Latest news with #B-1s
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
B-2 Bombed A Smiley Face Into The Ground Because It Ran Out Of Targets
A B-2 bomber left a smiley face made out of bomb craters on the 'runway' of a mock airfield during a test some two decades ago. This happened after personnel at the sprawling Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) had run out of shipping containers to turn into targets that a B-2 would hit during a single attack run. It's a reminder of just how much precision destruction America's upgraded stealth bombers can dole out in one pass. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, who was part of the crew that flew the test mission, mentioned the smiley face during an online talk that the Air & Space Forces Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies hosted yesterday. Armagost, who is now commander of the Eighth Air Force, to which the Air Force's current B-2s, B-1s, and B-52s are all assigned, used the anecdote to highlight the unique capabilities offered by heavy bombers. 'I happened to fly an operational test mission where we tested the carriage of 80 500-pound JDAM [Joint Direct Attack Munition precision guided bombs] and released them all in a span of a little over 20 seconds on an airfield in the UTTR,' Armagost said. 'I mean, that's an amazing sight to behold, such that we even ran out of CONEX boxes to strike, and so [we] drew a smiley face across the runway with JDAMs.' Armagost said that this flight occurred in 2004, but this appears to be in error. The rest of his description aligns completely with a widely publicized test that occurred on September 10, 2003. The specifics of the event are detailed in the video below, which makes no mention of drawing the smiley face. The faux airfield constructed on the UTTR for the September 2003 test was just under a mile long. In addition to two mock runways, one graded and one just a desert strip, it included nine distinct simulated target areas. These were designed to represent an aircraft revetment, a helicopter landing pad, a control tower, a vehicle park, a generic structure, a hangar, an SA-6 surface-to-air missile system site, a fuel storage site, and a Scud ballistic missile launch site. The mock revetment, control tower, generic structure, and hangar were all made using arrays of shipping containers. The B-2 bomber, flying at an altitude of some 40,000 feet, released all 80 JDAMs in a single pass. The GPS-assisted guidance packages in the tail fin sections in each of the bombs were programmed to hit a separate aim point, and all of the impacts occurred within a span of approximately 22 seconds. The JDAM was still a relatively new weapon at the time, and the B-2 used in the test had to be specially modified with new 'smart' bomb racks to be able to drop the bombs. There were also safety concerns about dropping that many bombs from a B-2 in such rapid succession, and 11 other test flights were conducted to gather key data before the final 80-bomb pass on the mock airfield. Today, JDAMs, which consist of one of a number of low-drag bomb bodies combined with a new tail section that contains the guidance system, as well as clamp-on aerodynamic strakes, are among the most widely used air-to-ground munitions in the U.S. military. In addition to 500-pound-class types, there are also 1,000 and 2,000-pound-class versions. The Air Force had certainly demonstrated the B-2's ability to drop large numbers of bombs, in general, before the September 2003 test. The service has continued to show off the B-2's capabilities in this regard in training and testing, as well as real-world operations, since 2003, as well. As mentioned, during yesterday's talk, Maj. Gen. Armagost used the 80 JDAM test to highlight the immense and unique capabilities that heavy bombers offer. The B-2, with its maximum payload capacity of around 60,000 pounds, has especially cavernous bomb bays. It is notably the only aircraft currently certified to operationally employ the 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb, the heaviest conventional munition in U.S. service today. It can carry two MOPs in its internal weapons bays. The MOP has now become a household name after the bombs were dropped on real targets for the first time during the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Armagost's remarks yesterday about the 80 JDAM test came in response to a question about what he would want fellow airmen to better understand about the differences between what fighters and bombers bring to the fight. 'Bombers are an order of magnitude difference [from fighters] in what you can do with them,' he also said. 'Now, they nest incredibly well together, right? We see that with our partners and allies, who … fly fighters as their power projection capability. But when we nest them together with bombers, it is a completely different animal.' The United States is currently alone in the West as an operator of bombers. It is a small club overall, with Russia and China being the only other countries that do so anywhere else globally. 'I'll reflect back to that, that B-2 example of 80 500-pound JDAMs in a matter of a little over 20 seconds, and that was one aircraft,' Armagost said later on in yesterday's talk. 'It's like the example we used to give of World War II attacks requiring massive formations with high numbers of people at risk to get a single target. And then, as we transition through the precision capability, kind of revolution, and then evolution, you get down to single aircraft with single targets. And then the B-2 with multiple targets per aircraft. And, so, most simply, the cost, the strike efficiency, and the cost per kill comes down to: it matters how big your weapons bay is.' Now it also 'matters what access you have bought with the platform or with the weapons, in the case of hypersonics from range, or a penetrating force bringing large numbers inside of denied airspace,' the Eighth Air Force commander added. The ability of a single B-2 to destroy, or at least inflict severe damage, on a large facility like an airfield with pinpoint accuracy on a single pass, even when flying miles from the target, remains a significant capability, although one that is waning with the advent of ever more advanced integrated air defense systems. Regardless, this unprecedented ability is something TWZ has highlighted in the past when talking about the B-2. In line with all of this, Armagost spent much of his time yesterday talking about the critical value he sees coming not just from the size of the planned fleet for forthcoming B-21 Raider bombers, as you can read more about here. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21s, if not many more. The service currently has just 19 B-2 bombers out of a total of 21 that were ever produced, which imposes significant limits on their operational capacity despite the highly valuable 'silver bullet' capabilities they offer, as was demonstrated during the Midnight hammer strikes. The B-21 is smaller than the B-2, and won't be able to carry as much gross tonnage of ordnance per sortie. Still, the Raider could have an even more impressive 'single pass' strike capability, all while offering enhanced survivability. While 80 JDAMs may not be on the weapons menu, with new smaller standoff munition options like the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) or its successor, the GBU-53/B StormBreaker, the B-21 could exceed the quantity of the B-2's bomb load. And it could release those weapons at standoff ranges, eclipsing the B-2's impressive direct attack capabilities. The B-2 is not currently capable of employing the SDB or Stormbreaker. The ability to launch even small but just as accurate drones that can network together to swarm targets with deadly precision could take this capability even another step forward. Regardless of what the future holds, the smiley face anecdote that Maj. Gen. Armagost shared underscores why the Air Force's B-2s will continue to be prized for their unique ability to bring heavy ordnance loads deep into defended and deal massive, highly-efficient destruction in minimal time. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Whiteman Air Force Base receives prestigious award
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE — The home of the B-2 bomber is being recognized with an award for its commitment to national security. The U.S. Strategic Command honored Whiteman Air Force Base on Monday with the Omaha trophy for their hard work in 2024. KC firefighter's death highlights rise in violence against health care workers nationwide There are four categories for the award. The 509th Bomb Wing received the Omaha Trophy for Excellence in Strategic Execution. Col. Keith Butler is commander of the 509th Bomb Wing and Whiteman Air Force Base. He said the committee highlighted a few reasons why they were awarded this trophy, including a combat mission last fall in Yemen, as well as a bomber task force deployment. 'This is where we take, they take a couple of different bombers, whether they're B-1s, B-2s or B-52s, and send them off to different parts around the world,' Butler said. 'To ensured hat both our allies can be assured of our nations nuclear umbrella our ability to do strategic engagement and to work on the inner ability to showcase that partnership.' The U.S. Strategic Command consultation committee helps make the decision each year. FOX4 is told the Omaha Trophy is the highest distinction awarded to a nuclear-enterprise unit by a civilian organization. They say it recognizes units that demonstrate 'exceptional performance in global strategic deterrence.' Looking ahead to keeping this trophy next year, Butler said they're currently in another deployment to Diego Garcia. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri He said it's the largest B2 deployment in the history of the program, more than 30 years. 'All the folks that are out there are handling the tasking that has been placed before us, are doing it with professionalism, with competence and again with confidence,' he added. 'So I think we've got a running start for 2025.' FOX4 is told the last time Whiteman Air Force Base received the Omaha Trophy was in 2018. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
B-1B Bones Make Unprecedented Bomber Task Force Deployment To Japan
For the first time, U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers are in Japan for a Bomber Task Force rotation. The deployment to Misawa Air Base comes at a time when the Air Force has six B-2 stealth bombers stationed in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, for a significant bomber presence across the Indo-Pacific region. You can read more about the B-2 rotation in this previous story. The B-1Bs, from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, arrived at Misawa on April 15, immediately after having flown a training mission alongside fighters from the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). The 'Bones' flew over the western part of the Korean peninsula, including Osan Air Base, accompanied by U.S. Air Force F-16s and ROKAF F-35s and F-16s. Initially, two B-1s arrived at Misawa, but more examples may soon join them. Two Dyess B-1s over Osan AB, South Korea , April 15th. Likely to be LOFT11 & 12 caught by TheIntelFrog in his post below [USAF Vid] — Saint1 (@Saint1Mil) April 15, 2025 Air Force bombers in Japan is not an entirely new phenomenon, although they have never previously been there as part of a Bomber Task Force deployment. In February of this year, B-1s taking part in a Bomber Task Force deployment to Guam landed at Misawa for 'hot-pit' refueling. The method of 'hot pitting' involves keeping the engines running while the aircraft is refueled by ground crews. Sometimes the crews are also switched out. The tactic is useful for increasing sortie rates as well as rapidly refueling, rearming and swapping out a new crew in combat aircraft to get them back in the fight faster. Shutting aircraft down also invites the possibilities of critical equipment failures upon startup. So, for especially complex aircraft, keeping them running and all systems operating allows for better assurance that the asset will stay in play. In April of 2024, a B-52H touched down at Yokota Air Base in Japan, although in that case it was an unscheduled emergency landing. As for the Bomber Task Force concept, the Air Force introduced this in 2018 to replace the previous continuous rotational deployments of bombers overseas. Involving typically only small numbers of aircraft, Bomber Task Force deployments are of varying lengths, extending from a few weeks up to several months in some cases. These deployments provide theater familiarization for aircrews and aircraft integration opportunities with Allies and partners in different parts of the world. Overall, they represent what the Air Force says is a more unpredictable and flexible approach to pushing strategic airpower forward. Bomber Task Force deployments now take place in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific theater. In the latter region, these rotations have been made to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, Australia; and Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean these forward locations, missions have been flown over and around critical hot spots and in exercises with allies. 'BTF 25-2 showcases the U.S. commitment to deterring threats and maintaining regional stability,' explained Lt. Col. Christopher Travelstead, director of operations for the squadron now deployed at Misawa. 'These missions in the Indo-Pacific ensure our B-1 crews are highly trained and ready to respond anytime, anywhere, to defend U.S. interests and support our allies, securing a stable Indo-Pacific — where all nations operate freely under a rules-based order while promoting global peace and prosperity.' Misawa, which is already home to permanently based U.S. Air Force F-16CJs, comes under the Pacific Air Forces area of responsibility (AOR). From here, the Air Force is expected to project power across 100 million square miles — covering this vast area is a much easier task with long-range bombers like the B-1. From Misawa, Air Force assets could find themselves tasked on missions directed toward North Korea or Russia, although the relative proximity to the hotly contested South China Sea or Taiwan Strait is of particular relevance. This is part of a broader Pentagon plan to deter China. This plan, known as the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, or PDI, calls for the establishment of forward-deployed long-range strike capabilities, like the B-1, but also encompasses ground-based cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles. In particular, the U.S. military is seeking to establish more survivable, precision-strike networks along the so-called First Island Chain. The term First Island Chain refers to an area of the Pacific inside a boundary formed by the first line of archipelagos out from mainland East Asia. This broad zone includes the hotly contested South China Sea, as well as the highly strategic Taiwan Strait. Pushing the B-1s into position on the First Island Chain would allow them to react faster to contingencies in the region, but it also makes them more vulnerable to attack on the ground should a major fight erupt. Strategic planning in the Pacific also often takes into account needs within a region defined by a Second Island Chain, the boundary of which stretches between Japan and eastern Indonesia and includes the U.S. territory of Guam. From Misawa in the north of Japan, the long-range B-1s also have access to the Second Island Chain, including as a place to retreat to in a crisis. The B-1 also brings a notably potent maritime capability, which is of considerable importance in this region. In particular, the bombers can now be armed with many stealthy AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles, or LRASMs. The introduction of this weapon is part of a tilt toward employing these bombers against maritime threats as they enter the twilight of their career, but with a heavy emphasis on operations during a potential crisis in the Pacific. Time will tell how long the B-1s remain at Misawa and what kind of missions they fly, and where. It's clear, however, that the first-time deployment has been calculated to very deliberately demonstrate U.S. commitment to the security of the Indo-Pacific region and its allies in the region. Contact the author: thomas@
