The US F-35 Integrated Test Force recently performed a first-of-its-kind test when the aircraft released a specially built GBU-12 Paveway II guided bomb against a moving target on 29 March, Edwards Air Force Base announced today. This F-35 weapons delivery accuracy test was the first from an F-35 in the 3F software configuration, which has incorporated new release logic called Lead Point Compute to enhance effectiveness against moving targets, with the objective of reducing pilot workload. The system evaluates the speed and direction of the target against the altitude and speed of the aircraft to determine the exact release.

This test is also the first developmental test release of a guided GBU-12 from the F-35C model.