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The RAAF has participated in a landmark joint F-35A weapons test alongside the US Air Force.
The Weapon Fill Measurement Vehicle (WFMV) flight test, conducted in late April, “marked a significant advancement in Australia’s ability to integrate weapons onto the F-35A Lightning II faster and more efficiently”, according to Defence.
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“The activity involved flying an F-35A Lightning II with a test weapon fitted to collect critical engineering data on how weapons behave in flight,” Defence said.
“While largely unseen by the public, the data gathered will help accelerate future weapons certification programs, allowing combat capability to reach operational squadrons sooner.
“In a rapidly evolving Indo-Pacific security environment, reducing the time needed to integrate weapons onto frontline aircraft is increasingly critical to maintaining combat readiness.”
Participants included the Air Warfare Engineering Squadron, the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU), 75 Squadron, the Air Combat Systems Program Office (ACSPO), the US Air Force Seek Eagle Office (AFSEO) and the US 96 Range Support Squadron (96 RANSS).
“The collaboration forms part of the Aircraft Stores Compatibility Project Arrangement (ASC PA), a long-standing agreement between Australia and the US to test aircraft weapons systems, share data and reduce duplication in complex certification activities,” Defence said.
According to a representative from AFSEO, having an understanding of the flight environment is “essential to integrating future weapons capability onto the F-35A Lightning II platform”.
“The capability to characterise and understand flight environments is foundational to new weapons certification,” the representative said.
“It gives critical engineering insight into the F-35, and this demonstration further strengthens interoperability between the Royal Australian Air Force and the US Air Force.”
The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin and became operational in Australia in 2021. According to Defence, its supersonic capabilities and efficient internal communications networks make it a useful stealth fighter asset.
Australia has played a crucial role in the global F-35 program, having committed to acquiring 72 F-35A aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as part of the $17 billion AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B program.
The first Australian F-35s arrived in-country in 2018. Operated primarily from RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, the fleet has since reached full operational capability, replacing the ageing F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet.
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