[Yang Nakgyu's Defence video] US F-35 Nuclear Bomb Drop... Is It Possible for Us Too?

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The United States has successfully dropped a tactical nuclear bomb using the F-35A stealth fighter jet.

Sandia National Laboratories, one of the three major U.S. nuclear weapons development institutions, announced in a press release on the 23rd that "the first compatibility test of the B61-12 upgraded tactical nuclear bomb mounted on the F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter was successfully conducted."

The explosive power of the B61-12 upgraded tactical nuclear bomb mounted on the F-35A Lightning II is estimated to be up to 50kt. It is a weapon currently in mass production and considered one of the core goals of the U.S. nuclear weapons modernization plan. It can strike targets deep underground, earning it the nickname "nuclear bunker buster."

This bomb can precisely strike targets within an error margin of 30 to 60 meters, and its explosive yield can be adjusted arbitrarily up to a maximum of 50kt. Considering that the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of about 15kt, this bomb is roughly three times more powerful. It is also reported to be capable of destroying the so-called "Kim Jong-un bunker," which is known to be located more than 100 meters underground near the Pyongyang Presidential Palace.

The test took place on August 25 at a testing site in the Tonopah Desert, Nevada, USA. Sandia National Laboratories reported that the mock B61-12, with the nuclear warhead removed, took about 42 seconds to hit the desert floor after being dropped from an altitude of 10,500 feet (approximately 3.2 km).

Some are paying close attention to whether the F-35A jets possessed by our military can also drop tactical nuclear bombs. Among military experts, the consensus is that technically, there is no problem equipping our military’s F-35A with tactical nuclear bombs.

However, this process requires approval from the United States. Unlike NATO member countries in Europe, South Korea does not share tactical nuclear weapons with the U.S. Therefore, operation would only be possible if the U.S. permits integrated armament. Furthermore, equipping tactical nuclear bombs directly contradicts the South Korean government's declared "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," leading to skepticism about its feasibility. The key issue is not technical but the possession of nuclear weapons itself.