Thu, Jan 14, 2016
Enhanced Weapons Bay Launchers Can Be Transferred Between Aircraft
Six of the U.S. Air Force’s B-52 bombers can now take flight with a greater variety of weapons, thanks to enhanced internal weapons bay launchers delivered by Boeing. The upgraded launchers allow the B-52 to carry GPS-guided or “smart” weapons in the weapons bay for the first time and are ready for use.
“The upgrades to the B-52 bomber’s internal weapons bay have made it possible to have zero gap on the bomber’s long-range bombing capabilities as we transfer from Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles to Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range,” said Col. Tim Dickinson, B-52 Program Director with the U.S. Air Force.
The enhancement modifies an existing common strategic rotary launcher in the internal weapons bay into a conventional rotary launcher and increases the total number of smart weapons the B-52 can carry and deliver, giving crew members greater flexibility to adapt to changing conditions on the battlefield.
The launchers, which can be moved from one bomber to another, can carry, target and launch eight Joint Direct Attack Munitions. Future increments of the weapons bay launcher upgrade program will add the capability to carry Joint Air-to-Surface Stand Off Missiles and Miniature Air Launched Decoys.
“With this added capability, the B-52 bomber will remain relevant for decades to come,” said Jeff Lupton, Boeing’s B-52 Internal Weapons Bay Upgrade program manager. “Our commitment to providing our USAF customer with uncompromising service enabled us to successfully deliver these launchers on an accelerated schedule.”
These deliveries follow several months of successful ground and flight testing of the launchers and support the U.S. Air Force’s accelerated schedule to complete the first stage of the upgrade program – low rate initial production.
(Image provided with Boeing news release)
More News
Aviation Governance Secured...At Least For a While The National Business Aviation Association similarly applauded the passage of the FAA's recent reauthorization, contentedly recou>[...]
Emphasis On Growing The Future of Aviation Through Concentration on 'AFFORDABLE FLYERS' It's been a number of years since the Latest Edition of Jim Campbell's HUGE SportPlane Resou>[...]
Amazilia Aerospace GmbH, Develops Digital Flight Control, Flight Guidance And Vehicle Management Systems Textron eAviation has acquired substantially all the assets of Amazilia Aer>[...]
Honeywell's Primus Brings New Tools and Niceties for Hawker Operators Hawker 4000 business jet operators have a new installation on the table, now that the FAA has granted an STC f>[...]
Company Celebrates Niche-but-Important Advancement in Industry Standards Echodyne has announced full integration of its proprietary 'EchoFlight' radar into the e American Aerospace>[...]