The United States wants to turn the B-1B Lancer bomber into a killer of Chinese aircraft carriers
Arming the supersonic aircraft with 36 LRASM anti-ship missiles with a range of over 900 km
The U.S. Air Force wants to turn supersonic B-1B Lancer strategic bombers into killers of Chinese fleet aircraft carriers. To do this, experts want to add anti-ship missiles to the aircraft.
The idea is that the B-1B Lancer can carry 36 Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM). It is based on the JASSM-ER, but uses satellite communications to bypass enemy air defense systems. According to available data, LRASM has a maximum launch range of over 900 km.
The desire to arm the B-1B with three dozen LRASM missiles goes back to the Arsenal Plane concept that emerged at the end of the last century. The point is that military aircraft, including transport aircraft, could carry the maximum possible number of missiles.
Thanks to the Arsenal Plane concept, a technology called Rapid Dragon has emerged. This is a system for dropping long-range cruise missiles AGM-158B JASSM-ER on pallets from military transport aircraft.
The average age of B-1B Lancer supersonic bombers is almost 35 years. At the beginning of the next decade, the US Air Force intends to decommission the aircraft. The service will receive a new generation of B-21 Raider nuclear bombers, but it will not be able to carry as many missiles as the B-1B.
During the Cold War, the B-52 Stratofortress flew with a dozen Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The F/A-18 Super Hornet deck fighter can now carry no more than two LRASMs, and the P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft can carry up to six missiles.
If the service can turn its idea into reality, a single B-1B Lancer will carry approximately twice as many anti-ship missiles as the Super Hornet, Stratofortress and Poseidon combined. A group of five B-1B Lancers will be able to launch a volley of 180 LRASM missiles.
Decades ago, the United States was afraid of Soviet Tu-22 aircraft with AS-4 anti-ship missiles. This led to the creation of the Aegis combat system, which includes the SPY-1 radar with an active phased array antenna, and the F-14 Tomcat fighter received AIM-54 missiles.
Now China is in this situation. Five B-1B Lancers with 180 LRASM missiles will be capable of sinking a Fujian-class aircraft carrier, four Type-055 and Type-052D destroyers, and one Type 054A frigate, even if Chinese air defense intercepts 95% of the missiles. The installation of the LRASM on the B-1B Lancer external suspension will provide the US Air Force with one of the most powerful non-nuclear weapons systems in history.
