Pre-Loaded Bombs Installed On B-1B Lancer Bomber For First Time In 30 Years
Defense Loaders at Dyess Air Force Base restored an ability unused for 3 years.
The U.S. Air Force has actually just recently launched some intriguing images revealing the activity performed a Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, previously this month. On Jan. 9, 2023, workers of the 7th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron utilized the Launcher Load Frame (LLF) to pre-load a munition plan that was then filled on a B-1B Lancer.
The principle for pre-loading munitions has actually been around because the B-1 initially got in service however has actually gone unused for 30 years till 7 AMXS reanimated the ability. Utilizing LLF, weapons loaders can pre-load munitions on a launcher, under the cover of a center, prior to transferring the whole launcher/munition bundle to the flight-line for filling on the airplane.
A Launcher Load Frame is raised into a B-1B Lancer at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 9, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Josiah Brown)
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Using LLF is simply the last in a series of upgrades to the B-1 fleet targeted at making the Lancer more capable in the standard situation. Other upgrades revealed in the past are the internal bay capability boost and the return of external hardpoints that were shut down following arms treaties with Russia. The external tough points were at first believed for the B-1’s nuclear strike objective too, however they might be utilized to bring JASSMs (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles) and, potentially, hypersonic weapons externally.
The growth of the BONE’s abilities continues although the U.S. Air Force is preparing to change the B-1 with the brand-new B-21 Raider 6th generation stealth bomber. The divestment of 17 B-1B airplane from a fleet of 62 Lancers has actually been finished in September 2021. In accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act, the 17 B-1B airplane were retired from a fleet of 62, leaving 45 in the active stock.
According to the Air Force Global Strike Command, out of the 17 retired, one went to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, as a model for structural repair work actions; one went to Edwards AFB as a ground tester; and one went to Wichita, Kansas, to the National Institute for Aviation Research for digital mapping; and one went to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, as a fixed screen for the Barksdale Global Power Museum. The staying 13 airplane will be saved at the boneyard at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB in Type 4000 storage. 4 of those will stay in a reclaimable condition that follows Type 2000 recallable storage.
H/T to Ryan Chan for the heads-up!
David Cenciotti is a reporter based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, among the world’s most popular and check out military air travel blog sites. Considering that 1996, he has actually composed for significant around the world publications, consisting of Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and lots of others, covering air travel, defense, war, market, intelligence, criminal offense and cyberwar. He has actually reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown a number of battle aircrafts with various flying force. He is a previous 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a personal pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has actually composed 5 books and added to much more ones.
Source: Pre-Loaded Bombs Installed On B-1B Lancer Bomber For First Time In 30 Years