Aviation News – The 325th Fighter Wing joined forces with the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Hill Air Force Base from August 4–14, 2026, to conduct the F-35A Combat Hammer 26.07 exercise. This air-to-ground Weapon System Evaluation Program (WSEP) exercise rigorously tested the end-to-end combat capability of precision-guided munitions deployed by the F-35A Lightning II.
Hosted by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron, WSEP Combat Hammer 26.07 evaluates the complete operational chain of air-to-ground precision strike systems under realistic conditions. During the two-week deployment to Utah, aircrews, maintainers, and weapons specialists from the 325th Fighter Wing worked in unison to assemble, inspect, load, and deliver live ordnance.
The deployment directly supports Air Combat Command’s overarching focus on operational readiness, lethality, and Agile Combat Employment (ACE). By forcing units to generate sustained combat sorties away from their home station, the exercise reinforces the operational flexibility required to project airpower rapidly in contested environments.
Operationally, Combat Hammer serves as the U.S. Department of Defense’s primary evaluator for air-to-ground precision-guided weapons. The exercise tests complex integration between the fifth-generation stealth platform’s sensor suite, tactical targeting software, and physical munition release mechanisms. Working with live warheads rather than inert training rounds allows ground crews and pilots to validate weapon reliability, loading protocols, and real-world blast dynamics under heightened operational pressure.
“Combat Hammer allowed us to have hands-on exposure, specifically to air-to-ground weapons that the F-35 can carry,” stated Capt. Simon Little, a pilot assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron. “Anytime you have a live munition on the aircraft, the stress level is naturally a little higher, making this experience critical for building real combat confidence.”
By bridging the gap between routine home-station routine and real-world combat scenarios, Combat Hammer 26.07 ensures the F-35A Lightning II community maintains peak lethal efficiency. The operational data and performance metrics gathered at Hill Air Force Base will directly inform future tactics, techniques, and weapons integration across the entire combat air force.
