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  The first F-35A presented to Belgium at a ceremony in Texas on Dec. 10,
  2023. (Lockheed Martin)

  WASHINGTON — The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter has been operationally
  certified to carry the [1]B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb, a
  spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) tells Breaking
  Defense.

  In a statement, JPO spokesman Russ Goemaere said the certification was
  achieved Oct. 12, months ahead of a pledge to NATO allies that the
  process would wrap by January 2024. Certain F-35As will now be capable
  of carrying the B61-12, officially making the stealth fighter a
  “dual-capable” aircraft that can carry both conventional and nuclear
  weapons.

  “The F-35A is the first 5th generation nuclear capable aircraft ever,
  and the first new platform (fighter or bomber) to achieve this status
  since the early 1990s. This F-35 Nuclear Certification effort
  culminates 10+ years of intense effort across the nuclear enterprise,
  which consists of 16 different government and industry stakeholders,”
  Goemaere said. “The F-35A achieved Nuclear Certification ahead of
  schedule, providing US and NATO with a critical capability that
  supports US extended deterrence commitments earlier than anticipated.​”

  Responding to follow-up questions from Breaking Defense, Goemaere said
  US disclosure policy prohibits the release of information on
  dual-capable aircraft among NATO partners. According to [2]analysis by
  the Federation of American Scientists, as of 2023 approximately 100
  older variants of B61 bombs are housed by NATO allies Belgium, Germany,
  Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, who share the alliance’s nuclear
  strike mission. The first four nations are all planned F-35 operators,
  with the need to have a nuclear-capable aircraft a key reason for
  [3]Germany signing onto the program.

  The F-35A is certified to only carry the newer B61-12 variant, which
  will replace the older models. The certification additionally does not
  extend to the stealth jet’s sister variants, the short takeoff and
  vertical landing F-35B and carrier-launched F-35C. A delivery schedule
  of B61-12s to Europe is not clear, though [4]Politico previously
  reported the bombs would be shipped out starting in December 2022.

  “The F-35 is the world’s only 5th Generation multi-role stealth
  fighter, and in partnership with our customers, we continue to make
  advancements to ensure it stays ahead of threats,” F-35 manufacturer
  Lockheed Martin said in a statement.

  A spokesperson for the US Air Force Air Combat Command told Breaking
  Defense that “all F-35As in the Air Force inventory are expected to be
  in a nuclear certified configuration in the future, independent of
  their assigned lot number,” but declined to elaborate on operational
  details. Goemaere explained that “USAF F-35As at designated units only
  are both design and operationally certified to carry the B61-12.”

  An Air Force spokesperson additionally told Breaking Defense that “the
  B61-12 is compatible with any DCA [dual-capable aircraft] certified
  F-35,” and that the fighter’s suite of upgrades collectively known as
  [5]Block 4 are not a requirement to use the weapon.

  The F-15E was previously the first American fighter [6]shown to be
  compatible with the B61-12. Three other groups of fighters — F-16A/Bs,
  F-16C/Ds and the PA-200 Tornado used by some NATO countries — are also
  authorized to carry nuclear weapons.

  The dual capable aircraft serve another element of deterrence alongside
  the traditional nuclear triad of bombers, submarines and land-launched
  ICBMs, and are seen by European nations as a key part of staving off
  Russian aggression. Nuclear capability for the Joint Strike Fighter
  comes at a critical juncture for NATO amid the war in Ukraine and
  Russian [7]nuclear saber-rattling in particular.

  A technician looks at a B61 bomb.

  In a photo from 2015, Tyler Keil, Sandia lead engineer for an impact
  test series using Sandia’s Davis gun, performs a final diagnostics
  check on a data recorder for an impact test on the nose assembly of a
  mock B61-12, mounted on an aluminum tube to replicate the body of the
  bomb. (Photo by Randy Montoya from the archives)

  Dutch military officials [8]appeared to previously hint at nuclear
  capabilities for the F-35A being rolled out in Europe, writing in a
  [9]post on X in November that F-35As belonging to Amsterdam achieved
  “initial certification” for the role. But until now, US military
  officials have not confirmed the fighter was cleared to use the weapon
  operationally.

  Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project with the
  Federation of American Scientists, noted the announcement is another
  milestone in America’s ongoing nuclear modernization effort.

  “The stage is set for the tactical nuclear weapons upgrade in Europe
  with full-scale production of the B61-12 and four NATO allies and the
  US fighter wing at Lakenheath upgrading to operate the bomb on the
  F-35A,” he said.

  The B61-12 is a life extension program that originated in the Obama
  administration and is replacing older -3, -4, -7 and -10 models. The
  first production unit of the B61-12 rolled out in November 2021, with
  production scheduled through the end of fiscal 2025. The program is
  estimated to cost $9.6 billion in FY22 dollars over its lifespan,
  although much of that cost has already been spent, according to an
  annual government accounting of nuclear warheads [[10]PDF].

  The Biden administration additionally [11]announced in October that it
  would develop a new variant of the weapon dubbed the B61-13. The newer
  -13 is expected to have a yield similar to the -7, officials have said,
  which would roughly work out to a blast equivalent of up to 360
  kilotons; however, the expectation among experts is the -13 will only
  be certified on bombers. The yield of the -12, by comparison, is
  estimated at up to 50 kilotons.

  Technically, neither the B61-12 or -13 are “new” nuclear weapons that
  increase the stockpile, as they are taking the warheads from the older
  bombs and placing them in new housings.

References

  1. https://breakingdefense.com/tag/b61/
  2. https://fas.org/publication/increasing-evidence-that-the-us-air-forces-nuclear-mission-may-be-returning-to-uk-soil/
  3. https://breakingdefense.com/2022/12/germany-seals-entry-to-f-35-club-with-8-8b-35-fighter-plan/
  4. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/26/u-s-plans-upgraded-nukes-europe-00063675
  5. https://breakingdefense.com/tag/f-35-block-4-modernization/
  6. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/nuclear-arsenal/2020/06/08/f-15e-becomes-first-aircraft-certified-for-new-nuclear-bomb-design/
  7. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-warns-west-risk-nuclear-war-says-moscow-can-strike-western-targets-2024-02-29/
  8. https://www.twz.com/dutch-f-35s-gain-initial-certification-for-nuclear-strike-mission
  9. https://twitter.com/Jvd_Tweet/status/1722670191232852383?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1722670191232852383|twgr^8759ad682278894ca501d6219ae1b74f065f9805|twcon^s1_&ref_url=https://www.twz.com/dutch-f-35s-gain-initial-certification-for-nuclear-strike-mission
 10. https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/FY23 SSMP_FINAL.pdf
 11. https://breakingdefense.com/2023/10/us-to-introduce-new-nuclear-gravity-bomb-design-b61-13/

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