EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2001 -- Boeing successfully completed the Joint Strike Fighter X-32A concept demonstrator's flight test with a loaded internal weapons bay Jan. 25, 2001. Carrying an instrumented AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, and a Joint Direct Attack Munition, the X-32A's weapons bay doors opened and cycled as part of vibration and acoustic testing during the aircraft's 61st flight. The testing validates the design-predictions of the X-32A's weapons carriage environment. Boeing designed its JSF with side-mounted weapons bays for both operational and supportability reasons. The side-mounted bays allow the pilot to open the bay away from enemy radar and drop a weapon without compromising the JSF's low observability and the pilot's safety. The design also benefits the ground crews by allowing eye-level access to the weapons bays for maintenance and weapons loading. The operational JSF will be able to internally carry two air-to-ground weapons and two AMRAAMs as a baseline load, as well as a full range of other conventional weapons.