The U.S. Air Force has released images of a B-1B bomber carrying an inert AGM-158
Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile or JASSM.
This is the first time the missile was carried on a pylon under its fuselage.
The effort was part of a demonstration program that could potentially lead to B-1B
carrying 12 JASSM or its Anti Ship derivative
LRASM (Long Range Anti Ship missile) externally. Viewers may note that B-1B can accommodate about
24 of either of these weapons in its internal bomb bays.
A B-1 assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron,
part of the 412th Test Wing that serves as the Global Power Combined Test Force
was responsible for this undertaking. The test flight was initiated on Nov. 20,
2020, from Edwards Air Force Base. An external pylon that usually carries
AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod was used to deploy the missile.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how the U.S air force plans to make the B-1B bomber
deadlier with Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile & Long Range Anti Ship Missile?
Let us get started.
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Air Force Major William Russell, a spokesperson for Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC),
which oversees the service's bomber fleets, among other assets, told The War Zone,
"An extensive engineering review will help the Air Force understand areas where we need to focus
in order to maintain the B-1B as a multi-mission weapon system,
potentially laying the groundwork for the integration of future weapons on the aircraft.
Following the captive carry mission, engineers will review the data gathered from the flight
before moving on to the next phase of the demonstration, an external weapons release."
In an official statement, Air Force Major Bret Cunningham,
a B-1B test pilot with the 419th Flight Test Squadron, said,
"Since the long bay demo last year this has really been our key focus point in 2020;
getting ready for this external weapons release demo as kind of the next step in that progression
towards external weapons carriage and hypersonic capabilities for the B-1,"
Agustin Martinez, the project test lead stated, "We’re pretty close to the culmination of this
demo event and reaching that next milestone. For us, we’re looking to do this safely,
since this is the first time we will release a weapon from the external hard point in over
30 years. So we pretty much focused on doing a safe build up approach…to
make sure the JASSM and the B-1 are communicating correctly; the JASSM
has correct surface deployment timelines so once it does get released it will safely separate."
The B-1A was originally designed during the 1970s as a high-altitude, Mach 2.0-capable
nuclear bomber. However, President Jimmy Carter canceled the program on June 30, 1977, in favor
of air-launched cruise missiles carried onboard the B-52, intercontinental ballistic missiles
and what eventually became the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
This was done after it became apparent that penetrating Soviet airspace at high
altitudes in a conventional non-stealthy aircraft was likely a suicidal endeavor.
President Ronald Reagan eventually revived the Lancer program on Oct. 2, 1981, however, the
new B-1B was optimized for low-level penetration. Additionally, the aircraft was modified with new
engine air intakes and other upgrades to reduce its radar cross-section.
The resultant B-1B aircraft no longer possessed Mach 2 capability—topping out at roughly Mach
1.25—but had much better survivability because of the stealthier profile.
The B1B is powered by 4 General Electric F101-GE-102 afterburning
turbofan engines. Each of these can generate 17,390 lbf (77.4 kN) thrust
when operating normally and 30,780 lbf (136.9 kN) with afterburner.
These enable B1B to have an excellent range of
5,900 mi or 9,400 km and a service ceiling of 60,000 ft.
The engine performance makes B-1B capable of hauling a lot of weapons.
B-1B has a massive payload of 125,000 lb or 56,700 kg internal and external ordnance combined.
It has 8 external hardpoints for 50,000 pounds
or 23,000 kg of ordnance and 3 internal bomb bays for 75,000 pounds or 34,000 kg of ordnance.
The AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is a low observable standoff air-launched
cruise missile developed by Lockheed Martin for the United States Armed Forces.
It is a large, stealthy long-range weapon with a 1,000 pound or 454 kg
armor-piercing warhead and it went into service in 2009.
JASSM has a range of about 230 miles or 370 km. Viewers may note that it was used in combat when
two B-1B bombers launched nineteen of the stealth missiles at a Syrian research center in Barzeh.
Lockheed Martin worked on the missile further and AGM-158C is developed
which is an anti-ship variant and is named LRASM by the U.S Navy.
The missile uses inertial and jam-resistant GPS navigation system for the initial phase
of the journey, a two-way data link is present for mid-course guidance,
and a radio-frequency & Infra-Red sensor is activated in the terminal phase.
The warhead is potent enough to cripple a large warship.
Countries like Russia, China has been developing sophisticated layered air defense.
These systems are difficult for traditional aircraft & missiles to penetrate.
Since the B1B is not very stealthy, unlike the B2 Spirit,
it is vulnerable to the current crop of sophisticated air defense systems.
For example, the Russian S-400 air defense system has an engagement range of 400 km
or around 250 miles.
This is where JASSM will be useful since it can be launched from standoff distances
without getting inside the engagement envelope of enemy air defenses.
LRASM will be extremely hard to defend against if
a barrage of these is launched against a rival’s naval fleet.
U.S Air Force has around 100 B1Bs. So, this is a sizable fleet.
If the integration is successful, it will make this fleet a very potent aerial assault force
capable of long-distance strikes against surface assets as well as warships.
Clearly, if the undertaking is successful, B-1B will turn into a deadlier platform.