The Air Force's B-1B "Lancer" multi-mission bomber is getting some notable upgrades in the next year, David Cenciotti at The Aviationist reports.
Known as "Bone" in aviation circles, the B-1B is capable of accommodating the largest payloads in the U.S. Air Force inventory – including the the 30,000 lb Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) that is now ready to bust bunkers 200 feet down and through 60 feet of reinforced concrete.
In June, Cenciotti reported that the B-1B will be "programmed for war" after receiving advanced hardware and software upgrades that will undergo operational testing in September 2013.
By then the B-1B will have the option of carrying up to 24 of the new AGM-158B Joint Air-Surface Stanfoff Extended Range (JASSM-ER)missiles – GPS-guided cruise missiles with 2,250-lbs warhead capable of reaching a target 600 miles away – that will be operational at the beginning of next year.
Cenciotti notes that the B-1 will be able to deploy these radar-evading, extremely jamming resistant missiles "against fortified, fixed and relocateable high-valuable targets, while remaining well clear of long-range surface-to-air missiles" that guard well-defended air spaces such as Syria and Iran.
SEE ALSO: Iran Says America's Bunker-Buster Bomb Could Set Off A Global Conflict >
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