F-35 drops AIM-120

F-35 releases AIM-120. Lockheed Martin photo

An F-35A test aircraft completed the first aerial weapons release of an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) from a conventional takeoff and landing aircraft Friday. The aircraft, AF-1, jettisoned the instrumented AIM-120 over the China Lake, Calif., test range from an internal weapons bay. This was the second in-flight weapons release in three days for AF-1 as it completed the release of a 2,000 pound GBU-31 BLU-109 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Oct. 16. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 10/22/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the F-35 training center. Previous