US Navy Cmdr. Eric Buus completed the first test flight of an F-35B Lightning II with an asymmetric weapons load on 14 June 2012 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Buus flew test aircraft BF-2 with an AIM-9X Sidewinder inert missile on the starboard pylon, a centerline 25mm gun pod, and a GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition and an AIM-120 air-to-air missile in the starboard weapon bay. Significant weapons testing for the F-35B and F-35C variants is in progress, including fit checks, captive carriage environment characterization, and pit drops. Aerial weapons separation testing is scheduled to begin this summer.
