Posted on 11/23/2015 9:28:29 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
The Boeing B-52H is the vintage bomber that just won’t quit, and now the Cold War-era “Stratofortress†is being outfitted with one of America’s newest and longest-range conventional cruise missiles.
Lockheed Martin has been put on contract to arm the 54-year-old aircraft – which has outlived many of those who predicted its retirement – with the extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Weapon (JASSM) under a $9.1 million contract announced earlier this month.
In a statement to Flightglobal, LM director of long-range strike systems Jason Denney confirms that the B-52 will be updated to carry the turbofan engine-powered cruise missile internally on a new digitised rotary launcher and externally on its pylons.
The bomber has long carried conventional cruise missiles, namely the non-nuclear derivative of the AGM-86 “ALCM†that has an unclassified range of 600nm and is being retired as supplies run low.
Boeing B-52s can carry up to 20 nuclear-armed Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCMs) and by 2018 will probably be carrying a similar number of smarter, non-nuclear Lockheed Martin JASSM-ERs.
US Air Force
Already equipped to carry the shorter-range baseline JASSM missile on its pylons, adding the extended range variant more than doubles the bomber’s JASSM strike distance to 500nm (926km). That allows lumbering, non-stealthy B-52H to punch out targets while keeping clear of hazardous air defence systems well into the future.
According to Lockheed, the B-52 has only fired the JASSM-ER during operational testing off its external pylons, and the bomber now joins the Lockheed F-16 and soon the Boeing F-15E on the integration to-do list. B-52 integration will wrap up in 2018, as will the project to arm the F-16.
“F-15E integration will be next in line,†says Denney. “The expansion of the JASSM-ER employment aircraft set will significantly enhance the US warfighter’s first-day, first-strike capabilities.â€
The baseline JASSM missile has been in serial production for over a decade but production recently switched to the new double-range JASSM-ER (500nm unclassified).
Lockheed Martin
The beefing up of Stratofortress weaponry for conventional warfighting comes as the air force removes nuclear weapons from dozens of B-52s previously assigned to the strategic deterrence mission to achieve compliance with new strategic arms limitations agreed with Russia.
The air force currently plans to retire the supersonic Boeing/Rockwell B-1B and the B-52H in the 1940s as their Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) replacement steps in.
JASSM-ER takes advantage of several concurrent digital upgrades that will allow every B-52 to carry smart weapons internally for the first time and on its pylons. The Boeing-led Combat Network Communications Technology improvement will further allow B-52s to update their missions plans via satellite and retarget weapons in flight – as most other combat aircraft have been doing for decades.
The B-52's rotary launcher, seen here carrying up to eight ALCM cruise missiles, is being upgraded to carry fully digital smart weapons and decoys.
US Air Force
Well, I could have been snarky and said you couldn’t be right, since Collings doesn’t have a B-29 ... and the CAF doesn’t have a B-24.
;-)
Actually the CAF does have a B-24 here in Dallas. I have flown on it many times.
Our squadron website is here: http://cafb29b24.org. Check it out.
Do we really want to start in on the LB30 vs B-24A debate?
;-)
Hitler and Tojo are gonna be hatin' life ...
Are you speaking from some special knowledge? Info that long time members of the squadron do not possess, perhaps?
I followed the Diamond Lil -> Ol’927 -> Diamond Lil saga via the late Gary Austin’s threads on WIX, as well as other various threads.
The debate over whether Diamond Lil is an LB-30 or a B-24 came up quite a bit. Like every time the Collings Foundation claimed it’s B-24 was the only flying example of the type.
It was (is?) an amusing debate over semantics, especially given the seriousness of other CAD-related controversies. Like having the Air Force repo the F-82. And somewhat better natured than the fight over the Tallichet B-17 being the “real” Memphis Belle or not.
Although, back to the CAF Liberator, I would note that my copyright 1977 “Ghost Squadron” history of the CAF, obtained at an early 1980s airshow in Texas, identifies Lil as an LB-30. :-D
I have flown many missions on the 18th B-24 ever built.
I suspect you are one of those REMF types. I tried to be friendly with you because I mistakenly assumed you were a real airplane person. Mistake.
Instead you want to be an asshole. You know nothing. I have seen the eyes of many veterans at airshows, something you know nothing about. I am sorry I had any communications with you.
Oh give me a break.
It was just some light-hearted teasing.
Oh, and I’ll add this (firmly turning the good natured, light hearted humor switch to the “off” setting).
The revitalization of both Diamond Lil (with the work to bring her back to near her original B-24A configuration, as per her dataplate) and FiFi (with the new hybrid engine design, which is going to allow Doc to fly as well) has been both a gift to WWII veterans AND those who will continue to see these flying tributes in the air long after those veterans are gone.
Those who appreciate these aircraft and what they represent owe a debt to the CAF (and Collings, and Tallichet, and FHC and the others) for keeping them in the air.
Particularly Gary Austin, who left us way too early. I watched, almost daily, his WIX posts on Diamond Lil. Including the phenominal engineering work done, with nearly no documentation, to restore her tail gun station.
I don’t know who you are. But I thank you for being a part of that.
You are correct. I over-reacted. Please accept my apologies.
When I tour with Diamond Lil, about one out of a thousand people I meet wants to be a jerk. They walk up and tell us how to dress the props, how to chock the gear, why she isn’t a B-24, how we’re doing everything wrong, etc. I’ve got no time for people like that. I mistakenly assumed you were one of those people, and for that I am sorry.
Of course the Commie Chinese can build as many nukes as they want.
It’s no big deal, I was harsh in my reaction to your reaction.
It’s good to be passionate about some things. Warbirds are a really good “something” to be passionate about. Years and years ago, before I had a wife, kids, house/mortgage, etc, I was THRILLED about the prospect of joining CAF when they announced their B-26 (Carolyn) would be based out of Manassas Airport. Then she went down in that field, taking five lives with her ...
At some point, once I reach the empty-nest phase of my life, I always said I’d like to go through the National Air & Space Museum’s wrench-turner program to volunteer in their restoration shops. Still have a ways to go until that happens, so I only get to look at the birds (both flying and static). I’m very much jealous of you :-)
And I hereby solemnly, absolutely, unequivocally promise that I will never, ever, raise the whole “Tramp Stamp” thing ... :-)
I’m sure we’ll talk again on other threads. Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving!
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