take the
“This is significant because F-35 to combat, whenever that
we’re building the confidence call may come,” he said.
of our pilots by actually drop-
ping something off the airplane Hill’s F-35 pilots will begin
instead of simulating weapon flying the F-35 in four-ship for-
employment,” Watkins said. mations, which is the standard
configuration flown in contested
Air Force F-35s have dropped combat scenarios, as early as
weapons in test environments, March.
but this is the first time it’s been
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