{"id":141334,"date":"2026-05-02T01:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=141334"},"modified":"2026-05-01T22:22:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T16:52:48","slug":"usaf-reveals-b-1b-bomber-carrying-arrw-hypersonic-missile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/02\/usaf-reveals-b-1b-bomber-carrying-arrw-hypersonic-missile\/","title":{"rendered":"Largest Air Force in the World Reveals B-1B Bomber Carrying ARRW Hypersonic Missile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CALIFORNIA-<\/strong> The U.S. Air Force (USAF)<\/a> has publicly released the first imagery of a B-1B Lancer bomber carrying an AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile on an external hardpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The footage, shared on Edwards Air Force Base’s (EDW) Instagram page, confirms the bomber’s expanding role as a hypersonic weapons test platform as the service extends its operational life through at least 2037.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The development coincides with renewed investment in the ARRW program, which the Air Force had moved to cancel in 2023. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget request now seeks nearly $350 million to fund ARRW Increment 2 and a new air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The B-1B’s unmatched external payload capacity has secured its relevance even as the next-generation B-21 Raider enters the fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier captive carry tests of the ARRW took place under the wings of B-52H Stratofortress bombers, including a live round carried at Andersen Air Force Base (UAM) on Guam ahead of a Western Pacific test in 2024, TWZ<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Largest
Photo: Air Force Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

USAF B-1B Lancer Emerges as Primary Hypersonic Weapons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The B-1B was originally designed with up to eight external hardpoints capable of carrying stores, including nuclear-tipped AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM) during the Cold War. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After losing its nuclear mission, the external pylons fell into disuse for weapons carriage. However, by 2020, the Air Force outlined plans to reactivate external stations specifically for hypersonic weapons integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gen. Timothy Ray, then commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, stated the goal was to modify at least a squadron’s worth of B-1Bs<\/a> with external pylons to carry the ARRW. The service evaluated multiple integration approaches and determined that external pylons offered the fastest and most cost-effective path forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fiscal Year 2026 budget request confirmed the B-1B’s role as a testbed for the Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon, engineered for hypersonic<\/a> weapons and other heavy stores. The B-1B can mount six LAM pylons, each rated for two 2,000-pound-class weapons or a single store exceeding 5,000 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Edwards Air Force Base (@edwardsairforcebase)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n