Two years after the first F-35A weapons load crews were certified, Air Education and Training Command dropped the first two live bombs from the fifth generation aircraft over the range at Eglin AFB, Fla. The 33rd Fighter Wing loaded the GBU-12s aboard six F-35s, dropping two over the Eglin range, states the release. “This further proves our airmen and sailors are the lethality behind this weapons systems,” said Col. Lance Pilch, the 33rd FW commander, in a Jan. 21 release.
The Department of the Air Force wants to launch a construction boom with its fiscal 2027 budget, more than doubling its request over 2026, according to budget documents.