34th Fighter Squadron to drop its first GBU-12

The 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base is on course to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) on Aug. 1 and one of the items on the checklist for that is to drop a laser-guided bomb.

First Hill F-35
By Todd Cromar [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The squadron plans to do that in February or March with the release of an inert GBU-12 at the Utah Test and Training Range, Flight Global reports.

March is also the time when the unit will start flying together in four-ship formations. At the moment, the pilots are getting acquainted on four-ship tactics using simulators.

An Mountain Home AFB will be the playground for the squadron to test its ability to deploy abroad. The deployment is expected to occur in a few-months time.

[thumb]https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/combat-coded-f-35a-to-begin-dropping-bombs-420924/[/thumb]