The 30,000-pound guided bomb is designed to penetrate an estimated 200 feet through rock or other hard substances before destroying enemy labs or bunkers.
Unit insignia of U.S. Navy Air and Test Evaluation Squadron 9, based out of China Lake, California, was recently spotted on an F-35A Lightning II variant.
The government refused to accept delivery of new F-35s for a year between 2023 and 2024, which led to jets being stockpiled at Lockheed Martin facilities.