Edwards
AFB, Calif., Oct. 31, 2013 - The F-35 Lightning II executed its first
live-fire launch of a guided air-to-air missile over a military test
range off the California coast on Oct. 30. The AIM-120 advanced medium
range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) was fired from an F-35A (AF-6)
conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant fighter operating from
the F-35 Integrated Test Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The
test pilot, Air Force Captain Capt. Logan Lamping employed the AIM-120
radar-seeking missile from the F-35's internal weapons bay against an
aerial drone target in restricted military sea test range airspace. Test
data and observers confirmed the F-35 identified and targeted the drone
with its mission systems sensors, passed the target "track" information
to the missile, and launched the AIM-120 from the aircraft to engage
the target drone. 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 in order to preserve the aerial drone for use in future
tests.
"This
successful missile launch marks the first live-fire weapons test and is
an initial demonstration of the air-to-air combat capability the F-35
will bring to the U.S. Military and our International Partners" said
Charlie Wagner, weapons team lead for the F-35 Joint Program Office.
"This test represents the culmination of many years of careful planning
by combined government and contractor teams. It is one test, with many
more to come, to ensure operators will receive the combat capability
they need to execute their mission and return home safely."
The
AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) is a
radar-guided air-to-air missile and is the U.S. military's standard air
intercept missile carried on tactical fighter aircraft. The AIM-120 is 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's fire control system programs the missile's internal
guidance unit and provides mid-course updates from the aircraft via a
data link to guide the AMRAAM toward its target. The AMRAAM's control
section controls the missile in flight using four movable tail fins. As
soon as the target is within range, the AMRAAM activates its active
radar seeker for autonomous terminal homing.
The
F-35A air-to-air missile test occurred the day after an F-35B variant
demonstrated a successful air-to-ground weapons test of a 500-pound
Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) Paveway II laser-guided bomb over a test
range at Edwards Air Force Base on Oct 29.
The
F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced
stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information,
network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct
variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air
Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for
the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least 10 other
countries.
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