Raytheon says F-35B launched eight StormBreaker weapons simultaneously in Arizona test, expanding strike capacity against moving targets

An F-35B released eight GBU-53/B StormBreaker precision weapons in a single Arizona test, demonstrating a high-volume strike against moving-target scenarios. StormBreaker uses millimetre-wave radar, imaging infrared and semi-active laser guidance to engage mobile targets in poor weather or obscured conditions. Raytheon says the weapon can reach more than 45 miles, allowing the launch aircraft to remain farther from short-range defences. The event expands confidence in the F-35B integration, but it was a controlled test and does not by itself establish operational availability across every F-35 variant.