Luftwaffe welcomes F-35 nuclear certification

Germany is buying 35 F-35A aircraft, which it intends to use in the nuclear and conventional strike roles. (Lockheed Martin via Janes/Gareth Jennings)

The German Luftwaffe has welcomed the recent announcement that the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been granted its nuclear certification, saying it was an important reason for buying the aircraft.

In a statement posted on 13 March, the Luftwaffe said it was an important decision by the Joint Program Office (JPO) to award the F-35A its nuclear operational certification ahead of schedule.

“[This is] quite important for our procurement of [the] F-35. This hurdle has also been overcome,” the Luftwaffe posted to its official X (formerly Twitter) account.

News that the F-35A had received its nuclear design certification came about two-and-a-half years after nuclear flight trials were completed in October 2021. During that campaign, two F-35As from the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) 422nd and 59th Test and Evaluation Squadrons (TESs) released B61-12 (B61 Mod 12) Joint Test Assemblies (JTAs) during the first Full-Weapon System Demonstration, paving the way for this latest milestone.