article_snippet: A design flaw has left a fighter jet that's part of the Pentagon's most expensive project ever incapable of carrying the military's most highly advanced bombs.
article_snippet: F-35B's internal weapons bay is too small for a Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) load, according to an Inside Defense report.
article_snippet: The F-35B's internal weapons bay is too small for a Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) load (file photo)
article_snippet: Though it's mandated that an F-35B jet, designed by Lockheed Martin, hold eight SDB IIs in the bay, only four reportedly fit.
article_snippet: The fit issues have been known and documented and there were larger and more substantial modifications needed to support SDB II that have already been incorporated into production F-35 aircraft. '
article_snippet: These minor or remaining changes were put on hold until production F-35 aircraft reached a sufficient level of maturity to ensure that the needed changes would not adversely impact any ongoing SDB [II] developments.'
article_snippet: Inside Defense reported that the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program office so far has not publicly recognized problems - and that eight internal and 16 external SDB IIs are in fact meant to go on the F-35B. An MoD spokesman said: 'The Small Diameter Bomb II is not part of the UK's planned weapon inventory for the Lightning II.
article_snippet: The programme to integrate weapons from the UK inventory onto the Lightning II is on track to deliver initial operating capability as planned in December 2018.'
article_snippet: The weapon's small size allows fewer aircraft to take out the same number of targets as previous, larger weapons that required multiple jets. 'its website 'SDB II's size has broader implications for the warfighter and taxpayers, as its website 'SDB II means fewer attacks with less time spent flying dangerous missions.'
article_snippet: The SDB II weapons system is fully accommodated by both the F-35A - the Air Force version - and F-35C - the US Navy version, company executive Jeff White told Inside Defense.
article_snippet: When defense contractor Raytheon did defense contractor Raytheon fit checks on the JSF, the A and the C basically had the same bay.'
article_snippet: According to the news outlet, approximately 17,000 weapons will come from the United States Air Force's SDB II program.
highlights_snippet: Fighter jet's internal weapons bay is too small for a proper bomb load .
  
highlights_snippet: F-35B is supposed to hold eight SDB II bombs in Fighter jet's internal weapons bay, but only four can fit .
  
highlights_snippet: the Royal Navy version is not intended to carry SDB II bombs .
  