The 412th Test Wing, along with the US Air Force Global Strike Command and industry partners, conducted an expanded transport demonstration with the B-1B Lancer bomber at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. August.
The demonstration showed the feasibility of increasing B-1B weapons capability to integrate future advanced weapons.
The two potential programs – external carry and long bay options – would allow the B-1B to carry weapons externally, significantly increasing its ammunition capacity for munitions, as well as adding larger and heavier munitions such as hypersonic weapons.
“The purpose of the demo was to show that we can still move the forward intermediate compartment bulkhead to the forward location; increasing the capacity of the middle compartment from 180 to 269 inches” said Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Ross, B-1B Program Element Monitor, AFGSC. "Furthermore, we have demonstrated that we can still load weapons externally at six of the eight hard spots, which increases our overall carrying capability."
Ross said the expanded capabilities will be conventional only, keeping the aircraft compliant with the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START.
Gen. Tim Ray, Commander of the AFGSC, Gen. Richard Clark, Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration at Air Force Headquarters and other government and industry partners, were briefed on the expanded capabilities and how they could adapt to future requirements. .
“Increases the capacity of the B-1B's compartment. We can currently carry 24 guns internally, it can now be increased to potentially 40 based on the type of pylon we would create”, said Ross. “That puts the B-1 in the bigger guns, the 5.000 pounds. That also goes into the hypersonic game.”
Ross said the B-1B was designed with eight hard points for carrying weapons, plus a movable bulkhead. The demo showed a model of a notional hypersonic missile attached to a conventional rotary launcher; the same LCR used on the B-52H.
For the demonstration, the bomber was also equipped with an inert t air-to-surface missile attached to a pylon, which was attached to one of the plane's original hard spots. The demonstration was held at Edwards AFB with the 419th Flight Test Squadron, due to their experience with platform testing.
Captain Timothy Grace, Weapons Systems Test Officer, 419th FLTS, provided technical expertise on the B-1B aircraft used for the demonstration and was able to explain to the group how the proposed concept is relevant to the warfighter.
“I wanted to make sure it was tested correctly and I reviewed it to make sure it's relevant to the warrior”said Grace. “And absolutely, there are things we can use this for.”
Another argument he highlighted was how quickly bulkhead modification can be performed and then reversed.
“It is not a permanent modification, it is something that can be done through a few work shifts with Maintenance (Flight)”, he said. “So, depending on what targets we are chasing, what weapons we need to carry, we can move that bulkhead and do external transport.”
From a commander's perspective, the expanded carriage would open up better planning options, said Colonel Richard Barksdale, 28th Operations Group commander, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.
“Basically it would increase the weapons capability to make the bomber more efficient so we can hit more targets with the same aircraft,” Barksdale said. “This would allow us to more efficiently plan targeting and use fewer aircraft with fewer aircrews in a detrimental way to hit the same number of targets. It would also decrease the needed, whether it be tank trucks or other assets,” completed.
