This is what an F-35 looks like when it drops a nuclear bomb

External pylons allow fighters to carry far more ordnance into a fight than the F-35 can internally (and indeed, even the F-35 has external pylons that can be used when detection is not a concern).

The F-35 goes nuclear

While most people tend to think of heavy payload bombers like the B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress when talking about the airborne leg of America's nuclear triad, the role of dual-purpose "nuclear fighters" has long been a part of the strategy. Currently, both the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon fill the role of "nuclear fighter" in America's stable, alongside their aforementioned nuclear bomber sister platforms.

Americans' nuclear triad, for those who aren't aware, is comprised of nuclear ICBMs on the ground, nuclear missile subs in the water, and nuclear-capable aircraft in the air. The premise of maintaining this triad is simple: by keeping America's nuclear weapons dispersed and utilizing multiple forms of delivery, it makes it all but impossible to stop American from launching a nuclear counter-attack against an aggressive state that started lobbing nukes America's way. In other words, America's nuclear triad is the backbone of Uncle Sam's part in the "mutually assured destruction" doctrine.

For now, the "nuclear" title is going to remain with the F-15s and F-16s, but the U.S. intends to certify the F-35 for nuclear duty by 2023 and it will likely carry that title well beyond the retirement dates for its two nuclear predecessors.

But before it can be certified, the Air Force needs to test the F-35's ability to deploy these weapons thoroughly, and that's where these incredible new photos come in. Ever since last June, the F-35 Joint Program Office has been overseeing drops of inert B61-12 nuclear bombs. These bombs have already seen testing with the F-15E, and will soon replace a number of older nuclear bomb variants.