U.S. Air Force validates F-35A precision strike with live weapons

The U.S. Air Force conducted the Combat Hammer 26.07 Weapon System Evaluation Program at Hill Air Force Base in Utah from August 4 to 14, 2026. The exercise focused on validating the precision-strike capabilities of the F-35A Lightning II using live ordnance rather than simulated environments.

F-35A aircraft from the 95th Fighter Squadron and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron participated in the drills over the Utah Test and Training Range. The evaluation tested the entire strike chain, including pilots, maintenance crews, and munitions specialists, to ensure the force can arm, launch, recover, and regenerate aircraft with the speed and precision required for high-intensity operations.

Unlike routine training, this exercise required pilots to fly with operational munitions and strike actual targets. The training also involved low-altitude flights in mountainous terrain to practice terrain-masking maneuvers, providing a different operational environment compared to typical sea-level training conducted at bases like Tyndall in Florida.