External hardpoints on the bomber’s lower fuselage could carry long-range hypersonic missiles.
Engineers at Boeing are advancing design work to repurpose decomissioned weapons stations for the US Air Force’s B-1B Lancer supersonic bombers.
The project aims to certify the new Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) multi-use weapons pylon for attachment to six external hardpoints that already exist on the B-1B’s lower fuselage. These were originally intended to carry air-launched cruise missiles carrying a nuclear payload but were decommissioned under arms control agreements with Russia.
The last remaining nuclear weapons limitation treaty between Washington and Moscow expired in February.
Even before that milestone, the US Air Force had been looking to reactivate the B-1B’s external weapons stations for non-nuclear missions like carrying munitions that are too large for the jet-powered bomber’s internal bomb bays.
The service has tested the LAM as far back as 2024. Separate evaluations in 2022 also proved one of the B-1B’s external weapons stations could be used to carry munitions like the long-range AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.
That hardpoint has already been repurposed on frontline aircraft to carry the Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pod.
Continuing that process, Boeing on 26 May said its team had passed a preliminary design review for the LAM project, a key milestone in the engineering and development process.
“This is only just the beginning of the incredible things we can do to support this aircraft,” says Lynsay Brannock, Boeing’s B-1 programme manager. “Our team is committed to finding new capabilities for this aircraft that gives commanders more options and keeps the B-1’s place a pillar of the USAF’s bomber fleet.”
Boeing says flight testing on an initial LAM design took place as recently as February using a B-1B assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California.
A more detailed critical design review will be required before the LAM pylon can be approved for production and integration with operational bombers.
When it comes to integrating new weapons with the B-1B, the USAF is particularly interested in long-range hypersonic missiles, such as Lockheed Martin’s developmental AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon.
However, the LAM pylon will also offer the B-1B additional payload capacity for existing weapons like the JASSM cruise missile and Joint Direct Attack Munition GPS-guided bomb.
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