The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday (9) that a B1B supersonic bomber successfully launched an externally mounted cruise missile during a test, representing the possibility that the bomber, which frequently flies close to China and Russia, could mount more missiles in the future.
Air Force Global Strike Command said a B1B successfully launched an externally mounted AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Range Missile over Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, on Friday (4), after completing its first flight test with an externally mounted cruise missile last month. Previously only 24 cruise missiles could be carried in the internal bomb bay, but in the future an additional 12 missiles can be mounted externally, bringing the total to 36.
The B1B was able to mount missiles both internally and externally during its initial nuclear strike mission, but was later prevented from mounting weapons externally under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia. The U.S. military said the restoration of the bomber’s ability to mount missiles externally does not violate the U.S.-Russian New START treaty.
This time the missile mount position, originally mounted on the advanced targeting pods. The U.S. military says that when some B1Bs have the ability to mount external weapons, it puts fewer bombers and crews at risk while providing more firepower.
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