The navy variant of the F-35 executed the first airborne separation test of an inert weapon on October 21.
Marine Corps test pilot Capt. Justin Carlson flew the F-35C test aircraft CF-2 over an Atlantic test range when he released the 500-pound inert laser-guided GBU-12 Paveway II from an internal weapons bay.
With this weapons separation, all three F-35 variants have released ordnance from their weapons bays.
