Advancement of B61-12 Life Extension Program continues with completion of qualification flights

Two qualification flight tests of the B61-12 gravity bomb completed at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada earlier this month demonstrated the bomb’s non-nuclear functions and the ability of F-15E aircraft to deliver the weapon.

Led by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy (DoE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the B61-12 Life Extension Program (LEP) entered phase 6.4 production engineering in June 2016. The qualification flights are part of a series of planned LEP tests over the next three years.

“These tests continue to demonstrate that the B61-12 meets requirements and marks another on-time achievement for the B61-12 Life Extension Program,” Brig. Gen. Michael Lutton, the principal assistant deputy administrator for military application at NNSA, said. “The completion of this milestone is a testament to the dedication of our workforce and the joint NNSA-U.S. Air Force team.”

In addition to extending the bomb’s service life, LEP aims to enhance the bomb’s safety, security and reliability. The first B61-12 production unit is slated for completion by March 2020, and it will eventually replace all existing B61 bomb variants in the country’s nuclear arsenal.

Hardware designed by Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory and manufactured by Nuclear Security Enterprise plants was used in the test flights. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center contracted Boeing Co. to design a tail-kit assembly section used in the tests.