<https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/boeing-just-won-major-contract-b-1b- lancer-bomber-ps> https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/boeing-just-won-major-contract-b-1b-l ancer-bomber-ps
This week, aerospace giant Boeing was awarded a new contract to produce external pylons that will enable the United States Air Force's fleet of Rockwell B-1B Lancer bombers to carry heavier and more versatile ordnance. The <https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/b-1b-lancer-bomber-tests-new-weapon- pylons-bigger-payloads-212317> Large Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylons, which have been under development for several years, are expected to increase the bomber's payload capacity by as much as 50 percent. "Thank you, @USAirForce, for selecting us to deliver Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylons for your B-1 fleet. The LAM pylons will bring new capabilities and allow the B-1 to continue to adapt to evolving needs," Boeing Defense <https://x.com/BoeingDefense/status/1943039167300034975> posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. "Our team identified an opportunity to help the U.S. Air Force achieve their mission even more effectively," said Troy Dawson, Vice President of Bombers Development. "They found a creative and innovative way to get new capability to the warfighter to stay ahead of current and emerging threats. They helped ensure the B-1 will be a key part of the U.S. bomber force for decades to come." The B-1B Lancer is on track to be retired in the mid-2030s, as the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider enters service. However, to ensure that the Air Force isn't left with diminished capabilities should the Raider program be delayed, the service has continued to make improvements to the B-1B, including its payload capacity. "The B-1B external heavy-stores pylon program provides increased carriage capacity of standoff munitions on B-1B aircraft," the US Air Force's Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget proposal's <https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/84/documents/FY26/FY26%20Air%20Force%20 Aircraft%20Procurement%20Vol%20II.pdf> Justification Book explained. "Maximum carriage of existing standoff munitions on the B-1B provides a near-term solution to fill the operational need to increase volume of fires from standoff ranges to close existing combatant command gaps," the document added. "This increased volume serves to mitigate transition risk of the Air Force bomber fleet prior to the emergence of the B-21 as a combat-capable bomber." The B-1 was initially designed to carry external weapons, but the document noted that that capability was removed in order to improve the supersonic bomber's aerodynamics. However, the Lancer can still be retrofitted with six pylons, each capable of carrying two 2,000-pound-class weapons or a single 5,000-pound-plus-class weapon. The pylons could also allow the Lancer to serve as a test bed for even more advanced air-launched weapons, though this has not been attempted yet. "The Air Force intends to use the B-1 and pylons to test hypersonic weapons in the near term," <https://onfirstup.com/boeing/BNN/articles/b-1-increases-its-standing-within -the-us-air-force?bypass_deeplink=true> Boeing explained. When combined with the internal bomb bays and pylons, the bomber can carry up to 31 hypersonic weapons, including the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), making it a highly capable warbird. The LAM pylons underwent evaluation, including ground and initial flight testing, with the US Air Force's 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB). The tests "validated the pylon's design and functionality," according to Boeing. Still, testing will continue to ensure that the Air Force's remaining fleet of B-1s can be outfitted with the necessary pylons. "The LAM Pylon will start a new chapter in the B-1's story," added Dan Ruder, Bombers Advanced Programs manager. "It will expand its role in the Air Force's future operational capabilities." There are currently just 42 Rockwell B-1Bs in service, but according to <https://www.twz.com/air/b-1b-to-finally-get-new-external-pylons-drastically -expanding-missile-carriage-potential> The War Zone, the Air Force has called for two retired aircraft to be restored to service, bringing the Air Force's total fleet to 44 bombers. Still, as the bomber enters its twilight years, it has seen its share of mishaps. One of the Air Force's B-1Bs <https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/b-1-lancer-us-air-force-bomber-just- crashed-complete-history-warplane-208371/> crashed while landing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, in early 2024. Two years earlier, a fire broke out on a B-1 assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. <https://nationalinterest.org/profile/peter-suciu> Peter Suciu has <https://news.clearancejobs.com/author/peter-suciu/> contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a <https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/?sh=2a2f53789bd3> Contributing Writer for Forbes and <https://www.clearancejobs.com/> Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: <https://twitter.com/petersuciu> @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: <mailto:edi...@nationalinterest.org> edi...@nationalinterest.org. David Wardell (757) 561-0582 <mailto:da...@wardell.org> da...@wardell.org <https://wardell.us/url/b5s86> <https://wardell.us/url/s9qvz>
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