First F-35 AMRAAM Release.

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An F-35A test aircraft completed the first F-35 aerial weapons release of an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) Oct. 19. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned the instrumented AIM-120 over the China Lake test range from an internal weapons bay.

video

An F-35A test aircraft completed the first F-35 aerial weapons release of an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) Oct. 19. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned the instrumented AIM-120 over the China Lake test range from an internal weapons bay.

Nice catch, thank's!

BB

Screenshots...

Too bad it was only a release and not a launch

Patience young grasshopper.

Interesting that it was released from the door station, rather than a bay station.

Which station would -you- have tested first, and why?

The door station was likely used first due to it being the primary A2A station.

That's probably the right answer, and it leads to another question. Does anyone know - if you are carrying four AMRAAM internally, what is the normal launch sequence? I would guess left door, right door, left bay, right bay. Another - do inboard and outboard doors have to open to launch a bay missile?

Back to hobo's question - launching a door missile should be safer than launching a bay missile, for two reasons. First it has a clearer path to freestream air than does the bay missile, and second, it is already immersed in freestream air. Ejecting a store from a bay (shielded from freestream air) into free air can sometimes result in nasty surprises. The less risky conditions are always tested first to build up confidence in the capability to do the more risky conditions. I understand the bay ejector moves the missile closer to freestream air before it is released, just not sure if it is fully immersed.

And there is the possibility the more complex bay ejector may not yet be certified for missile launch.

Interesting that it was released from the door station, rather than a bay station.

Not interesting at all actually...there is no launcher for AIM-120 yet from the bay station that is even fielded.

Yes there is and it has already been used for ground separation tests.

SpudmanWP...I said fielded. As in cleared. So you're saying its completely cleared for flight test at this point?

Why would it not be? Why would they use it in ground separation tests if that could not be followed up with flight tests.

In other words, you use it for separation tests after you know that it is safe to use in flight . Otherwise it might be changed and you would need to redo your separation tests.

Well there were plenty of things we were doing with Raptors that were being done on the ground and not cleared for flight. So...its cleared then...great info. Thanks.

Bout time the F-35 started putting warheads on foreheads... even if its only inert (for now). Looking foward to when they start releasing GBUs and JSOWs.