Boeing upgrades B-52s with internal smart weapons
Sixty-one years since the type’s first flight, the US Air Force is upgrading the weapons bays of the Boeing B-52 to carry satellite-guided conventional munitions.
A crew of Boeing and US Air Force technicians installed a prototype of the new weapons bay launcher in a B-52 at Edwards AFB, California.
The prototype modifies a rotary launcher intended to carry nuclear weapons to carry conventional weapons, says Boeing.
The initial version will allow the B-52 to carry satellite-guided Boeing joint direct attack munitions internally.
Future upgrades should give the bomber the ability to carry stand-off munitions, such as the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 joint air to surface standoff missile (JASSM) and the Raytheon ADM-160 miniature air-launched decoy, Boeing says.
The B-52 carries such so-called “smart” weapons on wing-mounted pylons now. Moving the weapons into the internal bays should reduce fuel consumption by 15%, Boeing says.
It also means the B-52 can carry eight more cruise missiles inside the weapons bay.
Boeing upgrades B-52s with internal smart weapons - 1/21/2015 - Flight Global
![2935ff8821b9bdfce4c246cd63aec39f.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F29%2F35%2Fff%2F2935ff8821b9bdfce4c246cd63aec39f.jpg&hash=e02c64ef60290d3a7c3edbc41ceea076)
A crew of Boeing and US Air Force technicians installed a prototype of the new weapons bay launcher in a B-52 at Edwards AFB, California.
The prototype modifies a rotary launcher intended to carry nuclear weapons to carry conventional weapons, says Boeing.
The initial version will allow the B-52 to carry satellite-guided Boeing joint direct attack munitions internally.
Future upgrades should give the bomber the ability to carry stand-off munitions, such as the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 joint air to surface standoff missile (JASSM) and the Raytheon ADM-160 miniature air-launched decoy, Boeing says.
![JASSM_mockup_0048.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F8%2F87%2FJASSM_mockup_0048.jpg&hash=dd151f26eb916b07558e749c0a350bb3)
![ORD_ADM-160B-C_MALD_Cutaway_lg.gif](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.defenceindustrydaily.com%2Fimages%2FORD_ADM-160B-C_MALD_Cutaway_lg.gif&hash=36a25ca39899f5492e0d97c750791db3)
The B-52 carries such so-called “smart” weapons on wing-mounted pylons now. Moving the weapons into the internal bays should reduce fuel consumption by 15%, Boeing says.
It also means the B-52 can carry eight more cruise missiles inside the weapons bay.
Boeing upgrades B-52s with internal smart weapons - 1/21/2015 - Flight Global