B-1 Maxes Out with JASSMs

A B-1 from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess, AFB, Tex., has demonstrated for the first time this bomber type’s ability to carry a full complement of 24 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles. “The mission was a success. Everything went as planned, and we can verify that the B-1B can, in fact, operate its full capacity of JASSMs,” said Maj. Brian Owen, chief of wing weapons and tactics. According to plan, the aircrew released no JASSMs during Tuesday’s five-hour flight over the Gulf of Mexico. Rather, the aircrew checked the status of each missile while in the air. The B-1 can carry the most JASSMs of all Air Force platforms, followed by the B-2, which can carry 16, and the B-52, which can hold up to a dozen. (Dyess report by TSgt. Robert Wollenberg)